Raphael Varane had to come off the bench but put in a shaky performance, perhaps proving why Harry Maguire and Evans have been Erik ten Hag’s preferred pairing in the middle.

It has been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes of the Frenchman who was one of the first names on the teamsheet last season.

Consistent injuries have relegated him to a rotation role and amid murmurs of discontent and interest from Saudi Pro League, the writing looked to be on the wall for the World Cup winner.

However, Football Insider reports that Ten Hag is keen to keep Varane in his ranks due to the defensive crisis at the club.

As things stand, Varane and Maguire are the only senior options available to the manager ahead of the Luton Town game at Old Trafford.

The scenario is not expected to change anytime soon, with only Victor Lindelof presumably returning in the near future. Evans and Lisandro Martinez look to be long-term absentees.

With FA Cup starting, and the prospect of an extended campaign in the Europa League also looking realistic after the loss to Copenhagen, Ten Hag has made the call to keep the players he has for now.

Varane has been targeted by Saudi Pro League, particularly by Al-Nassr, who hope to reunite him with Cristiano Ronaldo.

While the player rebuffed the interest in the summer with an emphatic Instagram post, there has been increasing mutual interest since then due to his condition at United.

However, with Ten Hag short of options, Varane is set to be handed a long run in the team by default.

If he remains fit and performs well, he can give Ten Hag the right kind of headache, something which Harry Maguire has done by taking the chance he was given with both hands and running with it.

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From their “regular batch”, both David de Gea and Dean Henderson left and in came Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.

While Onana’s signing was always the priority after De Gea’s departure, the identity of the backup goalkeeper became clear much later.

SC Braga’s Matheus has revealed to TNT Sports that he could have been the one signing at Old Trafford in place of Bayindir.

Matheus had offers from Manchester United and Nottingham Forest but he revealed that the offer from the Red Devils is the one that moved him the most.

He said he had always followed United on television as a boy from Brazil and couldn’t believe that the club was making an effort to sign him.

The Brazilian got in touch with the players at United, as well as Erik ten Hag.

So enamoured was the player by the manager that he disclosed he will keep that experience with him forever and tell it to his grandchildren.

“Moves you, buddy. Honestly, it does. So when you receive the contact and see that… The stamp there from a big European club, mate, whether you like it or not, it moves you.

“You’re a boy who leaves Brazil full of dreams and you always see these big clubs on television, following them, the Champions League, the Premier League, great players who have played there, David Beckham, David De Gea. So you wonder, is it true? And the guys got in touch with me, no, I spoke to him, I spoke to the coach.

“It was Ten Hag. So, these are things I’ve kept, whether I like it or not. I said I’ll keep it to tell my children when they grow up,” he said.

The goalkeeper went on to reveal that even though the move didn’t happen after the conversation, it told him that was on the right track and making the right noises.

Ultimately, he thanked SC Braga for showing trust in him and urged himself to look at the bright side of the move, thinking that whatever happened was for the best.

United certainly wouldn’t be ruing it much as Onana has started finding form after a shaky start.

Bayindir also comes as a highly-rated player from Turkey although he’s yet to debut for the club.

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(A score of 6 is around average)

Andre Onana 5- Could have maybe got down sooner for Copenhagen’s first but that’s nitpicking. Penalty is always a lottery and he can’t be blamed for it. Couldn’t do much for any goal.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 7- Giving United renewed thrust on the right side with improved attacking play. Smartly played in McTominay to slide it to Hojlund for United’s first.

Harry Maguire 5- Was having a good game before the red card to Rashford invited a wave of Copenhagen attacks. Looked rattled then.

Jonny Evans 6- Not much impact before hobbling off with what looked like a serious injury. Huge concern for Erik ten Hag.

Diogo Dalot 4- Lost his man for Copenhagen’s third goal in unforgivable fashion but was playing well on his wrong side at left-back before that.

Scott McTominay 7- Assisted Hojlund and United’s first goal with a great cut-back from the byline and generally kept possession well in midfield.

Christian Eriksen 6- Nothing notable, just kept the play ticking and didn’t get bypassed too often during transition in a huge improvement from earlier appearances.

Marcus Rashford 5- Was United’s main point of attack on the right before being cruelly sent off for what looked like basic shielding of the ball. He won’t be happy with himself but can’t be blamed for the decision of the referee.

Bruno Fernandes 7- Played really well as the connecting link of midfield and the attack. Kept his rushed balls forward to a minimum and scored with his penalty kick to give United the second-half lead.

Alejandro Garnacho 7- Rashford and Garnacho have cemented themselves as United’s first-choice pairing now after another fine performance by the Argentine. Looks to take on defenders and even when things don’t come off, shores up the attack.

Rasmus Hojlund 8- Had a dream start on his homecoming by scoring a goal within the first five minutes. He was in dreamland after getting a quick brace, proving that he will score goals if chances are created by his teammates. Didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.

Substitutes:

Raphael Varane 3- Things looked frosty between Ten Hag and the Frenchman when he was called to action after Evans’ injury. Showed why he hasn’t been trusted to displace Maguire and Evans with a shaky performance. Cost United the game by radiating panic across the backline.

Manager Erik ten Hag 6- Not making successful adjustments could be the only critique of the manager here but sometimes there’s nothing you can do when everything that can go bad, goes bad.

The post FC Copenhagen 4-3 Manchester United: Player Ratings appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Christian Eriksen will return to familiar grounds as a Dane but unbelievably, it will be the first time in his entire career that he has played a competitive club game in his home country.

https://x.com/StatmanDave/status/1722327434941415628?s=20

Eriksen was discovered in Denmark when he was part of an OB youth squad.

However, such was his technical mastery at the time that he had already caught the attention of major European clubs.

Before he could break through at Denmark and make a senior club appearance there, he was already off to the Netherlands with Ajax.

He stayed there for six years, four of those being in the first team before moving to Tottenham Hotspur where he unlocked another level to his game.

In his professional career spanning nearly 14 years, it is remarkable to see that he has never stepped foot in Denmark for a senior club side.

Teams from Denmark don’t qualify for the Champions League regularly, while the sides he has played for have inevitably been in that competition more often than not.

Furthermore, the Danish football scene in Europe is not particularly strong.

Nordsjaelland, Brondby, Mdtyjlland, and Copenhagen are the strongest names in the league but are rarely seen in the latter stages of the competition.

In terms of other homecomings, Rasmus Hojlund will also be returning to familiar grounds.

The United striker came through the ranks of Copenhagen, making 19 appearances for the side before moving to Austria’s Sturm Graz.

He will meet his brother Oscar Hojlund, with another sibling of his, Emil Hojlund, also on the books at the Danish club.

United need a win to keep their Champions League alive and they will undoubtedly need their Danish duo to produce the goods and get United firing in attack.

The post Christian Eriksen achieves unbelievable record with Manchester United appearance against Copenhagen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United’s bad performance in that game seems to have given the Danish team a lot of confidence for the return fixture.

There have been some strong quotes coming from their camp ahead of the clash in Denmark and now their manager has joined the queue in firing a shot at United.

Jacob Neestrup, the Copenhagen manager, has boldly claimed that the atmosphere at Parken (Copenhagen’s home ground) will be 100 times better than what they experienced at Old Trafford.

He said the intensity is not comparable and added that the standard is way above the Premier League.

Neestrup was quick to point out that he felt Old Trafford’s history and pedigree, particularly in the Champions League but the intensity at Parken will be different altogether.

“You can’t compare Old Trafford with Parken. Because the intensity is 100 times higher compared to where we played two weeks ago (Old Trafford).

“This is a standard, for me, way above the Premier League,” he said.

"You can’t compare Old Trafford with Parken because the intensity is times 100 in terms of what we played in two weeks ago"

Copenhagen head coach Jacob Neestrup on the atmosphere awaiting #MUFC at Parken on Wednesday night pic.twitter.com/rutg9Qh0rq

— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) November 7, 2023

Neestrup could be forgiven for thinking the atmosphere was a bit sombre at the time since United put in an extremely lethargic performance themselves.

Furthermore, the club was reeling from the news of Sir Bobby Charlton’s death so there was an air of reverence around the game that day.

Generally, Old Trafford remains one of the most raucous grounds in world football and these statements could just be Neestrup’s way of getting into United’s heads ahead of a pivotal clash.

However, if United shake off their woes and get motivated after hearing this, Neestrup and FC Copenhagen could come to regret their bold proclamations in the lead-up to the game.

The post FC Copenhagen manager fires bold warning to Manchester United ahead of Champions League clash appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

As the current record United goalscorer, and once holding the record national team goalscorer accolade, one can hardly say he didn’t reach his potential.

However, when he broke out, he looked destined to become one of the greatest footballers, period.

In an interview with rugby legend Rob Burrows, Rooney has lifted the lid on the challenges he faced after being earmarked for greatness at such a young age.

He said that alcohol became his release as struggled to cope with the challenges thrown at him, both on and off the pitch during his career.

He was reticent to talk about his problems with others due to the fear of embarrassment and the feeling of letting them down.

Rooney revealed that his drinking problem reached such a serious stage that at times, he would keep drinking till he couldn’t move out of the house and just passed out.

“I’ve had many different challenges, both on the pitch and off the pitch, and my release was alcohol.

“When I was in my early 20s, I’d spend a couple of days at home and wouldn’t move out of the house and drink almost until I passed out.

“I didn’t want to be around people because sometimes you feel embarrassed and sometimes you feel like you’ve let people down.

“Ultimately I didn’t know how else to deal with it, so I chose alcohol to try and help me get through that,” the Birmingham City boss said.

Rooney went on to say that now he has matured as a person and isn’t afraid to speak out about his issues and seek help instead of suffering alone.

It has helped him get away from the low place he was in due to his drinking problems.

“There were people there for me to speak to but I chose not to do that and tried to deal with it myself.

“When you do that and don’t take the help and guidance of others, you can really be in a low place and I was for a few years with that.

“Thankfully now I am not afraid to go and speak to people over some issues which I may have,” he said.

Rooney’s words could hopefully work as an encouragement for people going through something similar so they can seek help instead of suffering alone.

The post Wayne Rooney reveals struggles with drinking in early phase of his career appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The club looks to have recognised that pain point and zeroed in on a potential “superstar in the making” to address their attacking woes.

Football Insider reports United are in a transfer battle with Newcastle United for the signature of Olympique Lyon’s crown jewel Rayan Cherki.

Cherki came through Lyon’s youth system and has been touted as one of the best prospects in French football since his debut.

Despite being just 20, he has already crossed the three-figure mark in appearances for his boyhood club, making it clear how highly the club rate him.

However, his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025, which has alerted other clubs to his potential availability.

There is no release clause in his contract but Lyon’s precarious situation could leave them vulnerable to a mass exodus, headlined by Cherki. That’s because the French side has completely collapsed in the league this season.

Amid fan unrest, falling results, and multiple failed managers, the once-powerhouses now sit at the bottom of the league table.

They are the only team in the league yet to win a game and Cherki hasn’t been able to change that scenario.

He has a single assist to his name from 10 appearances as the team-wide malaise has caused a dip in his form as well.

United see Cherki as a viable option to add numbers to their attacking line, hoping he can grow into a world-class player along with other exciting youngsters at the club.

The likes of Facundo Pellistri, Amad, and Alejandro Garnacho already boast United appearances and along with Cherki, could have the United future in attack set for the next decade or so.

If United can convince Cherki of their project ahead of Newcastle, who look more stable at the moment, then they could get their hands on one of the premier prospects in world football.

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In such a scenario, United’s inability to add to their defensive ranks in the summer is proving to be a missed opportunity.

Consequently, United drew up a four-man shortlist to strengthen their defence in January.

However, one name might need to be crossed off the list soon if recent reports are to be believed.

Portuguese outlet O Jogo reports that Sporting Lisbon are no longer interested in selling Goncalo Inacio in January after their good start to the season.

After 10 league games, Sporting sit at the top of the table in their campaign to wrestle back the league title they lost last year.

Inacio has played an important role for them, appearing in every game and playing 93% of all available minutes.

Therefore, Sporting are not willing to entertain a deal similar to the one Tottenham made for Pedro Porro.

In that case, the Portuguese side accepted a short-term loan move for Porro in January in return for a fee bigger than the player’s release clause in the summer of 2023.

Porro eventually made the move permanent but the extra millions Sporting received from Tottenham down the line weakened their team for the league campaign.

Sporting finished fourth in the league after winning it unbeaten the year before, in 2021/22 with Porro being a crucial part of the team then.

They are now reticent to repeat that mistake, especially as Inacio’s good form makes it a certainty that the interest in the player will not waver any time soon.

Therefore, they prefer to wait until the summer and extract the full release clause from any interested party to let their star defender leave.

For United, this might mean they need to pivot to other targets since clubs like Real Madrid are in the race for his signature and they could represent a more stable environment for the player.

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While the players and fans celebrated together a win that hopefully revives their ailing campaign, one player incurred the wrath of fans, if reports are to be believed.

The Express reports that Anthony Martial went straight down the tunnel after the win instead of acknowledging the away support.

The players clapped to the fans and thanked them for their support, with Scott McTominay even addressing their banner which questioned their commitment.

Martial, however, wasn’t a part of the festivities.

It has been a frustrating season for Martial, as has been for other United forwards.

However, the Frenchman isn’t even playing, with Rasmus Hojlund firmly established as the first-choice option under Erik ten Hag.

Against Fulham as well, Martial came on with less than 20 minutes to go and the game finished without him making any impact.

The goalless appearance worsened his season statistics. Martial has just a single goal and one assist to his name in 14 appearances across all competitions this season.

With his contract expiring next year (United have an option of a year), it is likely to be a whimpering end to a United career that promised so much, especially after his memorable debut against Liverpool.

Throughout everything, his natural talent and flair had him established as one of the fan favourites despite fluctuating form.

The striker might be spending that fan credit in his bank at a rapid rate if he did, indeed, walk down the tunnel without appreciating the fans after such a confidence-inducing win.

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The club didn’t let him do what he does best- eyeing and signing young talent, and let him go after doing what he does least convincingly- first-team management.

Rangnick was honest about problems plaguing Old Trafford, rearing their head now once again, and was keen to kickstart a revolution but wasn’t heard.

United’s reticence to getting challenged led to them washing their hands off a mastermind in transfers and another missed opportunity has now emerged in the transfer market.

Anfield Index reports that Florian Wirtz, the crown jewel of Bayer Leverkusen and Bundesliga as a whole, was seriously considering coming to Old Trafford to join Rangnick’s revolution.

It speaks volumes of the influence he holds in German football that Germany’s brightest talent was willing to come to an unsettled United just because of Rangnick.

However, after his dismissal and subsequent upheaval at the club, Wirtz no longer considers United to be a viable career move.

To add salt to the wound, he is now enamoured by another German in the Premier League.

Wirtz has Liverpool at the top of his list of suitors now, with the prospect of playing for Jurgen Klopp proving to be a particularly attractive one.

It represents a huge missed opportunity for United, as Wirtz has lit up the Bundesliga this season under Xabi Alonso.

With three goals and four assists in 10 games this year, Wirtz has truly broken out and made good on the vast potential he always had.

Combine that with United’s ailing attack, this snub comes at the worst possible time for United as not only do they lose a generational talent, he intends to go to their biggest rivals instead.

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