Marcus Rashford is *the* ‘worry’ for Ratcliffe as Man Utd refuse to ‘nail him’ like Souness would…
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is faced with a crumbling down stadium, needs to employ a sporting director and various senior figures besides, has the Mason Greenwood decision to make, may well need to find a new manager, and has as good as promised the Manchester United fans that they will be challenging for the biggest trophies in three years. But Graeme Souness reckons the worry for the British billionaire is Marcus Rashford.
OK, we’re being a tad facetious; it’s what Rashford represents that’s the problem according to Souness, who began writing his Daily Mail column about Ratcliffe’s takeover and his first interview as minority shareholder (which featured a number of red flags he could have focused on) but quickly made it about his favourite topic: the character – or rather lack of it – of The Modern Footballer.
‘There was footage last week of Marcus Rashford going through the motions of trying to press Luton Town’s Ross Barkley. Ross almost walked past him. Rashford is a senior player, an England international. That action, that standard, would suggest he does that in training and neither his teammates or coaching staff have nailed him for it. That’s the worry for Ratcliffe. Have United got players who take responsibility, carry the flag into battle and are prepared to fall out with teammates?’
Admittedly the clip Souness is talking about, which blew up on social media, didn’t look great, but look at most footballers in isolation for a few seconds and they can be made to look a bit daft or lazy. And Rashford was really good against Luton, arguably United’s best player other than Rasmus Hojlund, mainly with the ball – as you would expect – but he also made a number of defensive interventions, tackling, tracking runners and doing the donkey work he didn’t do in that one specific instance that Souness has decided is the moment on which we can base Rashford’s character upon. He was jogging after Ross Barkley so he doesn’t give a sh*t in training? What nonsense.
‘The general problem today is you have players who earn that much money they think they’re all-important and never have a bad game because of the people who surround them. When the pressure starts, they are more than happy for the manager to take all the flak and, in the difficult times, will quickly lay blame at the manager’s door.’
Love the ‘general problem’ here, mainly because it removes all need for evidence or examples of what he’s claiming, which is entirely baseless and does little else but remind of us one of Souness’ greatest bugbears: that current footballers earn a hell of a lot more money than he did.
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How Man Utd could line up without Hojlund, Shaw and Martinez against Fulham
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund will miss “two to three weeks” with a muscle injury, the club have confirmed.
In a worst case scenario, Hojlund will not be available for games against Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Everton and Sheffield United.
The blow comes days after it was announced Luke Shaw is out for the rest of the season with an unspecified leg injury and just two weeks after it was announced Lisandro Martinez will miss two months with a knee problem.
It means United are now left without a natural striker or senior left-back in their squad.
How Man Utd can replace Hojlund
Hojlund’s injury has come at an unfortunate time for both the striker and the club.
The Danish international has scored seven goals in his past six Premier League games, alongside two assists, after a slow start to life in Manchester after his summer move from Atalanta.
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While United have won five and drawn one of those games, they have only won one by more than a goal, highlighting how important Hojlund’s contributions have been.
This means Erik ten Hag and his backroom staff will be particularly eager to work out a way of replacing the youngster while he is out, but there only appears to be one obvious option.
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Marcus Rashford has already played six matches this season as a central striker, although he is clearly more comfortable on the left wing. There remains some uncertainty over his long-term future, however, with i reporting earlier this week that he may leave for PSG this summer.
He has scored just once in that recent run of matches, and this has been a lean campaign for him overall, with just five goals in 30 appearances.
Rashford will likely be flanked by Alejandro Garnacho and Antony, with Bruno Fernandes directly behind him.
Another option for United would be to play without a primary striker, using Fernandes or Scott McTominay as a false nine, although it is unlikely Ten Hag would choose to do that.
Man Utd’s Shaw and Martinez conundrum
Shaw’s long-term absence puts United in a further predicament.
With Tyrell Malacia also unavailable due to a long-term knee problem and Alvaro Fernandez on loan with Benfica, the club do not have a senior left-back available. Sergio Reguilon spent the first half of the season on loan at Old Trafford but has since joined Brentford.
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The best option is probably Diogo Dalot, a full-back more comfortable on the right but capable of playing on the left – but that then leaves a hole at right-back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka also on the treatment table.
Victor Lindelof has replaced Shaw in recent games and has not looked comfortable in the role, yet he may well be the best choice Ten Hag has available.
Defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has also played at left-back on occasion.
Another possibility is 16-year-old Harry Amass, who has started training with the first team after Shaw’s injury.
Signed from Watford last summer, Amass has never played a professional game before, but there is a chance he will be thrown in at the deep end.
Replacing Martinez is an easier task, with United otherwise blessed by a full complement of centre-backs.
Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane will be the first-choice duo in Martinez’s absence, although Lindelof and Jonny Evans are also both available.
Predicted line-up against Fulham
United’s next game is against Fulham in the Premier League, at 3pm on Saturday.
Given they won’t have much time to prepare a striker-less system, even if Ten Hag wanted to employ one, Rashford appears nailed on to start in the middle.
He will likely have Garnacho, Fernandes and Antony behind him, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in central midfield.
With Amass only just training with the first team and Wan-Bissaka unavailable, it seems most likely Lindelof will start at left-back, with Dalot in his natural right-sided spot, either side of Maguire and Varane.
Predicted XI: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Lindelof; Casemiro, Mainoo; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford
Real Madrid allow Liverpool to make €60m transfer in superb deal that’s a win-win for both
Real Madrid won’t stand in between Liverpool and a €60m LaLiga transfer that will actually work in the Spanish giant’s favour too, according to a report.
Liverpool will enter a new era in the summer after Jurgen Klopp brings his storied stay on Merseyside to a close. The Reds will hope to see Klopp off with a second Premier League trophy, while success in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League is all still achieveable.
Who replaces Klopp in the dugout – along with who succeeds Jorg Schmadtke as sporting director – will largely define Liverpool’s transfer policy moving forwards.
Nonetheless, there are a handful of positions Liverpool must soon address, irrespective of who’s pulling the strings.
One is centre-half given Joel Matip is out of contract at season’s end. Matip will turn 33 in the summer and it appears unlikely owners FSG will serve up an extension.
Elsewhere, a left-footed forward to compete with and eventually replace Mohamed Salah will be on the agenda.
Salah is expected to be the subject of renewed Saudi interest in the summer. Whether the Reds decide to reluctantly cash may hinge on whether Salah is open to signing a new deal.
Salah’s current contract expires at the end of next season. If the Egyptian ace won’t pen fresh terms, a lucrative sale – potentially worth up to £200m – would make sense.
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One player who’s been heavily linked as being drafted in to eventually take Salah’s place is Takefusa Kubo,
Liverpool turn to Japanese ace
The Real Sociedad star, 22, has shone since leaving Real Madrid outright in 2022. Indeed, Kubo has returned 10 goal contributions in 20 LaLiga matches this term and was named Real Sociedad’s Player of the Season last year.
Kubo recently signed a contract extension with the Spanish side that committed his future until 2029. However, the new agreement left in place many of the clauses that were present before.
Kubo can still be signed via a €60m release clause that hasn’t been elevated or removed. Furthermore, Real Madrid still retain matching rights as well as a 50 percent sell-on clause.
In effect, Real Madrid can sign Kubo for €30m. Alternatively, they’ll be in line to receive €30m if any club – such as Liverpool – activate his release clause.
Real Madrid stand aside
They state Carlo Ancelotti’s side do hold interest in bringing the Japan international back to the Bernabeu. However, the impending arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick mean Ancelotti has no need for Kubo.
As such, Real Madrid would be content to see Kubo snapped up by another club and that’s where Liverpool come in.
It’s reaffirmed Kubo is viewed as a natural successor to Salah and activating his release clause would also see Real Madrid net €30m via the sell-on clause.
Kubo recently stressed he remains happy at Real Sociedad in the aftermath of signing his new contract.
However, a response of that type is exactly what you would expect from a player who’s just penned fresh terms.
“When there is a renewal it means that both parties are happy, and that’s true in my case,” said Kubo. “I am very happy here and at the moment I think the club is also happy with me.
“I’m not looking at the long term, I’m happy here, I don’t want to lose focus, we have two games coming up that could change our lives. I have enough on my plate without thinking about other things.”
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Man Utd ‘open negotiations’ with £180m quartet as they tell De Jong they ‘won’t wait’
Man Utd have opened talks with four players ahead of the summer transfer window as they send a warning to Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, according to reports.
The Red Devils could be set for a busy summer now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to buy 25 per cent of the club from the Glazers has gone through.
Ratcliffe is now expected to take charge of football operations at Man Utd with the new co-owner looking to improve recruitment at the club after a decade of bad transfer decisions.
There had been rumours that Ratcliffe’s first summer transfer budget was set to be ‘severely squeezed’ by their spending in previous windows but a fresh report has insisted that there will be a ‘significant transfer spend’.
One player they are already being linked with is Barcelona’s De Jong with speculation that he wants to leave the Catalan giants this summer.
De Jong has come out and insisted that he hopes to “continue playing” for Barcelona for “many years” dismissing rumours that he wants to leave.
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“My future? The truth is that I’m a bit p*ssed off with what you people [journalists] write in general! A lot of things are coming out that are not true, it’s irritating me,” De Jong told reporters earlier this week.
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De Jong added: “What you say about my salary is very far from reality. Figures have been invented that are not true. I am very happy at Barça and I hope to continue playing here for many years.
“Everything that is said in the media about my salary and my future are lies. It’s a lot of smoke.
“I know that a lot of things are made up in the media, you write things that are not true. You are doing it in general with a lot of players, coaches even. You can’t do that, you are making things up. Stop this.
“I consider the club to be my teammates, the staff, I’m enjoying it a lot… The media sometimes criticise my level, it doesn’t matter because everyone can have their own opinion. But I don’t accept lies. Don’t lie.”
And now Spanish publication Nacional claim that Man Utd have told De Jong they ‘will not wait’ for him to make a decision over his future with the Netherlands international still a ‘priority target’ for the Red Devils.
The Premier League side ‘have already begun planning next season’s squad, and have many other objectives’ with Man Utd ‘opening negotiations’ with Bayer Leverkusen over four of their players, worth £180m.
Victor Boniface (£34m), Exequiel Palacios (£51m), Jeremie Frimpong (£34m) and Edmond Tapsoba (£61m) are already been targeted as Ratcliffe looks to get their summer transfers right.
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Mikel Arteta has no regrets over outburst after Arsenal loss to Newcastle
Mikel Arteta says he has no regrets over his explosive reaction to Arsenal’s defeat at Newcastle in November and will continue to wear his heart on his sleeve if he feels his team have suffered injustice.
Arsenal face Eddie Howe’s side at the Emirates on Saturday evening and hope for a markedly different outcome to the one that so enraged Arteta three and a half months ago. Back then he branded VAR’s decision not to chalk off Anthony Gordon’s goal, which proved to be the winner, an “absolute disgrace”. The following day Arsenal supported him with a statement criticising the standard of officiating and Arteta, although charged by the Football Association for his comments, was eventually cleared by an independent commission.
Arteta semi-jokingly described it as “a good experience as a coach, to go through that” but will not alter his approach. “I said what I felt in the moment and how I felt it. You get criticised for being honest and many other people fully agree with that. You know that when you talk publicly, you are not going to please everybody. I was very pleased at the end that I felt that there was an understanding. People expect to hear our answers in an honest and straight way, and that’s what I did.”
Upon full time at St James’ Park Arteta ran his grievances past the Arsenal sporting director, Edu, and the executive vice-chair, Tim Lewis, as well as the match officials, before going public. “I have a duty to defend our players, to defend our club and to raise our voices when you feel something is not right,” he said. “You have to say it.
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“I also said that privately, in front of everybody’s face. It’s not something that I did publicly when I had not said it before. The order was right. I did it internally, I did it in front of [the officials], face to face, then I did it publicly.”
Arsenal have been drawn into niggly affairs during their past two meetings with Newcastle, being held to a goalless draw at home in January 2023, and have just emerged from a similarly scrappy Champions League defeat in Porto. Arteta suggested there remained room for his players to cultivate a mastery of the game’s darker arts.
“You have to be tricky, you have to be smart, you have to be streetwise and you have to try to take advantages in every situation,” he said before elaborating on how that streak of nastiness may be taught.
“It’s the way you talk to them, showing them clips, training, putting them through scenarios, pinching them a few times as well, learning from other players who do it really well and from teams who are masters at it. There are ways to do it.
“It’s very important. That’s a way of competing for a team and you can tell that the best players in the world have the ability to take advantage, always.”
Having won their past five Premier League games at an aggregate of 21-2, Arsenal will hope for a rapid reversion to their domestic form. “I think we can still do a bit more for our players,” Arteta said when asked about the swift Wednesday-to-Saturday turnaround. He is waiting on the potential returns from injury of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey, although Takehiro Tomiyasu is unlikely to be ready.
