During his tenure at Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifies three players he regards as
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has reflected on his time at the club, highlighting three players whom he considered as “proper professionals.”
Solskjaer, who managed United for 127 Premier League matches, spoke about his tenure at the club, during which he secured 59 league victories and finished second behind Manchester City in the 2020/21 season. His tenure came to an end in November 2021 after a defeat to Watford.
image
In a recent interview, Solskjaer discussed the professionalism of players, citing instances such as Erik ten Hag’s decision to remove Jadon Sancho from the first team and Marcus Rashford’s controversial trip to Belfast.
Solskjaer identified Fred, Scott McTominay, and Nemanja Matic as exemplary professionals during his time at United.
© Provided by Sports AlDente
He praised their commitment and consistency, emphasizing the importance of a manager to have confidence in the team’s performance.
Reflecting on his tenure, Solskjaer expressed pride in his achievements at Old Trafford. Despite the challenges, he highlighted moments of success, including an unbeaten away record for 29 games and victories against formidable opponents like Manchester City.
While acknowledging that his tenure did not result in winning the league title, Solskjaer emphasized the significance of finishing second and third with the squad he had, considering it an achievement given the circumstances.
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Chelsea transfers: €80m Leverkusen duo on Pochettino’s ‘list’ as Man Utd, Tottenham circle
Chelsea are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen duo Victor Boniface and Edmond Tapsoba, according to Christian Falk.
Leverkusen are flying under Xabi Alonso – who is attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
They are currently eight points clear on top of the Bundesliga and are yet to taste defeat in any competition this term, topping their Europa League group with a maximum of 18 points.
Having played Bayern Munich home and away in 2023/24, there is a very good chance Alonso’s side go the entire Bundesliga season unbeaten.
Borussia Dortmund away on April 20 looks like being the most possible defeat between now and the end of the campaign.
Anyway, we digress. Leverkusen are going to be fielding a lot of calls this summer, for both their players and Alonso.
Mailbox: Why Liverpool, not Bayern Munich, is the right job for Xabi Alonso…
Near enough their entire starting XI have been linked with transfers in recent months, with the Premier League’s elite sniffing around.
According to German transfer expert Falk, Chelsea are looking at central defender Tapsoba and striker Boniface.
The latter has been absent since suffering an adductor injury in December, missing the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria as a result.
Boniface is not expected to return until April, which is a big blow considering he has 16 goals in 23 appearances this term.
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Tapsoba, meanwhile, has been a regular starter under Alonso in 2023/24 but has only started one of Leverkusen’s three Bundesliga games since returning from AFCON duty with Burkina Faso.
Falk says Chelsea’s desperate need for a striker could see Mauricio Pochettino turn to Boniface, despite links to his Nigeria team-mate, Victor Osimhen.
It is claimed that the Blues are ‘tempted’ by the 23-year-old, who is valued at €40million (£34million).
Tapsoba is worth the same amount, according to Falk, and Chelsea also have the centre-back on their ‘list’.
It is added that Tottenham, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are among those looking at Tapsoba.
Spanish website Nacional adds that there is interest in Boniface and Tapsoba coming from Chelsea’s Premier League rivals, United.
The Red Devils are also keen on Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and Exequiel Palacios, with all four expected to cost around £180m.
Read more: Chelsea ‘FFP mess’ ruling them out of European football is Todd Boehly’s worst mistake
The Premier League players most at risk of yellow card bans as big names walk disciplinary tightrope
The Premier League is reaching that stage of the season where several players are walking the disciplinary tightrope.
Yellow cards are mounting up across the league, with players who receive a tenth booking before the end of their club’s 32nd match of the season will be issued with a two-match ban. Anyone receiving 15 cautions across the season will then be slapped with a three-match suspension.
So, with a few games to go before the next cut-off point, which players will be watching their step and potentially putting safety first when it comes to those competitive 50-50s? Here is a look at those in danger of a ban.
© Provided by FourFourTwo
One Premier League player has already hit the ten-card mark, with Fulham’s Joao Palhinha having to sit out his side’s upcoming matches against Manchester United and Brighton.
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson both have nine cautions so will need to navigate their club's next seven Premier League games without a yellow card if they are to dodge a two-match ban.
Wolves’ Mario Lemina, Edson Alvarez of West Ham, Brentford defender Christian Norgaard, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon all have eight Premier League cautions.
There is then a lengthy list of players on seven yellow cards: Anel Ahmedhodzic (Sheffield United), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Craig Dawson (Wolves) Emerson (West Ham), Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United), Idrussa Gueye (Everton), Jack Robinson (Sheffield United), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Jayden Bogle (Sheffield United), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Moises Caicedo (Chelsea), Rodri (Manchester City), Wataru Endo (Liverpool), plus Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa), who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Cards in English football are competition-specific, so any FA Cup or Carabao Cup bookings or suspensions do not carry forward into the Premier League.
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Man Utd news: Dortmund send Jadon Sancho warning that proves Ten Hag was right
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho as been told by Borussia Dortmund that he needs to buck up his ideas, but head coach Edin Terzic says the England winger is happier being back in Germany.
Sancho
completed a loan move back to his former club during the January transfer window, but after making a promising start with BVB, he has faded in recent performances.
He was picked to start Tuesday’s Champions League encounter against PSV, but was hauled off midway through the second half of the 1-1 draw, having struggled to contribute anything.
“With Jadon it's always good to have him around,” Terzic told TNT Sports. “Inside the team, inside the group and also inside the squad on a matchday, because you know Jadon is capable of making special things happen.
“He didn't have his best performance today and he knows that he's able to play better football than today. And this is what we're going to work on, to get him back on this level every three days when needed. But he's full of joy, we are really happy and pleased that he's around.”
Sancho failed to offer a shot or a key pass during the hour-plus he spent on the field, while he also only won two of his seven duels and failed to provoke a foul. It was an appearance
FootballCritic gave a score of 5.6
– the second poorest of the night.
The 23-year-old has now enjoyed
four starts
during his loan at Dortmund from
Man Utd
but has failed to generate a goal or an assist in any of these, although he did win a penalty against Koln that was subsequently scored.
Sancho's Dortmund stats
Appearances6Starts4Minutes333Goals0Assists1Yellow cards0Red cards0
Sancho seeking his best level
Still, it is not the Sancho that Dortmund so desperately hoped might fire them towards the top of the Bundesliga once more.
During his last season at the club, the 2020/21 campaign, he scored 16 and assisted 20 in 38 appearances.
Sancho was unable to rediscover his best form at Manchester United and after being dropped by Erik ten Hag, the pair publicly fell out in September.
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The winger was exiled from the first team until he issued a public apology for his behaviour, but this never came, leading to him being shipped back to Dortmund for the final weeks of the season.
It was a move that came at significant expense for the Bundesliga side, who could not have expected to see the best version of Sancho but hoped that he might prove the difference in the big games. As the PSV match showed, he is not ready for that yet.
Manchester United vs Fulham: Prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds
Manchester United’s renewed fight to qualify for the Champions League pits them against Fulham on Saturday.
Four consecutive wins in the Premier League have moved the Red Devils to within five points of fourth place ahead of the weekend, amid recent stutters from Aston Villa and Tottenham.
However they remain fairly inconsistent at Old Trafford with only five teams having scored fewer league goals at home.
But Fulham are one of the division’s tamest sides on their travels, with just a single away win all season.
Mid-table comfort is the order of the day for Marco Silva’s men but fans will be hoping for a more exciting finish to the campaign, having won just once in the league since the turn of the year.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Man United vs Fulham is scheduled for a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The match will take place at Old Trafford.
© Provided by Evening Standard
Where to watch Manchester United vs Fulham
TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it lands during the 3pm Saturday blackout.
Free highlights: The Sky Sports app and YouTube channel will show highlights from 5.15pm with Match of the Day broadcasting on BBC One at 10.20pm.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Manchester United vs Fulham team news
United will be without Rasmus Hojlund for the game, and the next “two to three weeks” after the in-form striker suffered a muscle injury. He will miss the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on March 3 as a result.
Luke Shaw is out for months with his own muscle issue, with Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial all still sidelined.
Joao Palhinha is suspended for Fulham, who will likely bring in Sasa Lukic to shore up their midfield as a result.
Rodrigo Muniz should continue up front amid Raul Jimenez’s injury, keeping January signing Armando Broja on the bench. The Albanian will return to the squad having missed the Aston Villa defeat through illness.
Willian is a doubt for Fulham, but Kenny Tete is fit.
Manchester United vs Fulham prediction
The Red Devils are hitting form at a good time as they eye a run at the top four, whereas the Cottagers have not won on their travels in 2024.
Manchester United to win, 2-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Fulham have not beaten United since 2009, a winless streak lasting 18 games.
Man Utd wins: 56
Fulham wins: 14
Draws: 20
Manchester United vs Fulham match odds
Man Utd: 1/2
Fulham: 9/2
Draw: 7/2
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
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