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Newcastle United suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season as Fulham secured all three points at Craven Cottage.

Two first-half goals put the Cottagers into an early lead, before Harvey Barnes gave the Magpies hope that a comeback could be on.

With just a minute left, Reiss Nelson scored Fulham’s third in what was another disappointing display from Eddie Howe’s side.

Several members of the starting XI were far from good enough to ensure Newcastle came away from London with all three points, including Kieran Trippier.

Kieran Trippier’s game in numbers vs Fulham

The right-back was making his second start – and first in the league – of the 2024/25 campaign, but his lack of match action clearly took its toll in what was a poor performance.

The Englishman failed to offer much going forward, making zero key passes, creating no big chances while not even completing a successful dribble attempt.

Defensively, Trippier won just three of his six attempted duels, lost possession seven times and was dribbled past twice during his time on the pitch.

He looks a shadow of his former self and this display will have affected his confidence, no doubt about that, having withdrawn in the closing stages for young Tino Livramento.

Despite this showing, Anthony Gordon arguably delivered an even worse display, especially considering how good he has been of late.

Anthony Gordon's performance vs Fulham

The winger scored against Bournemouth a few weeks ago but has gone scoreless since for the Magpies.

Expected to cause the Fulham defence plenty of problems alongside Barnes on the opposite flank, it was the former Leicester City player who delivered the goods, as Gordon struggled to get into the game.

When on the ball, his passing was poor, completing just 16 of his 22 attempts, although he did make two key passes during the game. He did deliver four crosses into the opposition penalty area, but only two were accurate.

The 44-touch gem did look to take the Fulham defence on, attempting three dribbles, yet he managed to succeed just once, showing how poor he was in the final third.

Defensively, Gordon lost possession a staggering 16 times during the game, along with winning just four of his ten ground duels, as the Fulham players triumphed more often than not in their one-on-one battles with him.

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder gave him a match rating of just 4/10, while stating that it was simply ‘not his day’ as he had ‘no joy on either flank’, before being replaced by summer signing William Osula late on.

Howe will be hoping this display, not only from Gordon, will be a one-off as they look to return to the European places by the end of the season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

A clash against AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the EFL Cup presents an ideal chance for the Toon to bounce back.

They host Manchester City in the Premier League next Saturday. On today’s basis, they don’t stand a chance against the four-time defending champions.

Newcastle United chase £21m gem who outscored Erling Haaland at youth level

He could be a superstar of the future.

By
Ben Browning

Sep 20, 2024

Anthony Elanga is encouraging the Nottingham Forest fans to get excited about the potential of watching Champions League football next year.

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• Elanga wants fans to believe in Champions League push
• Forest smash Brighton 7-0
• Wood hat-trick helps Forest move within six points of top

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Swedish winger was too much for the Brighton defence as the Forest attack proved unstoppable in their 7-0 rout of the Seagulls. Forest have been the surprise package in the Premier League this season finding themselves third and just six points off leaders Liverpool. Elanga, who registered three assists on Saturday, is starting to believe his side could be playing in the Champions League next season.

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  WHAT ELANGA SAID

  Speaking to TNT Sports, Elanga said: "It is all about the attitude from the lads. We wanted to start the game on the front foot and we did. Then we said let's keep going for more. We know how it felt last week and we wanted to make sure that Brighton felt the same.

  "It is always nice to contribute. You could see I kept on running at the end because I wanted a goal. I said to Chris [Wood] at half time: 'Let's keep pushing for more.' I'm happy he got the hat-trick of goals. The most important thing is to win and we did that."

  On pushing for Europe, he added: "It is all about taking it game by game. We can't be complacent. We have to keep working hard and continue to let our football do the talking and let the fans continue to believe."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Forest's push for the Champions League is helped by the performance of English clubs in Europe so far this season. The top two divisions with the strongest coefficient are allowed an extra spot and, with England currently leading the rankings, Forest are on course for a spot in next seasons competition – even if they drop two spots.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FOREST?

  Forest travel to Exeter in the FA Cup fourth round on 11 February before they return to Premier League action against Fulham. Elanga will be hoping to continue his strong form and help propel the club back to European football.

Cardiff City have now been without a manager for almost three weeks, having parted ways with Erol Bulut on September 22. The Bluebirds sacked the Turkish boss after a dismal start to the season that saw them earn just one point from their opening six games and rooted to the bottom of the Championship.

Omer Riza is currently in charge on an interim basis, and while Cardiff’s form has improved under his guidance – they’ve beaten Millwall and drawn with Bristol City already this month – the board is still on the hunt for a permanent successor to Bulut.

Cardiff City manager latest

According to Wales Online, Cardiff’s board have spent the past two weeks “poring over a longlist of candidates” and have discussed a number of names, including Ruben Selles.

Selles, the current manager of League One side Reading, has drawn plaudits for keeping the Royals in the third division despite a number of issues behind the scenes, which include the club failing to pay its players and being issued a winding-up petition by HMRC over unpaid taxes.

Despite continuing with the club, the Spanish manager recently hinted that he could soon be on his way out of the Madejski Stadium.

“I have had enough of this situation now,” Selles told BBC Radio Berkshire a fortnight ago after a proposed club takeover by American lawyer and businessman Rob Couhig fell through.

“All the bad situations that can happen in football have happened to me in the last 16 months,” he said. “I have a fantastic group of players that have been fighting against those situations but it gets to a point where you cannot anymore, you are repeating the things in the cycle.”

Selles said that while he’s not somebody who “likes to quit,” he needs “to reflect on where could be the ending point.” According to Wales Online, Selles will be a “central part of the hierarchy’s discussions” at Cardiff, but it appears they have another target in mind too.

Slaven Bilic talks held

Selles isn’t the only man the Cardiff board have been considering for the vacant manager’s position at the Principality Stadium. According to Wales Online’s report, they also recently held talks with Slaven Bilic.

The Croatian, who often plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and has actually beaten Cardiff twice in his career, gained promotion to the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion back in July 2020 and has also managed West Ham United and Watford, but has been without a job since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh back in August.

Bilic left the Saudi club, which is the current home of former Manchester City and Lyon defender Jason Denayer, by mutual consent due to “disagreements in strategy,” the club said in an official statement.

Cardiff City eyeing move for "highly regarded" 39 y/o to replace Erol Bulut

They sit bottom of the Championship…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 22, 2024

Wales Online report that talks between Cardiff and Bilic were held this week, however it is “increasingly unlikely that the 56-year-old, who is back home in his native Croatia, will take the job”.

Among the other names being touted to succeed Bulut as Cardiff manager are Sam Allardyce, Mark Hughes, Tony Pulis, and Neil Warnock, as well as former Plymouth Argyle duo Steven Schumacher and Ryan Lowe.

Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Scottish Premiership after the October international break with a trip away from Ibrox to take on Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Philippe Clement has had two weeks to assess his team’s start to the season and reflect on their recent performances, both domestically and in Europe.

The Light Blues were hammered 4-1 by Lyon at Ibrox in their second Europa League match of the campaign shortly before the international break, after winning their first league phase clash with Malmo, whilst they are currently third in the Premiership table.

Aberdeen and Celtic have both won all seven of their games in the division and Rangers are currently five points behind their rivals after seven games.

The Scottish giants did win their last game before the break, however, as they secured all three points with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone at Ibrox, their fifth win in the top-flight.

Vaclav Cerny scored both of Rangers’ goals on the night, with one in either half, but Ianis Hagi stole the show from the Wolfsburg loanee with his eventful cameo off the bench in the second half, after a difficult summer.

Ianis Hagi's difficult situation at Ibrox

The Romania international spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Alaves after Michael Beale decided that he would not be a part of his squad in the summer of 2023.

Hagi produced two goals and two assists in 26 appearances for the Spanish side on loan, after recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of action for 69 matches for Rangers.

The attacking midfielder was exiled from the first-team squad upon his return due to a contract clause that would have seen his wage increase if he had played a certain number of matches.

This meant that the 25-year-old dynamo had to train and play with the B team throughout the summer as the Light Blues attempted to move him on from Ibrox, with no luck in the end.

The Daily Record reported that Clement was reluctant to bring him back into the squad but several senior players pleaded his case and that the player worked hard to make it clear that he wanted to be involved.

It was claimed that there was ‘increasing pressure’ from some of the club’s stars for Hagi to be re-integrated and the player also agreed to forgo the clause in his contract that would have seen his wage increase, which then allowed the Gers to add him to their first-team group.

He had not been named in their Europa League squad for the league phase and that meant that he could not feature against Lyon, which made the recent clash with St Johnstone his first game under Clement.

Ianis Hagi's performance against St Johnstone

The 25-year-old, who played twice for his country in the October international break, was initially named on the bench in the Premiership match at Ibrox, but was introduced after just 45 minutes.

Clement placed his faith in the Romanian whiz to come on for Ross McCausland at the break and it is fair to say that he had a mixed evening in Glasgow.

After spending all summer and the first six games of the league season with the B team and away from the senior group, it would have been reasonable to expect some rust on his part.

As you can see in the table above, that was not the case with his use of the ball as the midfielder was reliable and creative in possession, assisting Cerny’s second goal.

The attacking midfielder fizzed a superb pass through the lines to find the winger in the box, registering an assist on his return to action for Rangers.

However, his performance ended on a sour note as he was sent off for a studs-up challenge in midfield, which will now see him out of action for the next two matches through suspension. After such a difficult time through injury and contract issues, his sending-off was a less than ideal end to his return.

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Clement could, however, already move on from Hagi by unleashing a teen star from the academy to take his place on the bench, or possibly even start, in the next two games – Zak Lovelace.

Why Zak Lovelace should be unleashed

The 18-year-old forward, like the Romanian midfielder, has struggled with injuries during his time at Ibrox, missing 320 days through a hamstring issue last season.

However, he has been named on the bench in both of the club’s Europa League matches, which shows that the youngster is fit and available for selection.

The former Millwall starlet has not made a matchday squad in the Premiership so far this season and that should change against Kilmarnock on Sunday, as the winger should take Hagi’s place on the bench after his red card last time out.

Lovelace’s form for Rangers at youth level prior to his long-term injury absence suggests that the potential is there for him to be a lethal operator for Clement out wide, or through the middle, if he can adapt his game to senior level.

He joined the Scottish giants from Millwall on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022, described as an “exciting” player by Ross Wilson at the time, and hit the ground running for the B team in the 2022/23 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Lovelace provided regular quality as a scorer and a creator of goals across all competitions for the academy side that term, racking up 18 goals and ten assists.

His main position was on the left wing, but he also played centrally and on the right, and this means that the youngster could slot straight into where Hagi featured out wide against St Johnstone.

It is now down to Clement to bring the teen star into the first-team group in the Premiership against Kilmarnock, as he could forget all about Hagi if Lovelace makes the step up and starts to replicate his youth team form for Rangers.

Rangers could land McCausland upgrade by signing "flamboyant" star

The Light Blues have been linked with an interest in the 20-year-old winger.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 14, 2024

The Brazilian vowed to come back even stronger after being snubbed for the 2024 Golden Ball – but has looked well short of his usual brilliance

Vinicius Jr would do it 10 times if he had to. At least, that's what he told us. The Real Madrid winger, hours after being narrowly pipped to the 2024 Ballon d'Or by Manchester City's Rodri, promised a glorious response. He would turn it on, find his groove, and prove to everyone that a mistake was made, that the wrong man won. Vinicius' 'Revenge Tour' was on.

Except, not quite. Since that social media post, fired off on October 29, Vinicius has been well below his usual levels, with any Ballon d'Or bid seemingly on ice. There are somewhere between three and five players who are more likely to win it than him right now, with one of those a team-mate in Madrid.

And so we arrive at Los Blancos' Champions League knockout play-off against Man City. Neither side really wants to be here, and if UEFA had their way, both would be waiting eagerly in the last 16 for the winner of one of these fixtures. But they will meet all the same – with one of the competition's presumptive favourites going home before it feels like the real competition has begun.

This is the kind of moment that Vinicius was, presumably, talking about. The knockouts of these competitions are where Ballons d'Or are won, where the stars stand up. And while last year Vini felt he was the red-hot talent robbed of his trophy, he is now coming into a crucial fixture short of his best and with plenty to prove if he is to finally get his hands on the Golden Ball.

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  Robbed?

  The 2024 Ballon d'Or has certainly come back into focus this week as Madrid travel to the Etihad Stadium. As a reminder: Real Madrid got word that Vinicius wouldn't win, and were so outraged, that they boycotted the glitzy ceremony in Paris, went on a fairly aggressive media campaign brushing aside the whole thing as a nonsense, and did everything they could to prove that Vinicius was the best footballer in the world.

  In truth, it really was a toss up. Petulance aside – and there was plenty of it – this felt like a rare football debate with nuance and valid points from both sides. Vinicius lost and Rodri won; it happens.

  In response, Vinicius promised that he would show the world what he was made of. With Rodri already out for the season with an ACL tear at that point, and with Madrid among the favourites to win pretty much every competition they were in, all while Kylian Mbappe was struggling to settle at the Bernabeu, few were betting against the Brazilian being good to his word.

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  Awkward few months

  Since then, though, things haven't quite gone to plan. Vinicius hasn't scored a La Liga goal in over three months. He was sent off against Valenica in January for a silly push and has picked up injuries which have forced him to miss a handful of games. When he has been on the pitch, he has made a few mistakes and lacked his usual cutting edge in front of goal. This would-be Ballon d'Or winner suddenly looks a bit off the pace. Ancelotti, for his part, backed his star man back in January.

  Carlo Ancelotti has backed his man, but also addressed the thing that is not always brought up when discussing the Brazilian's form. Vinicius is constantly abused, jeered, made fun of, and targeted by fans in Spain. So much is expected of him, and so much of his game requires your attention, but he result is an awkward mix of showmanship and exploitation. The footballing world is fascinated with Vinicius because he is so very talented. But his style, his swagger, and his outspokenness on the abuse he routinely receives, makes it, presumably, very hard to be Vinicius.

  "When people talk about Vini provoking [opponents], they're deflecting the focus from the insults he receives," Ancelotti said. W"e all hear what happens on the pitch. It's difficult for Vinícius… We're delighted with Vinicius in every way."

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  Main man Mbappe

  On top of that, Vinicius' drop in form has been amplified by the improvements shown by Mbappe. The France captain had a mixed few months to start his Madrid career, as he constantly floated towards the left wing when Ancelotti told him he was a No.9, leading to a tactical headach. His confidence low, Mbappe also started missing penalties for fun, while he seemingly cared about running than usual. There were genuine fears that this Galactico – being paid a tidy £150 million in a signing-on bonus alone – might have been a misuse of Florentino Perez's cash.

  Those fears still haven't gone away, but performances can change perceptions quickly, and the reality is, Mbappe is finding his feet. He has now scored nine goals in his last eight games, including a crucial equaliser against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. He was named La Liga Player of the Month in January and is averaging 0.9 goals and assists per 90 minutes.

  It comes as little coincidence, though, that this massive improvement began when Vinicius was out of the team. When the Brazilian was missing from the line up, Mbappe could roam more without worrying about getting his team-mate's way. Sure, he still played as a striker, but a cheeky drift out to the left wing did him little harm.

  Since Vinicius has returned from suspension, the duo haven't quite clicked. In fact, in their first five months together, Mbappe and Vinicius have combined for just five goals – a subpar figure given the individual quality both possess.

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  Time to move on?

  Ahead of the Madrid derby, it emerged that Vinicius had rejected a bumper contract extension offer from Real. The Brazilian is still under contract until 2027, an typically Madrid don't begin discussions over new deals until there are two years remaining. It seems, then, that they are making an exception here.

  And why wouldn't they? Vinicius is 24-years-old, one of the best in the world, and only likely to get better. Mbappe sells a lot of shirts, and so too does Jude Bellingham, but zoom out and Vinicius has it all to be the leader of Madrid's next great generation.

  He is, therefore, the kind of player that needs pinning down to a long-term contract, presumably on the most favourable terms possible. That Vinicius has rejected Madrid's first advance is equal parts concerning and unsurprising. Of course, this whole thing is going to be played out in broad daylight; Vinicius is far too high-profile to keep anything close. The attention on the club brought about by the arrival of Mbappe – not to mention his astronomical wages – is going to make every Bernabeu extension for the foreseeable future difficult to tie up, too.

  There also remains the chatter that Saudi Arabian clubs are queuing up to make Vinicius the new face of the Pro League. He could make unimaginable money – reportedly a cool €1 billion – by moving to the Middle East, and still return to Europe in his prime should he so wish. Certainly, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Vinicius to consider an exit this summer.

Alan Shearer believes Manchester United are no longer a giant football team anymore.

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• Man Utd on decline under INEOS and Amorim
• Sitting in bottom half of Premier League
• Told they are no longer football's big dogs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils' disappointing campaign is showing no signs of improving under head coach Ruben Amorim but that does not come as a surprise to Premier League legend Shearer. The ex-Newcastle and England striker believes years of bad decisions have led United to this point and he has warned fans to expect more of the same for the foreseeable future despite partial-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS's many changes.

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  WHAT SHEARER SAID

  Speaking to, the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer said: "If you listen to the manager, he's said they're the worst team in the club's history, there this, that and the other. I know that he may be being brutally honest but he may be better off not saying those things because I'm not sure that breeds any sort of confidence in the club at all.

  "You don't have to be a genius to see that things are really poor on the pitch at the minute and it's been a long, hard season for Man United.

  "It's been and will continue to be tough for Man United. In terms of PSR [Profit and Sustainability Rules] too, how they can go out and spend a shed load in the summer which is what needs to happen to bring quality players in. I don't know how they're going to get around PSR.

  "The reality is, although it's Manchester United in name, the Man United that we grew up with and I played against right throughout my career and were giants, is gone. They're not a giant of a football team anymore. They haven't been for a while and will continue to be that for a while longer yet.

  "I don't know how long that's going to take to fix, but they're miles off the Man United I played against and that I knew, they're a million miles away."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite United's struggles, they have still seen success in recent years. They are the current FA Cup holders and remain in the competition this term alongside the Europa League. Amorim's men are one of the favourites to lift Europe's second-biggest prize alongside rivals Tottenham.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United travel to potential Europa League rivals Tottenham on Sunday as both sides look to climb back towards the top half of the Premier League table. Spurs have already beaten the Red Devils twice this season.

Potentially rewarding Arne Slot for the fantastic start that he’s made to life in charge at Anfield, Liverpool and Michael Edwards are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a midfielder who has a release clause as high as £126m.

Liverpool transfer news

There were plenty of concerns surrounding Liverpool’s lack of business in the summer transfer window, with Edwards and Richard Hughes left waiting for the opportunity to sign a defensive midfielder which never came after Martin Zubimendi’s shock U-turn.

European club fear Liverpool have already struck deal with "brilliant" star

He would cost £0…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 12, 2024

Instead, the Reds turned their attention towards Giorgi Mamardashvili and Federico Chiesa in two unexpected deals which failed to strengthen the glaring weakness at the base of Slot’s midfield, which only increased concerns.

However, the new manager soon silenced those doubts with an act of genius by deploying Ryan Gravenberch in the No 6 role and watching the former Ajax man arguably play the best football of his career ever since.

But at just 22 years old, Gravenberch perhaps shouldn’t take full responsibility at the heart of the Reds’ midfield, which is why those at Anfield could turn towards a target who knows all about life under Slot.

According to Correio da Manha in Portugal (via Paisley Gates), Edwards is now pushing to sign Orkun Kokcu from Benfica, who reportedly inserted an eye-watering €150m (£126m) release clause into the midfielder’s current contract.

Clearly keen to keep hold of the Turkey international, Benfica may now face an uphill battle to prevent a reunion between Slot and Kokcu. The report also mentioned that the midfielder apparently wanted a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

Working with Kokcu at Feyenoord and picking up the Eredivisie together in 2022/23, Slot could be handed the perfect gift to reward an excellent start when 2025 arrives.

"Leader" Kokcu could complete Liverpool midfield

Whilst Gravenberch’s recent form suggests that Liverpool’s midfield is far from at crisis point these days, they could still do with one more option to complete Slot’s side in the middle of the park.

Kokcu may well be the ideal choice on that front, given that he’s worked under Slot in the past and is still just only 23 years old. Prising him away from Benfica will be difficult, but if the Reds find a way past his hefty release clause, they may well have their first signing of 2025 lined up.

Dubbed the Feyenoord “leader” during his time at the Dutch club by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Kokcu may yet get the chance to take that leadership to Anfield in the biggest move of his career to date.

Given that they’re already thriving under Slot, adding another reinforcement – especially one he has worked with before – could even see Liverpool get better under the Dutchman.

Manchester City's Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw has debuted a new celebration in response to being subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse.

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• Bunny Shaw debuts new celebration
• Striker had been subject to racist & misogynistic abuse
• Scored twice against Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Jamaican striker put City ahead against Liverpool in Sunday's WSL clash with a low effort into the bottom right corner after half an hour. After her goal, she raised her fist above her head in a Black Power salute. Shaw has been the key player again for City going forward, scoring 11 goals in the WSL this season, and was withdrawn against Liverpool after an hour – leaving the pitch with two goals and three points virtually in the bag.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The celebration comes after Shaw had been the subject of vile online abuse following City's 4-3 defeat to Arsenal, which meant she did not want to take to the field against Arsenal for her mental well-being later in the week. The striker has responded in the best way to the abuse by returning to her best form and showing off her clinical edge in front of goal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  On her first game back after withdrawing from the squad against Arsenal, Shaw scored against Leicester in the Women's FA Cup. She scored the third goal as City ran out comfortable winners and progressed to the quarter-finals. The striker is continuing to shine.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SHAW?

  With three goals in the last two games, Shaw will have to wait until after the international break to return to action in the blue of City. After the international games, Shaw will be part of the City side travelling down to north London to take on Tottenham Hotspur – a side reeling from a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Manchester United continued their lacklustre form with a 1-1 draw away to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce. Erik ten Hag’s side could only stumble to a point away from home against a well-drilled home side led by their former boss, the legendary Jose Mourinho.

It was United who took the lead despite reams of early pressure from the home side. A well-worked move, started by summer signing Manuel Ugarte who won the ball in midfield, saw Christian Eriksen fire home from just inside the penalty box.

Mourinho’s team continued to pile on the pressure, and United goalkeeper Andre Onana pulled off a fantastic double save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri.

However, the Morocco international managed to get on the scoresheet just moments into the second half.

He met a cross from former Newcastle United man Allan Saint-Maximin, rising higher than Victor Lindelof to head home and equalise. Neither side was able to find the decisive action which won the game, and it ultimately petered out into a draw.

It was another frustrating night for United and Ten Hag’s side have now failed to win in Europe for exactly one year. There were some interesting selections from the Dutchman on Thursday night, in particular with Noussair Mazraoui’s role against the Turkish side.

Mazraoui’s stats vs. Fenerbahce

In Bruno Fernandes’ absence following his suspension after two yellow cards against Porto, it was interesting to see who the Dutchman would turn to as his replacement. His selection of Mazraoui at number 10 certainly caused a few surprises.

All things considered, it was not a bad performance by someone who is, by trade, a full-back. The Moroccan is an incredibly technical player which showed in some of his actions against Fenerbahce. He had some bright moments and played a part in Eriksen’s goal.

Indeed, his performance in Turkey was enough to receive a 6/10 rating from The Manchester Evening News’ chief Manchester United writer Samuel Luckhurst. He praised the United number three for being “positionally disciplined”, although ultimately said the experiment was unsuccessful.

The former Ajax defender certainly worked hard in an unfamiliar role, and his Sofascore stats reflect that. The 26-year-old had 64 touches of the ball, completing 83% of his passes and three from four long balls. Out of possession, he won two duels and two tackles.

Given the circumstances, Mazraoui put in a solid performance, and there were certainly more disappointing players on the pitch in a United shirt, including striker Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee’s stats vs. Fenerbahce

It has been an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford for Netherlands international Zirkzee. After a debut goal against Fulham, the 23-year-old has not found the back of the net, although he did get his first assist in a United shirt against Fenerbahce.

The former Bologna striker teed the classy Danish midfielder up nicely, setting the ball perfectly for the United number 14 to rifle home and give his side the lead. Outside of that, however, the Red Devils striker struggled, and his usual fluid link-up play was not on display.

Indeed, his stats also suggest it was a tough night at the office. The United number 11 had just 21 touches, far fewer than Onana managed, with 49 to his name. Zirkzee managed to complete just 67% of his passes, lost the ball seven times and won two from eight duels.

His performance earned him a 4/10 rating from the aforementioned Luckhurst following the game. The journalist gave the United striker a scathing review and explained that it was an ‘anaemic performance’ from the 23-year-old.

Ten Hag will no doubt be hoping Zirkzee can find his shooting boots soon. The games are coming thick and fast, and United need to pick up wins to get themselves out of this run of poor form.

Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?

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By
Stephan Georgiou

Oct 28, 2024

Arsenal are now on the hunt for a new sporting director after the resignation of Edu. The Brazilian stepped down earlier this week after two years in the role, citing his wish for a new challenge – that being with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as the recruitment lead for his portfolio of clubs, including Forest, Olympiacos, and Rio Ave.

“This was an incredibly hard decision to make,” Edu, who made 127 appearances for Arsenal and won two Premier League titles between 2000 and 2005, said upon resigning.

"Big step" – Arteta shares "positive news" out of Arsenal after Edu blow

It’s been a torrid few days for the Gunners.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 6, 2024

“Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best,” he added.

Edu’s role will not be an easy one to fill. During his time as Arsenal’s sporting director, the 46-year-old helped transform the club back into genuine title challengers. He was heavily involved in bringing manager Mikel Arteta to the Emirates, as well as recruiting stars such as William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, and Declan Rice.

Arsenal open talks with former star

Following Edu’s shock departure, Jason Ayto has been appointed as Arsenal’s interim sporting director as the club search for a full-time replacement. Ayto may not be in the role for long, however, according to a recent report from Foot Mercato, which claims the Gunners have already opened talks with another of their former players to replace Edu.

The French publication report that “discussions have already been initiated” with ex-Gunners midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who spent a decade with Arsenal between 2006 and 2016 and is the current sporting director of Champions League side Sparta Prague, who sit three points behind the Gunners at this stage of the competition.

Foot Mercato didn’t shed any insight on how those talks with Rosicky have progressed, but said that Arsenal chiefs are fans of his, while they also admire the profile of Per Mertesacker. Mertesacker made 221 appearances for the Gunners between 2011 and 2018 and is the current manager of Arsenal’s academy.

Arteta not worried about Edu departure

Given the positive impact he had at Arsenal while serving as sporting director, Edu’s departure has made more than just a few Arsenal fans uneasy. One man who isn’t worried, however, is Arteta.

Though Arteta enjoyed a close relationship with the Brazilian during their time together, the Spanish manager believes Edu’s departure will not impact Arsenal’s vision as a club moving forward.

“The plan and vision, that starts with the ownership, that is very clear and very ambitious is going to continue,” Arteta said earlier this week.

“We have a very strong leadership team with an unbelievable know-how, a real passion and great feelings for the club, we’re not going to stop where we are at the moment. Across the club, the excitement, the passion, the understanding of where we want to take this journey remain intact.”