Ally McCoist has omitted two of the Premier League’s most celebrated stars from his all-time top three attackers from the division.
On the latest episode of talkSPORT Bet’s Final Third show, McCoist instead picked two players who have retired, while one of them is no longer playing in England.
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Kane is the second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 213 goals, but doesn’t make McCoist’s top threeCredit: Getty
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While Salah is joint fifth on 184, but he again doesn’t make McCoist’s top threeCredit: Getty
The conversation turned to the Premier League‘s iconic figures, with McCoist fielding what felt like the million-dollar question: Who makes his top three forwards in the league’s history?
After some deliberation, McCoist remarked: “I don’t think Harry Kane is getting in it.”
“But who makes it ahead of him?” host Ryon Scott-Douglas asked.
“Mohammed Salah’s not getting in it…” McCoist declared.
“So Liverpool fans will have Mo Salah as an all-time great; who am I to say he’s not?
“For example, where it’s a conversation, my front three I’d have Alan Shearer through the middle because his stats as a centre-forward are incomparable to anybody’s.
“I’m playing Thierry Henry on one side; of course, I’m playing Cristiano Ronaldo on the other side,” McCoist explained.
“There’ll be Liverpool fans out there saying Salah has to play; there’ll be Chelsea fans saying Didier Drogba must play through the middle.
“It’s a brilliant discussion and argument because you could pick yours, and it could be three completely different players.
“If I’m just talking all-time greats, it’s those three,” McCoist said.
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Shearer’s Premier League career ended with him as the all-time leading scorer with 263
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Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot four timesCredit: Getty
“I’d consider them all-time greats,” Scott-Douglas agreed.
“If you look at Ronaldo over Salah, he won a Ballon d’Or in the Premier League for Manchester United that season, a Champions League, a Premier League, so for me, it’s accolades and trophies they get with it.”
So, do McCoist’s selections withstand scrutiny? Let’s dive into the Premier League statistics and careers of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Alan Shearer’s Premier League career concluded with him as the all-time leading scorer, netting 260 goals in 441 appearances.
He began with Blackburn Rovers in 1992, quickly becoming a prolific scorer and leading the team to a historic league title in 1994-95.
In 1996, he returned to his boyhood club, Newcastle, becoming the world’s most expensive player at the time with the Magpies paying £15million.
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Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the Champions League at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
There, he remained a fan favourite and maintained his scoring prowess, though he didn’t win major trophies. Nonetheless, his consistent goalscoring cements his status among the league’s greats.
Thierry Henry’s Premier League tenure with Arsenal from 1999 to 2007 is regarded as one of the competition’s finest.
Originally a winger, Arsene Wenger transitioned him into a lethal centre forward, leading to two Premier League titles, including the remarkable ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003/04.
Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot four times, holds the record for the most assists in a season, and is Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer with 175 goals in 258 appearances.
Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Premier League career with Manchester United spanned two spells.
Michael Owen says Mo Salah wants to stay at Liverpool and he will if Reds do this one thing
Arriving as a raw talent in 2003, he evolved into a world-class forward under Sir Alex Ferguson.
In his first stint, he won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the Champions League, earning his first Ballon d’Or in 2008.
After returning in 2021, Ronaldo continued to score, establishing his legacy as one of the competition’s all-time greats.
Comparing Shearer, Henry, and Ronaldo to Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah reveals interesting dynamics.
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The trio boast quite the Premier League stats
While Shearer remains the all-time top scorer with 260 goals, Kane has a notable 213 goals in 320 games, showcasing a slightly better goals-per-game ratio and providing 48 assists compared to Shearer’s 64.
However, Shearer’s longevity and a Premier League title with Blackburn elevated his status.
In the Henry vs Salah comparison, Henry scored 175 goals in 258 appearances, averaging 0.68 goals per game and providing 74 assists.
Salah, with Liverpool, has netted 157 goals in 257 appearances at around 0.61 goals per game, contributing 64 assists.
Although Henry has a higher goals-per-game ratio, Salah’s achievements in a contemporary context are commendable.
Both players are celebrated for their pace and clinical finishing, but Henry’s overall totals and Golden Boot record give him a slight edge.
Liverpool pulled off one of the great Champions League heists with an 87th minute goal from substitute Harvey Elliott handing the Reds a 1-0 advantage after the first leg of their Round of 16 clash with PSG in Paris.
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The hosts were dominant, taking a whopping 27 shots, ten of which were on target as well as having 72% possession but they could not find a way past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
The Brazilian was comfortably the best player on the pitch, making nine saves as he seemingly built a brick wall in front of goal.
Arne Slot’s side meanwhile, needing only two shots, and just one on target, to secure a lead before next week’s second leg at Anfield.
“That’s one of the biggest robberies you will ever see in football,” Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said on CBS Sports post-match.
“I can’t believe what I’ve just seen. PSG were absolutely outstanding. Brilliant, battered Liverpool and the last time Liverpool won this competition, Alisson Becker, the goalkeeper, made a save against Napoli in the last group game. Liverpool could have gone out if Napoli had have scored, and that’s always looked back on as a defining moment.
“That wasn’t a save tonight. That was arguably the greatest performance of his career or certainly in a Liverpool shirt.
“If Liverpool go on to win this competition, which they have a great chance of, that performance will be remembered for years to come.”
Elliott ended up being a hero with the 21-year-old driving a low shot off the hand of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the far corner of the goal, only one minute after coming off the bench to replace superstar Mohamed Salah.
Alisson blasted a long ball forward, Darwin Nunez knocked it down and regathered before playing it out to Elliott, who was charging forward and buried the chance with his first touch.
The substitution clearly turned out to be a stroke of genius from Slot as Salah had a very quiet night by his lofty standards, but the Egyptian was not helped by the fact the Premier League leaders struggled to get their counter attack going.
The home fans at the Parc des Princes were simply baffled that their team was unable to find a goal, as despite Alisson’s brilliance, they were made to pay for several wasted opportunities.
Ousmane Dembele was simply electric early as he could have set up PSG’s first with an exquisite piece of dribbling down the right wing before finding Joao Neves in the box but the Portuguese midfielder bounced at a fairly open goal over the crossbar.
The chances kept coming in the opening 20 minutes as PSG dominated.
A deflected Dembele shot went wide much to Liverpool’s relief, but the hosts thought they had the lead when Khvicka Kvaratskhelia curled a stunner into the far corner of the net.
The Parisian celebrations were short-lived however as VAR stepped in, ruling that the Georgian has been offside by barely the length of hit boot in the build up.
It was then unbelievable how PSG did not score on the half-hour mark as Alisson charged off his line to stop another Dembele shot one-on-one but the ball could only spill towards Fabian Ruiz.
But the Reds got back in time to set up a barricade in front of goal, attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai retreated to blocking Ruiz’s shot before Bradley Barcola sprayed another shot over the bar.
After half time the near misses continued with Alisson completing yet another superb save off another Dembele shot in the 84th minute after also stopping a Desire Doue shot after he came off the bench, and even making a miraculous save despite the offside flag being raised among his highlight reel.
– 10-men Barca get the job done –
In Portugal, Barcelona were down to ten men after 22 minutes but still managed to secure a 1-0 victory against Benfica.
Centre back Pau Cubarsi was shown a straight red card for bringing down striker Vangelis Pavlidis just outside the penalty area.
But it was a Benfica defensive blunder to proved most costly.
Antonio Silva coughed up the ball to Raphinha in his own half and the Brazilian pounced, bursting past his opponents and finishing calmly in the bottom right corner once he made it to the edge of the box.
The hosts had the better of much of the game, having 26 shots to ten, eight on target compared to five.
It is the most amount of shots Benfica have recorded in a Champions League match without scoring, but Barcelona managed to stay firm to ensure they take a lead into the second leg at home.
They also extended their unbeaten run in the competition to eight matches, seven wins and a draw.
– Bayern clinical as consistent Kane reaches impressive mark again –
Bayern Munich had no such troubles, claiming a 3-0 win in an all-German clash with Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena.
Harry Kane unleashed a powerful header to open the scoring in the ninth minute for Bayern, finding the back of the net for the 30th time this season in all competitions.
It is the third straight season that Kane has reached that feat, two in Munich and one at Tottenham, and he also boasts ten assists this campaign.
Jamal Musiala scored Bayern’s second in the 54th minute after a cross created a scramble in the box before the midfielder could tap it home.
Hopes of a Leverkusen comeback were later dashed as they were reduced to ten men in the 62nd minute with defender Nordi Mukiele shown a second yellow card for a late challenge and given his marching orders.
Kane then sunk another blow, converting a penalty with 15 minutes remaining to secure a brace.
Bayern did not come out of the clash without any concerns however, as almost on the hour mark, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who made his 150th Champions League appearance, was subbed off with an injury concern.
– Inter’s strike force seize control –
Inter Milan’s powerful strike duo of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez combined to give the Italians a handy 2-0 advantage over Dutch side Feyenoord after an absorbing Champions League last-16 first leg Wednesday.
Quality finishes either side of half-time from the French and Argentinian strikers proved the difference between the two teams, who meet again in Milan for Tuesday’s second leg, with the winner of the Bayern Munich-Bayer Leverkusen German derby lying in wait.
A lively opening quarter in Rotterdam’s ever-atmospheric De Kuip saw three-time European champions Inter enjoy most possession but Feyenoord carve out the clearest opportunities.
Ibrahim Osman, the pacy 20-year-old Ghana international winger on loan from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion, was the main threat for the hosts, twice forcing Josep Martinez into sharp saves.
For the visitors, Thuram found himself with a clear run at goal but decided to pass square rather than shoot and the danger was snuffed out.
It was a moment of quality from the French striker that broke the deadlock with just eight minutes until the half-time whistle, latching onto a curling cross from Nicolo Barella to hook it in with the outside of his boot at the far post.
The goal, slightly against the run of play, galvanised the Serie A side, who suddenly looked much more dangerous going forward.
Feyenoord legend and recently installed manager Robin van Persie would have been glad to get his side into the dressing room just 1-0 down after an entertaining first half.
But his side’s arrears doubled just five minutes into the second period, as Martinez drilled an unstoppable shot into the top corner, giving the hosts a mountain to climb.
Jakub Moder came close to getting Feyenoord back into the game when his lunging deflection skimmed the bar.
Inter had their own chance to put the game — and probably the tie — beyond reach when Jeyland Mitchell brought down Thuram in the box, the referee awarding a penalty after a long VAR check.
But Timon Wellenreuther in the Feyenoord goal produced an excellent save from Piotr Zielinski’s penalty, moving smartly to his right.
Feyenoord pressed to the end looking for something to take to the San Siro but the Inter defence held firm in a pleasing night for Simone Inzaghi’s men.
Robin van Perise has conceded four current stars are better finishers than he was – but Newcastle marksman Alexander Isak is not one of them.
Isak is enjoying a stunning season so far – chipping in with 21 goals in all competitions – with 19 coming in the Premier League.
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Van Persie scored 132 goals in 278 appearances for the Gunners
His dazzling displays has seen him valued at £150million by the Magpies, though Van Persie believes he is the superior finisher.
Speaking to ESPN, Van Persie took part in a game where he was given a host of footballers, and then had to decide whether they are better finishers than what he was during his peak.
The ex-Arsenal and Manchester United centre-forward conceded defeat to just four players – with two currently plying their trade in the Premier League.
He then had to pause when thinking about Isak, but ultimately gave himself the nod.
His Dutch compatriot Condy Gakpo was then next to be overlooked, followed by goalscoring sensation Viktor Gyokeres.
That’s despite the Swedish striker finding the back of the net on 35 occasions in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon this campaign.
Antoine Griezmann and Lautaro Martinez were also named in the list, but Van Persie didn’t believe they were better than him.
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski was the first that Van Persie admitted was better.
And he then admitted that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah were levels above him.
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Van Persie conceded that Salah is a better finisher than he ever wasCredit: Getty
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The Dutchman also admitted that Haaland is a superior finisherCredit: Getty
Explaining his reasoning over the Reds winger, Van Persie remarked: “Because of the different type of goals, Mo Salah.”
It’s been a terrific campaign so far for Salah, who is on track for his strongest goalscoring season on record.
He has chipped in with an incredible 25 goals and 17 assists in the top-flight so far, with his most in the division coming in the 2017/18 term where he scored 32 league goals.
And he is on course to win his fourth Premier League Golden Boot having scored twice more than Haaland so far.
Lastly, Van Persie named Bayern Munich maestro Harry Kane as a better finisher than himself.
Van Persie, who recently took charge of PSV, is regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest ever strikers.
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Kane and Lewandowski were the other two players Van Persie accepted defeat toCredit: Getty
He played for both Arsenal and United – winning the Premier League with the Red Devils in 2013.
For the Gunners, he made almost 300 appearances, scoring 132 goals and assisting 55 times.
His final season at the Emirates in 2011/12 proved to be his most successful in front of goal as he fired home on 30 occasions.
After moving up north, he scored 58 times for United before enjoying spells at Fenerbahce and Feyenoord.
At international level, he finished his career as the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer having scored 50 goals from 102 caps.
Rio Ferdinand reveals Sir Alex Ferguson hammered Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney for not passing to Robin Van Persie at Manchester United
During Newcastle’s stunning 11-minute destruction of Nottingham Forest, Alexander Isak claimed an impressive bit of Premier League history.
The striker scored two of the Magpies four goals between the 23rd and 34th minutes of the match at St. James’ Park – and set a new record for his country on the way.
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Isak’s first of two was history-makingCredit: AFP
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Isak now has 50 Premier League goals
The two efforts made it 50 in 76 English top flight games for Isak, who is now the league’s all-time top scoring Swede.
Entering the match level with Arsenal great Freddie Ljungberg, he went ahead with a penalty smashed down the middle of the goal, and then another dink, leaving Forest’s Matz Sels fuming.
Reaching half a century, the 25-year-old became the seventh-fastest player to do so, with his 76 games fewer than big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.
The Stockholm native is now on 19 league goals this season, with only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah boasting more on 24.
read more on alexander isak
His goals came among an astonishing flurry from Newcastle who looked like they may be in trouble after going 1-0 down early.
Callum Hudson-Odoi opened the scoring in the eighth minute as an out-of-position and returning Nick Pope may have caused some concern among his defenders.
Yet Lewis Miley hit back in the 23rd minute before Jacob Murphy’s go-ahead goal and Isak’s double.
Ange Postecoglou has been the Premier League manager in the firing line in recent months, but some of the heat is now starting to be directed Ruben Amorim’s way.
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Postecoglou’s Tottenham claimed an important 1-0 win against Amorim’s Manchester United on Sunday to add to the torrid time the Portuguese manager is having at Old Trafford.
Amorim is overseeing, statistically, the worst United team of the Premier League era.
They have lost twelve of 25 matches, with a points tally of just 29.
They have scored only 28 goals and sit 15th on the table, 12 points clear of the relegation places.
They are on track for their lowest points tally, and the least amount of goals they have scored, in a Premier League season.
The numbers are grim.
Normally, such dire circumstances would have led to a manager already being shown the door.
But this mess is not of Amorim’s creation.
United sacked Erik ten Hag in October and replaced the Dutchman with Amorim in November.
The 40-year-old was seen as a breath of fresh air.
A young manager, who would impart modern thinking on the club.
Amorim was even hailed as the club’s saviour after winning two league titles and impressing in European competition for Sporting CP in his home city of Lisbon.
Such was his popularity at this former club that Amorim was chaired off the pitch after demolishing Manchester City 4-1 in a home Champions League match, which doubled as his farewell game.
Before that mid-week affair, Amorim stated that United fans would think he is the new Sir Alex Ferguson if he orchestrated a defeat of their fierce rivals.
It is doubtful that any Red Devils supporter would think that now.
“It was everything” – Spurs sweep Man U | 01:49
WORST UTD BOSS OF MODERN ERA
United have lost eight, won four and drawn two of Amorim’s 14 Premier League outings in charge.
His overall record of nine losses, nine wins and three draws is better courtesy of an unbeaten run in the Europa League’s league phase.
But Amorim’s win percentage of 43 is the worst of any permanent United manager since Ferguson’s reign.
Louis van Gaal (48%) was next lowest, but Jose Mourinho (52%), David Moyes (57%), ten Hag (67%) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (71%) all had significantly superior records in all competitions from their first 21 matches at the helm.
Clearly, things are not going according to plan.
Yet, Amorim’s head is not being called for repeatedly like Postecoglou’s.
There is a widespread acceptance that none of this is Amorim’s fault.
Discontent among fans towards the club’s ownership has seemingly grown annually with a lot of anger directed towards the American Glazer family who have been majority owners for more than two decades.
In 2023, six of the Glazer children sold a quarter of their 68% stake in the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and now some of their frustrations have been sent his way.
Selling off tickets among season ticket holders at Old Trafford to away fans, and the roof leaking because of a reluctance to spend on stadium refurbishments have generated outrage.
The most anger is directed towards squad building however, as the majority of the current team have been brought on massive dollars but flopped as their rivals have snapped up stars, and they missed opportunities to sign the likes of England captain Harry Kane when he departed Tottenham.
The resentment towards the club hierarchy has allowed Amorim to strategically push several excuses to keep the heat off him.
In January, he said he is in charge of “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United”.
If they get relegated, like the team who dropped out of the English top flight in 1974, the “maybe” could be dropped from that quote.
Following the weekend’s loss to Tottenham, United’s third of the season to Postecolgou’s side, Amorim said “my job is so, so hard here”.
One of the things he was referring to was the growing casualty ward, which is causing the manager serious headaches.
‘Bigger club with bigger pressure” | 00:46
‘WELCOME TO MY WORLD’
The demanding schedule of midweek games throughout December and January caused Amorim to lament that he could not spend enough time on the training ground, implementing his play style on the squad.
Last week he finally got some clear air.
There were eight days between their fourth round FA Cup victory at home against Leicester City and their trip to north London to face Tottenham.
Ample time to refresh and dive deeper into the demands of his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but they lost six players in that time.
United’s top goal scorer this season Amad Diallo, England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer all suffered injuries, and Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen fell ill.
Diallo has been ruled out for the season, joining Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Jonny Evans as being sidelined for the long-term.
It forced Amorim to field a bench with eight teenagers, none of whom had made a first team appearance, and 17-year-old striker Chido Obi coming on for a debut with three minutes remaining was the only change made for the match.
The predicament prompted Postecoglou to say “welcome to my world” after he has struggled with an injury-riddled squad for several months, which led to an eight games winless run in the league.
To make matters worse, United fans watched on as academy product Marcus Rashford made an inspired start to life at Aston Villa.
Fellow attacker Antony, who was signed for £82 million in 2022, also started promisingly in Spain follow his departure from Old Trafford in the recent transfer window.
No replacement was brought in for either forward, instead entrusting Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho as a front three that have produced eight goals between in the league this season.
Meanwhile, Rashford came off the bench twice for Villa and breathed life into the game, including playing a part in Ollie Watkins’ equaliser in their draw with Ipswich.
But rubbing the most salt into the wounds is that Antony has scored three times in four matches for Real Betis.
That is more goals than United have scored this February so far, and matches the Brazilian’s tally from 38 appearances for the Red Devils last season.
Perhaps, there is something in players being rejuvenated once the are freed from United’s shackles.
GREATS BECOMING RESTLESS
In the aftermath of the Tottenham loss, several greats of the Ferguson era piped up to spell doom and gloom for their former club.
Six-time Premier League winner with United Rio Ferdinand spoke on his YouTube channel about how he believes relegation is a real possibility.
“Manchester United are absolutely struggling at the moment. Only Wolves and West Ham separate my club from the relegation places. Do you realise we’re that close?” Ferdinand said.
“Someone said we need 11 points just to stay up and I’m starting to think like that. I’ve got the fixture list here and I’m looking at the game and I’m being serious here. Go through it.
“Everton away, Ipswich at home, Arsenal, Forest away, Man City, Newcastle away, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester.
“The only place I potentially see us getting anything – and I’m not even saying a win – is Leicester. We’ve slapped up Leicester a couple of times already this season so we’ve got their number.
“Normally you look at the fixture list and you can see where the points are coming from.
“We just looked at the fixture list and I’m not seeing outright wins, I’m not looking at it thinking there’s three points here and there’s three points there. That’s the problem.”
Ballon d’Or winner and Ferdinand’s former United teammate Michael Owen said that he cannot see the current situation “getting any better”.
Meanwhile, another star of United’s golden years, Gary Neville, turned his attention on the manager.
Neville thought Amorim’s tactics were “absolute madness” during the defeat to Tottenham, particularly in midfield.
“The distance between the two centre midfielders for United is all wrong,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “Look where Fernandes is, look where Casemiro is. It breaks all rules of football.
“It’s absolute madness. The structure of the team is awful. The two in midfield are split. It’s embarrassing. You wouldn’t see this in under-nines football. Look at that space in midfield. Shocking.”
It was not the first time Amorim’s midfield set up has been ridiculed.
In a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in December, Amorim embarrassingly subbed off attacker Joshua Zirkzee after just 33 minutes to make up for his misstep of partnering Eriksen and Casemiro in midfield, who are not blessed with pace, against the Magpies’ electric trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
Now, critiques of Amorim’s tactics are mounting up.
AMORIM SHOULD BE ABLE TO DELIVER MORE
Three at the back, four in midfield and three up front.
That is what Amorim likes his teams to look like.
But being one player lighter in defence is something foreign to the current United squad.
They have failed to get up to speed with the reconfiguration, and it has now been long enough that it is reflecting poorly on Amorim.
Arsenal great Martin Keown described his tactics as “flawed”, and was confused as to why other Premier League managers have been able to make a more immediate impact with seemingly lesser squads.
“Whereas look at Everton, in the same amount of time for David Moyes, a former United manager, are getting results. You could argue his players maybe aren’t quite as good, but this once-great club is now falling from a great height,” Keown said on TalkSport after the Tottenham loss.
“The panic button is close to being pressed. You can’t keep performing as they did yesterday.
“The tactics are flawed; we’ve been saying it for weeks now. The midfield, Casemiro sitting on his own, Spurs exploiting that with two players in those pockets. James Maddison ran the show. Fernandes was a boy lost on the pitch.”
Concerningly for Amorim, there seems to be no relief coming in anytime soon.
Gary Neville believes “it’s going to be a minimum of two to three transfer windows” before the manager and the recruiting staff can “adapt this squad into a 3-4-3 squad”.
United are also going to be limited in their spending because of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules – which are designed to stop clubs blowing out their balance sheets by limiting what they can spend, dependent upon the money they generate.
The bad news for United is that they have lost £300m in the last three years, and in the background of their poor performances on the pitch, was 250 employees being made redundant last summer as part of cost-cutting measures.
It is also reported that more redundancies are likely.
“There will be no great infusion of cash to rebuild the squad in the summer; United are already under pressure to avoid breaching PSR regulations,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
So with their hands somewhat tied financially, there is demand for Amorim to extract more out of what they have.
And at present, that does not look like happening.
“You can blame injuries all you like, highlighting the fact that United’s bench was so stacked with 17 and 18-year-olds that it resembled a sixth-form holiday camp. But Amorim, if he is truly as talented as his extravagant send-off in Lisbon suggests he is, should be summoning a tune out of those he has available,” The Telegraph’s chief sports writer Oliver Brown wrote after the Tottenham defeat.
“The problem is that the players are all hopelessly confused by the tactics he is asking them to follow. Maguire was the most obvious rabbit in headlights this time, bizarrely stopping dead in his tracks as a dangerous cross swung in towards Son Heung-min. Casemiro was all at sea, not even watching Bruno Fernandes at times and crumpling to the turf pleading for a free-kick even when nobody was near him.
“The doubts are starting to be publicly expressed. Gary Neville witheringly argued that Amorim’s midfield, with Casemiro and Fernandes creating yawning chasms through their lack of connection, would not even have been seen at under-nines level. While that might be hyperbolic, it does illustrate how the fundamentals at United have collapsed.
“The defence is shot to pieces, the midfield is makeshift, and supposed target man Hojlund has not scored in his last 15 appearances.”
WILL HE SURVIVE?
As is the case for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, and as was the case for Amorim’s predecessor ten Hag, the allure of silverware offers salvation.
Ten Hag bought himself more time with a shock FA Cup triumph against rivals City in 2023, while United, along with Spurs, are into the Europa League’s Round of 16.
The hierarchy at Old Trafford would be desperate for a trophy, but it is not a condition to Amorim keeping his job.
There is little doubt that he will be given a summer to shape a squad in his image, and not judged too harshly for the failures that emerge from trying to do so on the fly, mid-season.
But football is a ruthless game, and bookmakers across the UK have slashed their odds on Amorim being the next Premier League manager to be shown the door.
Reports emerged out of Spain that United are already exploring alternative options, including current US men’s team manager, as well as former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The dilemma Amorim is facing, which is the case of many bosses of rebuilding teams across any sport, is that losses stockpiling may do too much damage.
“The danger is that, even if Amorim is the right man, his reputation will be so tarnished by the end of the season that he will never be able to inspire the belief successful management requires,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
Tottenham and Arsenal’s rivalry is legendary and can get a bit heated; just ask Emmanuel Petit.
The Frenchman represented the Gunners in numerous north London derbies, so he experienced first-hand just how intense they can be.
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Petit was part of the Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side that reined supreme over their north London neighboursCredit: GETTY
However, on one occasion, things went too far.
Petit spent three years with Arsenal and claimed the Premier League title in that time.
And while playing for the north London giants, the former French international nearly found himself in a fight with a Spurs fan.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT Drive about the incident, Petit recalled just how close he came to fighting a regular supporter.
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When asked about derbies, he discussed the north London affair before revealing this scary story.
He said: “One day, I was driving back from the train station, and two different cars had an argument at the traffic lights, and they came out and started to have a fight.
“There was a big truck, and he was screaming at them, and I was next to them, and I thought they were taking a risk, so someone had to tell them something, so I jumped out of my car and told them to calm down.
“This guy recognised me and said, ‘you, shut up etcetera.’ I am not going to repeat what he called me.
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Petit detailed his strange encounter on Thursday’s edition of Drive
“And I said, ‘what the f*** is wrong with you?’
“He said he was Spurs and got straight back into the truck, and I tried to open the window.
“I wanted to fight with him because I was peaceful, but the guy just jumped on me.
“He was insulting me, he was saying bad things about me.
“So, I was thinking to myself, ‘I am not a coward. If you want a fight, I am here’.
“So, this is exactly what it means.”
Emmanuel Petit calls for Ange Postecoglou to be sacked after Arsenal beat Tottenham in the North London derby
So, in another life, we could have seen stories about Petit fighting a Tottenham fan.
Of course, this is a very extreme example, but it does show the level of hatred between the two clubs.
This explains why former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon can’t see Harry Kane joining Arsenal if he returns from Bayern Munich.
The Gunners are in desperate need for a striker after Kai Havertz was ruled out for the season, and the idea was floated about Kane returning to the Premier League to play for Mikel Arteta‘s men.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Lennon said: “I’m not buying that, not a chance in the world Harry Kane goes to Arsenal.
“I think he goes to a better club (when he leaves Bayern) or he finishes his career back at Spurs. There’s no chance he goes to Arsenal, can you imagine what that would do? (to the Tottenham fans)”
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Kane is another who knows just how much the north London derby means
There are many great derbies and rivalries around England, all with their own history attached.
The north London derby is so important for both sets of fans and players.
On this occasion, the situation with Petit got a bit out of hand, with the Frenchman more than ready to start throwing digs, but thankfully, we avoided any tabloid-worthy situation.
A catastrophic mistake by AC Milan’s French goalkeeper Mike Maignan handed troubled Dutch side Feyenoord a precious 1-0 advantage after the first leg of the Champions League play-offs Wednesday.
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The surprise win was a welcome tonic for Feyenoord, who came into the match in disarray after axing manager Brian Priske less than 48 hours before the game.
In driving Rotterdam rain, the crowd had barely settled from the raucous pre-match singalong when the hosts took the lead thanks to Maignan’s inexplicable howler.
With only three minutes on the clock, Feyenoord’s Brazilian winger Igor Paixao cut in from the left and fired a speculative shot along the sodden turf.
The strike should never even have troubled the French international keeper but he somehow failed to collect it cleanly and it ricocheted off his body into the top corner.
Buoyed by a feverish atmosphere inside De Kuip, the Dutch side had the better of the opening exchanges, winning most of the 50-50 balls and adapting well to the slow surface.
Seven-time European champions AC Milan in contrast were sloppy and could not match the work rate of the home side.
Paixao was causing chaos with scything runs down the left-wing and saw a curling shot glance off the bar just before the break, with Maignan well beaten.
Defensively solid and Paixao in particular dangerous in attack, the unfancied hosts were good value for their 1-0 half-time lead, showing interim boss Pascal Bosschaart plenty of heart and commitment.
The second half lacked clear-cut chances until the 71st minute when the outstanding Paixao dispossessed England’s Kyle Walker and nearly scored with a lob from the halfway line.
Milan had one of their first meaningful shots on target when substitute Samuel Chukwueze tried his luck from distance but could only find Feyenoord keeper Timon Wellenreuther.
The one goal proved enough on the night for Feyenoord to take the upper hand back to Milan, who will need to show far more penetration in the return leg at the San Siro on February 18.
The match was a disappointing homecoming for AC Milan’s new striker Santiago Gimenez, who had only left De Kuip two weeks earlier after two and a half years and 65 goals in 105 appearances.
The visitors lacked bite up front in general and Gimenez was largely anonymous until he was substituted on 82 minutes, receiving a warm ovation from the Feyenoord fans.
Feyenoord will be hoping a win over AC Milan could herald the start of something special.
In the only previous European meeting between the two, the Rotterdam club took out the Italian giants in their run to their only European Cup title, in 1969-1970.
Awaiting the winner will be a clash with either Inter Milan or Arsenal.
– Bayern sink Celtic to seize control of Champions League playoff –
Bayern Munich took a major step towards the Champions League last 16 as Michael Olise’s thunderbolt and Harry Kane’s clinical finish secured a 2-1 win at Celtic in the playoff round first leg on Wednesday.
Vincent Kompany’s side dominated the first half and a stunning strike from Olise gave them a deserved lead before Kane maintained his red-hot scoring streak after the interval.
Daizen Maeda netted in the closing stages to give Scottish champions Celtic hope of a miraculous escape act in the second leg.
The Japan forward was only playing after his two-game ban was unexpectedly reduced on appeal this week following his red card against Young Boys.
But Bundesliga leaders Bayern will still be favourites to advance to the last 16 when Celtic visit Munich on February 18.
Celtic finished just three points behind Bayern in the league phase, yet there is a huge gulf between the clubs’ European pedigree.
Six-time European champions Bayern lead the Bundesliga by eight points, while Celtic are attempting to reach the last 16 for the first time since 2012-13.
For the first 70 minutes that chasm in quality was clear to see before Bayern eased up in the closing stages, nearly allowing Celtic back into the tie as a result.
Celtic’s first defeat in 33 home matches across all competitions was a welcome confidence boost for Bayern, who had shown a weakness on the road in league phase defeats at Barcelona, Aston Villa and Feyenoord.
Celtic thought they had preyed on that weakness when former Bayern forward Nicolas Kuhn fired home from 20 yards inside the first minute, only for the goal to be disallowed for off-side against Adam Idah.
Bayern could have been swept away by the tidal wave of noise cascading down from the Parkhead stands.
But Kompany’s men are too experienced for that and they quickly seized control with a steady diet of possession.
– Predatory Kane –
Olise nearly put Bayern ahead with a powerful strike that forced Kasper Schmeichel to save at his near post.
Schmeichel was forced into action again moments later as Kane’s curler was pushed away by the Dane.
Bayern were camped on the edge of the Celtic area as they probed for an opener. Kane should have broken the deadlock when he nodded Olise’s corner into the side-netting from close-range.
But the England captain’s blushes were spared by Olise on the stroke of half-time.
Cutting inside Greg Taylor to reach Dayot Upamecano’s long pass, Olise unleashed a blistering drive that arrowed into the top corner from 15 yards.
It was no more than Bayern deserved for their territorial dominance and the Germans struck again four minutes after the interval.
Joshua Kimmich’s corner swung all the way to the far post without a Celtic clearance and the unmarked Kane guided a composed volley past Schmeichel from five yards.
Kane’s typically predatory finish took his season tally to 29 goals in 29 games in all competitions.
Upamecano’s challenge on Arne Engels prompted a long VAR check for a potential penalty, but Celtic’s appeal was correctly rejected.
That was the signal for Celtic to mount a late bid to haul themselves back into the tie.
Bayern had grown increasingly sloppy and Rodgers’ men earned their lifeline in the 79th minute when Maeda met Yang Hyun-Jun’s shot with a header from virtually on the line.
Kompany’s men had to cling on for dear life in the final minutes, with Manuel Neuer producing a crucial save to deny Alistair Johnston.
Harry Kane has revealed Mathys Tel was instantly taken aback at Tottenham upon his arrival.
Tel sealed a temporary switch to north London until the end of the season on deadline day, with Tottenham having the option to make it permanent.
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Kane had plenty of conversations with Tel prior to the teenager’s move to TottenhamCredit: Getty
The 19-year-old’s move came just days after he initially rejected a move to Tottenham, only to change his mind following a conversation with boss Ange Postecoglou over Zoom.
Although it was Postecoglou who got Tel over the line, he also spoke to Bayern marksman Kane about life at the club prior to the move being completed.
Few in modern football know Tottenham as well as Kane, especially since he is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer and sits behind only Alan Shearer with the second-most goals in Premier League history.
So it was only fitting the England skipper was one of the first people Tel called once his move was completed.
“He asked me [about Tottenham],” Kane told German outlet SPORT.
“When the deal was done, he texted me and told me how great the training ground was. He was very excited.
“I wish Mathys all the best. Hopefully he gets a lot of playing time. That’s what he needs. He needs to develop and experience the highs and lows on the pitch.
“I know Tottenham well, they will look after him well. Hopefully he does well there.
“He should show what he can do at the highest level.”
Tottenham beat out a number of their Premier League rivals to Tel’s signature, including Manchester United and Chelsea.
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Kane hopes Tel can showcase his immense talent at Tottenham
But the Red Devils’ interest cooled after they refused to pay the requested £6.6million loan fee while Tel was concerned over how much playing time he’d get at Chelsea given their depth in attacking positions.
Tel suffered a losing start to his Tottenham career as he made his debut in the 4-0 drubbing against Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.
The 19-year-old came on in the first half to replace Richarlison after the Brazilian went off with an injury.
Tel could make his second appearance for Postecoglou’s side on Sunday in the fourth round of the FA Cup as they travel to Aston Villa.
He will certainly hope the switch to north London can kickstart his 2024/25 season as he failed to score in any of his 14 appearances under Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
The Frenchman also featured just eight times in the Bundesliga this term, with two of those being starts.
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Tel joined Tottenham after struggling to fit into Kompany’s plans at BayernCredit: Getty
But it appears Kompany’s side won’t miss Tel’s explosive dribbling and pace as they picked up a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen on Friday.
Kane struck twice from the penalty spot while Leroy Sane also got on the score sheet to put Bayern eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
The English superstar’s goals were his 20th and 21st in the German top flight this term, which meant he had now netted 20 or more league goals in a single season for the eighth time in his career.
Inside Ange Postecoglou’s Zoom call with Mathys Tel that convinced him to join Tottenham
Premier League rivals Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester United are also known to be interested.
Ex-Tottenham striker Kane is the reason why Tel is keen to leave, as the England captain starts up front for Bayern every week when fit.
And Redknapp admitted that the former Spurs skipper was ‘very complimentary’ about Tel amidst Tottenham’s interest.
Speaking on Sky Sports Transfer Window, Redknapp said: “I messaged Harry Kane earlier on to ask him what’s he like.
“He was very complimentary about him and said first of all he’s a great guy.
“He wants to work, good trainer, good finisher, a lot of potential.
“It’s a lot of money £50million for a 19-year-old. But Tottenham need players.”
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has already admitted Tel wants to leave before the transfer window shuts.
“He has said he would like to leave,” said Eberl.
“Now we have to think about whether we will do it and what we will do.”
Tel appeared to be saying goodbye to Bayern Munich fans after a 3-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday evening.
The fact Spurs are willing to sign the 19-year-old on a permanent deal is appealing to Bayern, but the final decision is likely to rest with Tel.
Tottenham are desperate to sign a new forward before the transfer window closes after missing out to Juventus on PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani.
With Kane at Bayern, Tel has struggled to impose himself in Vincent Kompany‘s pecking order, with the youngster struggling for minutes despite showing promise.
He scored ten goals and assisted six times last season but has struggled to replicate that form with the Frenchman yet to score this campaign.
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Tel was part of the U-17 French side who won a European ChampionshipCredit: Getty
Tel has only played 458 minutes this campaign and is yet to play more than 65 minutes in a game.
Reports claim as many as seven clubs are trying to sign Tel before the window closes.
