Liverpool will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of this season’s Champions League while the draw also threw up a showdown between reigning champions Real Madrid and their city rivals Atletico.
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Arne Slot’s Liverpool finished first in the 36-team league phase of the competition to qualify directly for this stage, while PSG finished 15th and had to come through a two-legged play-off tie in which they crushed fellow French side Brest 10-0 on aggregate.
The first leg will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday, March 5, with the return at Anfield six days later, on Tuesday, March 11.
The clubs last met in the Champions League in the group stage in 2018/19, when PSG won 2-1 at home after Liverpool triumphed 3-2 in England.
The only previous knockout tie between the sides came in the semi-finals of the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997, when PSG won 3-2 on aggregate before losing the final to Barcelona.
Liverpool are currently eight points clear of Arsenal at the top of the English Premier League having played a game more than their closest rivals, while Luis Enrique’s PSG are unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season and sit 10 points clear at the summit.
With the draw being made up to and including the semi-finals, PSG and Liverpool know the winner of their tie will face either Club Brugge or Aston Villa in the last eight.
Red card awarded for bizarre brain snap | 00:30
That raises the possibility of an all-English quarter-final between the teams who succeeded each other as European Cup winners in the early 1980s.
Villa will face Club Brugge seeking revenge for their 1-0 defeat against the same opponents in Belgium in the league phase in November.
Real, fresh from eliminating Manchester City in the play-offs, will be at home in the first leg against Atletico on March 4.
The rivals from the Spanish capital met in the competition in four straight seasons in the last decade, with Real coming out on top every time.
They won the finals of 2014 and 2016, as well as in the quarter-finals in 2015 and in the semi-finals in 2017.
EPL Wrap: Ange claims back-to-back wins | 02:53
“It’s an amazing tie, and we are ready for it,” insisted Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who was in charge for all of the past Champions League meetings between the sides.
“We have to play two magnificent games because of the quality of our opponents, but we have full confidence in our players and their ability to overcome all difficulties,” said Emilio Butragueno, the former Real player who is now the club’s director of institutional relations.
“It was everything” – Spurs sweep Man U | 01:49
The winners of that tie will progress to a last-eight clash against either PSV Eindhoven or Arsenal.
The Gunners, who came third in the league phase, will be coming up against a club they faced in the group stage of last season’s Champions League — Mikel Arteta’s team won 4-0 at home before drawing 1-1 in the Netherlands.
“We’ve played against them, they are a really good team. We have experienced it and it will be really difficult,” Arteta said of the reigning Dutch champions.
“We know what we are facing. When you are at this stage every team is really, really good. When the time comes we will be ready for it.”
EPL Wrap: Arsenal close Liverpool gap | 03:15
Another standout tie will see Bayern Munich, the current Bundesliga leaders, take on reigning German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen, coached by former Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso, are unbeaten in the last six meetings of the clubs, including a 1-0 win in the German Cup earlier this season. The teams have never previously met in a European tie.
Feyenoord, the 1970 European Cup winners, will play Italian champions Inter Milan, their reward for knocking out AC Milan in the play-offs. The winners of that tie will face Bayern or Leverkusen in the last eight.
‘Bigger club with bigger pressure” | 00:46
It is the first time two Dutch clubs have been in the last 16 since 2005/06. Current La Liga leaders Barcelona will face Benfica, who they defeated 5-4 away in Lisbon last month on their way to finishing second in the league phase.
Last season’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund will take on French side Lille. The semi-final draw raises the possibility of last-four showdowns between Liverpool and Arsenal, or between Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid and his old club PSG.
Barcelona are on the same side of the draw as Bayern and Leverkusen. This season’s final takes place in Munich on May 31.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ arrival at Manchester United heralded a new era that left fans dreaming of a return to the glory days.
Fast forward a year and the club have slumped further into mediocrity with Ratcliffe joining the Glazer family in being a much maligned owner.
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There has been a flurry of cost-cutting at United in the past year at Old Trafford
The British billionaire spent £1.25billion to become a minority owner of the Red Devils in February 2024, purchasing 27.7 per cent of the club.
Ratcliffe and his Ineos team, which includes the marginal gains cycling guru Dave Brailsford, were handed over the responsibility for its football operations.
The 72-year-old has been front and centre of decisions on and off the pitch – with the club seemingly going backwards.
Over that year a number of baffling and unpopular decisions have been made:
Gave Erik ten Hag a new contract and sacked him months later, costing the club £14.5m, while another £10m was spent hiring Ruben Amorim.
Hired Dan Ashworth as sporting director, giving Newcastle £3m as compensation, only for him to leave five months later with a £4.1m pay-off.
“Manchester United has become mediocre,” Ratcliffe said in December. “It is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world.
“We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions. If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change.”
Despite Ratcliffe’s radical cost-saving drive, the club saw revenue drop by 12 per cent in the last financial quarter.
The club made an operating profit of £3.1m – down from £27.5m over the same period in 2023 – after spending £14.5m on the sackings of Ten Hag, his coaching staff, and Ashworth.
All of this comes amid a backdrop of the club languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, with former players like Rio Ferdinand fearing they will not win another game this season.
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Ten Hag left United 14th in the table after a dismal start to the campaign – only for them to drop furtherCredit: Getty
talkSPORT host, and United fan, Andy Goldstein labelled the club as the worst run in the league.
He told Drive: “I asked, is Manchester United the worst run club in the Premier League? Without a doubt the answer is yes.
“It is the worst Manchester United has EVER been run as a club. The Dan Ashworth thing underlines that. We had to pay Newcastle £3m and then him £4.1m after he only lasted 159 days.
“On the back of that you’ve got 250 staff being made redundant, you’ve got question marks about another 100-200 pending redundancies at the club.
“They’ve stopped things like Sir Alex Ferguson’s wage, they don’t do dinners and balls to raise money for players who were there.
“They’ve put ticket prices up.
Premier League table since Ratcliffe’s arrival
Pos
Team
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Arsenal
38
26
9
3
84
29
55
87
2
Liverpool
38
25
10
3
87
41
46
85
3
Man City
39
25
7
7
91
43
48
82
4
Chelsea
38
20
11
7
82
56
26
71
5
Newcastle
38
19
7
12
74
54
20
64
6
Bournemouth
39
18
9
12
65
50
15
63
7
Nottingham Forest
38
17
8
13
58
52
6
59
8
Fulham
38
15
12
11
59
53
6
57
9
Aston Villa
38
15
12
11
59
66
-7
57
10
Crystal Palace
38
14
12
12
58
46
12
54
11
Tottenham
38
15
4
19
71
60
11
49
12
Brentford
39
13
9
17
64
64
0
48
13
Everton
38
12
12
14
40
49
-9
48
14
Brighton
38
11
14
13
45
60
-15
47
15
Man United
38
12
9
17
50
59
-9
45
16
West Ham
38
11
10
17
53
77
-24
43
17
Wolves
38
8
6
24
46
79
-33
30
*Without promoted or relegated clubs
“Every single decision currently being made by that club, my club, has been the wrong decision.”
Goldstein also pointed to the Ashworth debacle and how hundreds of people at the club have lost their jobs because of mistakes like this.
He continued: “You’ve got someone like Sir Jim Ratcliffe making people redundant who have been at the club years and years on the back of a £7m mistake like Dan Ashworth. That’s Ineos and Ratcliffe making mistakes so the normal person, football fan, who has been at the club all their life and has to leave their job because of someone like Sir Jim Ratcliffe making decisions that are costing the club £7m.
“On the back of those mistakes he has to put prices up. Everything at Manchester United is appallingly run.”
The money-saving drive off the pitch has not helped things on it either, since Ratcliffe took over there are only two teams who have picked up fewer points than United.
New manager Amorim, who replaced Ten Hag in October, is struggling to even win a game.
Gabby Agbonlahor blasts Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first year at Manchester United as Alan Brazil lists the wrong doings
Goldstein added: “I don’t think there’s any light at the end of the tunnel. Not only are we appalling on the pitch, we’ve got a new manager who has come into the club and some legends have come out and been negative to Amorim.
“We are playing the worst football I’ve ever seen, we’ve got a manager who has come in who I’m told is a good manager but I haven’t seen anything yet to suggest it.
“Every single point towards Man United is negative.”
He concluded: “Manchester United are in the worst place it has been in over 40 years.”
In Ratcliffe’s defence, former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor pointed to the huge transfer spending by Ten Hag that pre-dates Ineos’ arrival at the club.
“The start of the problem was Erik ten Hag. Look at some of his signings.” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT.
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United are set for their worst ever finish in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
“Ten Hag spent £600m, so that’s part of the problem when Ineos came in to have that amount of money spent. There was no more money for transfers.”
Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures show no sign of ending, but will be doing something about the decrepit Old Trafford.
He wants to build a £2billion ‘Wembley of the North’ that will hold around 100,000 people.
It seems there will be plenty of bumps in the road before they are challenging for the Premier League title again.
Jones had rave reviews for United wonderkid Obi-MartinCredit: Getty
Despite having a full bench, even if it was filled with inexperience, Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim made just one substitution and waited until the stoppage time to do so.
It was Obi-Martin, as he came on for Casemiro in what was his senior debut.
The fact it was the 17-year-old who was brought on ahead of his fellow teenage compatriots on the bench has given Jones, who works as a coach in United’s academy at Carrington, plenty of belief he will play a starring role in the English giants’ turnaround.
In fact, Jones has tipped the Danish prodigy to follow a similar path to Amad Diallo, who impressed on loan spells before he became one of the first names on the team sheet under Amorim.
“Working in and around the academy and helping those young players develop, United have some really good and talented young players coming through,” Jones said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“The squad had a lot of injuries against Tottenham and the bench was full of kids, but there were some talented players on that bench.
“People might not know a lot about them now, but they certainly will in the next few years.
“I think you look at Kobbie Mainoo, top player, you look at Chido who we’ve just signed from Arsenal, who’s an animal.
“You look at Amad who had a couple of really good loans, and I remember watching him winning it against Liverpool in extra time last season, and I had said at that time he’d play a huge part in the next season.
“I played with Amad for a year or two and you could see then that the quality he had was really good and really strong.
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The former Red Devils defender has been impressed by the Dane in trainingCredit: Getty
“As I said there’s a great crop of young players ready to be given the chance and integrated into the team.”
United’s academy and first team staff undoubtedly have high hopes for Obi-Martin given the effort they made to prise him away from Arsenal last September.
The Red Devils reportedly beat out two German teams to Obi-Martin’s signature thanks to their willingness to fast-track the forward into the first team picture.
Obi-Martin was a menace in front of goal for the Gunners’ under-18 side last season, netting a whopping 32 goals in just 18 league fixtures.
He even bagged a seven-goal haul in a 9-0 victory against Norwich City’s under-18’s in April.
Thanks to his goalscoring exploits, Obi-Martin beat Folarin Balogun‘s tally of 25 to become the record-holder for most goals scored by an Arsenal under-18’s player in a single season.
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Obi-Martin was the only player Amorim brought on against Tottenham last SundayCredit: Getty
Obi-Martin didn’t have to wait long to make a positive impression at Carrington as he bagged a first-half hat-trick in his debut for United’s under-18’s against Nottingham Forest.
In fact, his first goal came after just 13 seconds as the Dane rounded the Forest goalkeeper following a loose pass in their defence.
Obi-Martin then completed his hat-trick in the 14th minute with a close-range finish and was taken off at half-time.
The 17-year-old will hope to be involved with United’s first team for a second-straight weekend when Amorim’s side travel to Everton on Saturday.
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.
Martin Keown highlighted an issue that suggests Ruben Amorim may have already lost the Man United dressing room.
Tottenham clinched back-to-back Premier League victories with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over a beleaguered Manchester United on Sunday.
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Keown is ‘concerned’ for Man United after poor display against TottenhamCredit: talkSPORT
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Another bad day at the office for AmorimCredit: Getty
They endured an early onslaught of opportunities, with the returning Guglielmo Vicario executing a remarkable double save to thwart both Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho.
James Maddison then scored the crucial goal just minutes later, finishing the rebound after Lucas Bergvall’s effort was parried by Andre Onana.
The hosts climbed to 12th in the table with 30 points, leapfrogging United, who languish just one point and three places below them.
It was a disastrous afternoon for United, and Martin Keown joined Jim White and Simon Jordan on talkSPORT Breakfast where they dissected their struggles.
When asked if Amorim has lost the dressing room, Keown said: “I don’t think they are tuned in and believe everything. There must be an issue.
“I looked at the game where he took [Joshua] Zirkzee off after 33 minutes and thought that it was the manager’s fault.
“I don’t think they needed two strikers (against Spurs); they needed an extra midfielder.”
Jim White then probed Keown if the fixture had the aroma of a mid-table clash.
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Man United have now suffered eight losses in 12 gamesCredit: Getty
Keown replied: “Yes, I am really concerned about Man United.
“This once-great club, look at Amorim’s record since he’s been there, which is 14 Premier League games, four wins, and eight losses.
“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.
“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.
“Are you genuinely concerned for them now?” White asked.
“Do we want to see United go out of the top flight? Do we enjoy the rivalry they create in the Premier League?” Keown suggested.
White responded: “Is it going to come to that? Exiting the top flight?”
Keown said: “They’re looking over their shoulder.
“They’ve got nine substitutes; eight of them are kids. They’re not kids of former years either; it’s not like Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville.
“There’s a big problem and the manager doesn’t seem to know.”
The pressure on Amorim shows no signs of relenting, with eight losses in 12 games, a record only slightly superior to Leicester and Southampton, who currently reside in the relegation zone.
Despite sitting 12 points clear of the bottom three, it remains a precarious position for such a prestigious club to be in.
Next up is a trip to face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime – a clash that is live on talkSPORT.
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Amorim has had a poor start to life at Old Trafford
Tottenham won the battle of the Premier League’s underachievers 1-0 on Sunday to inflict another dismal result on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.
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James Maddison scored the only goal on 13 minutes as Spurs moved above United in the table into 12th thanks to a third win over the Red Devils this season.
The Spurs midfielder delivered his trademark goal celebration before putting his fingers to his lips.
It appeared to be a response to stinging criticism from United legend Roy Keane who doubted Maddison’s return would do much to improve Spurs fortunes.
“People say, ‘Maddison’s the man’, but when is he going to step up to the plate? He got relegated with Leicester and [looks like] with Spurs. Maddison isn’t bad but if you think he’s going to come back and get Spurs top six, you’re in cuckoo land,” Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast this week.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, celebrates after James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur (not pictured) scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Manchester United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He’s a talented player, but if you’re a player in the Spurs dressing room and he’s back in the squad, you wouldn’t be looking and going, ‘James is back today – we’re going to be fine!’”
Speaking after the game Maddison hinted that his goal celebration may have been in response to Keane’s comments.
“It’s always difficult being out injured. You miss one game or 10, you are always champing at the bit to get back. I went into the game today knowing I can be the difference.
“I’m really proud of the boys, obviously it has been an up and down season, we are not where we want to be in the league table. I’m really happy for the lads and for the fans, we’re sending them home happy. I’ve always been a goalscoring midfielder.
“That’s why Spurs brought me to the club. I’m there to be that creative outlet and score goals. There was a little bit of outside noise this week. People will have their opinions. Nobody is more critical of me than myself.”
Victory eased the pressure on under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after exiting both domestic cup competitions this month to go with their lowly league position.
EPL Wrap: Ange claims back-to-back wins | 02:53
United now find themselves down in 15th, but do enjoy a 12-point cushion over the bottom three.
Tottenham’s first home league win since November came amid a spirit of revolt among their support.
Before kick-off Spurs fans again vented their frustration towards owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy.
A huge banner read “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – Time for change” as a sizeable contingent of the home crowd joined a protest calling for Levy to go.
However, the mood for Postecoglou was lifted even before kick-off as he was able to welcome back a host of first-team regulars who have been sidelined by injury.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made his first appearance since November along with Maddison in the starting line-up, while Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert were on the bench.
United had their own injury troubles with Amad Diallo joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines for the rest of the season and Kobbie Mainoo ruled out for a month.
Amorim had to name eight teenagers among his nine substitutes, forcing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to start together up front after both were overlooked for United’s last league game, a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Manchester United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Hojlund had the first chance when he fired too close to Vicario before the Italian flew to his left to deny Alejandro Garnacho.
Instead it was Spurs who got the opener when Andre Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall’s shot into the path of Maddison, who tapped into an empty net for his 10th goal of the season.
United should have been at least level by half-time as Garnacho blazed over a glorious opportunity with just Vicario to beat after being picked out by Bruno Fernandes.
Vicario continued to frustrate Garnacho with another fine save after the break. Zirkzee wasted a huge chance to equalise 20 minutes from time when the Dutch international headed Noussair Mazraoui’s cross wide with the goal gaping.
But United’s inability to put the ball in the net comes as little surprise. Only the bottom three plus Everton have scored fewer than United’s 28 goals in 25 league games this season.
At the other end, Onana kept the visitors in the game by parrying Dejan Kulusevski’s powerful effort.
But even Spurs’ makeshift backline could not be breached by Amorim’s men to allow Postecoglou to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
– ‘This one is big’: Slot salutes Liverpool spirit in win over Wolves –
Arne Slot hailed Liverpool’s fighting spirit as the “fatigued” Premier League leaders survived a tense 2-1 win against Wolves on Sunday.
Slot’s side moved seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal thanks to Luis Diaz’s early opener and a Mohamed Salah penalty before the interval at Anfield.
It wasn’t easy for Liverpool despite that strong start as fourth-bottom Wolves hit back impressively.
Matheus Cunha’s blast reduced the deficit and Liverpool had to hold on in the closing stages before they could celebrate a first win in three games in all competitions.
Indebted to Alisson Becker for some crucial saves, Liverpool boss Slot said: “This one is big. We needed to fight and we needed Alisson.
“Wolves took a lot of risks. In a season where you want to achieve something, you need to have wins like this as well.
“It’s never the game-plan never to create anything at all. They got better and better, we got worse and worse.
“We had to show a different mentality and got it over the line. If this is what it takes to win a game then I’m happy the players could do that again.”
Slot admitted Liverpool were running on fumes at times after Wednesday’s emotionally draining 2-2 draw at Merseyside rivals Everton, which featured a stoppage-time equaliser for the Toffees, and last weekend’s embarrassing FA Cup exit at second tier Plymouth.
“Fatigue comes from running a lot and a bit of mental fatigue a lot. We were mentally tested today. We thought we’d scored a third and then a penalty for the third but both were correct from the referee,” he said.
“Maybe it did lead to us being a bit tired. I did see for the first time this season that players were more tired than they have been.
“If you want to achieve something it is not only about bringing the ball out from the back or Mo scoring goals, it is also about defending.”
– ‘You can never breathe’ –
Liverpool’s ability to grind out a fourth win in their last five league matches kept Arsenal at bay in the title race.
Chasing a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020, Liverpool are 13 games away from the trophy.
They face significant clashes with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle in their next three league games.
And Slot knows Arsenal — who have finished runners-up for the last two seasons — will do everything they can to take the race to a dramatic conclusion.
“If you look at the last few seasons it has mostly been a battle between two teams. As things stand now it mostly looks like between us and Arsenal,” he said.
“You can never breathe in this competition. I saw Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten run and the gap has always been the same so that shows that we do.
“If you want to compete for something special then you have to win a lot of games in this league.” Slot was able to sit on the bench against Wolves despite being charged with abusive behaviour towards the match officials after being sent off at the end of the stormy Merseyside derby.
The Dutchman could eventually face a suspension and he said: “It is an ongoing process, it is not smart to talk about it.
“We’ve seen the comments from the referee and now we can say our part. It’s down to a panel to decide if I get a ban.”
Sometimes games just come down to raw qualities like hunger.
Sometimes it just comes down to who wants a 50-50 more, a loose ball more, the game more.
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Tottenham claimed their first win at home in the Premier League since NovemberCredit: Getty
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The manner of Man United’s defeat will be of huge concernCredit: Getty
Tottenham’s players won more of their duels with a disappointing Manchester United and deservedly won this Premier League game.
Djed Spence, the player of the match, was too quick and determined for Bruno Fernandes with a couple of runs down the left.
Lucas Bergvall, outstanding for an hour from box to box, ghosted past Joshua Kirkzee.
James Maddison ran back and slid in on Rasmus Hojlund, reclaiming possession, and triggering roars of approval from Spurs fans and sighs amongst the long-suffering United support.
Ben Davies comfortably won a 50-50 with Zirkzee. Pedro Porro muscled Bruno far too easily off the ball late on.
Spurs won because more of their players stood up to be counted than United’s did.
And when Spurs looked to be flagging, their supporters sensed the danger and lifted them over the finishing line with long bellows of encouragement.
Ange Postecoglou was also able to freshen the team up with a raft of subs.
Tottenham’s head coach has been saying for months that he and his team can be properly judged only when he has more of his A-listers fit, and they looked so much the better with Guglielmo Vicario back in goal, making three good saves, and Maddison back in midfield, always positive, always looking to pass forward and scoring a poor game’s only goal.
Postecoglou was even smiling afterwards.
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Spurs are up to 12th with their hard-fought winCredit: Getty
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But the Spurs fans are still not happy with what they’re seeingCredit: Getty
The only negative for him was the sight of Rodrigo Bentancur icing his knee afterwards. The only other negative for the club was the sizeable protest outside the ground before kick-off of fans voicing their anger with the chairman, Daniel Levy.
There were sporadic chants against him during the game and also two more banners held up in the South Stand and East Stand after the final whistle.
In front of them, the advertising hoardings promoted six concerts being hosted at the stadium by Beyonce. It rather reinforced the Spurs fans’ point that their magnificent stadium has become as much about gigs as football.
If Beyonce generates fortunes for the club, according to Levy sympathisers, then the football and team benefit.
It’s not a flawless argument as Spurs fans demand more substantial investment in the squad. Injuries leave them exposed.
Another advertisement rolling across the pitchside boards was for INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s petro-chemical company who co-own United.
His head coach, Ruben Amorim, could point to his lack of options with players sold, loaned or injured, and the latest loss of Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo is particularly frustrating for United’s head coach.
Diallo has been Amorim’s best player. Mainoo is a vital part of their future.
The two rows behind Amorim resembled a sixth-form college and a supply teacher from Sweden. Eight teenagers and Victor Lindelof.
Given United’s travails, why not give some of them a chance? Would 19-year-old Sekou Kone have been less of a presence in deep midfield than Casemiro, a shadow of his former athletic self?
Would Chido Obi-Martin, the 17-year-old Danish forward, have done less than Hojlund?
You won’t win anything with kids? History has shown that’s debateable and they would certainly show some more fight.
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There were a number of unfamiliar names, and Victor Lindelof, on Man United’s benchCredit: Sky Sports
Maybe Amorim simply didn’t want to throw youngsters into a confidence-free, losing team but the history of United is about backing youth, albeit usually with stronger characters around them.
Maybe Amorim was simply making the point about the need for as much investment as PSR permits in the summer.
talkSPORT reacts to James Maddison celebration which is potentially aimed at Manchester United Roy Keane
His one addition to date, Patrick Dorgu, began at left wing-back, where he is far more at home than on the right where Amorim had tried him out.
Dorgu did okay, was quick and mobile, willing to overlap although his runs were ignored a couple of times by Alejandro Garnacho.
But Dorgu was caught out when Spurs, having been grateful to Vicario for denying Hojlund and Garnacho, raided upfield after 13 minutes.
Porro sent Bentancur down the right, and the Uruguayan holding midfielder’s appearance wide startled Dorgu. Bentancur’s cross reached Heung-Min Son, who picked out Bergvall. Andre Onana couldn’t hold the stinging drive, and Maddison played the poacher and then the darts-thrower.
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This goal on the rebound from Maddison in the 13th minute proved to be the decisive momentCredit: Getty
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And Maddison sent a not-so subtle message to his critics when celebrating the goalCredit: Getty
His usual celebration was a poignant dart back at those who’d criticised him.
United’s defending was poor. Matthijs de Ligt didn’t react, partly because Maddison ran from deep, and also because he was now playing left of the back-three with Lisandro Martinez injured.
Up front, United had no cutting edge. Garnacho shot over, Hojlund spent too much of the game playing with his back to goal, not turning and running in behind, and he had the pace to beat Davies.
A stretching Zirkzee headed wide when Hojlund was better placed, which summed up United’s lack of composure and communication.
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Man United have won just four league matches since Amorim took over three months agoCredit: Getty
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The table makes for grim reading for all those associated with Man United
Amorim finally gave Obi-Martin three minutes of added time. Like Obi-Martin, Amorim himself deserves more time, for all the critical headlines.
But United are a hard watch at the moment, appearing to lack belief in their manager’s system.
Lacking hunger is their responsibility, and they failed to match Spurs’.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been told to ‘get out’ of Manchester United by an emotional supporter.
The Red Devils are ‘absolutely toxic’ at present according to United fan Dave, who held back tears on talkSPORT as he reacted to the club’s latest defeat.
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United have been dubbed ‘toxic’ by an emotional fan following their latest lossCredit: Getty
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Ruben Amorim’s side were beaten 1-0 at Tottenham on SundayCredit: Getty
Ruben Amorim‘s side were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
James Maddison‘s first half strike proved to be the difference in north London.
United struggled to mount a comeback, with Amorim having been forced to name eight teenagers on the substitutes bench.
The defeat leaves his side 15th in the Premier League, just three places above the relegation zone.
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Dave did not mince his words as he called in to The Final Word following the final whistle.
He explained: “Well, I think I’ll hit the nail on the head. I said that there was two poor sides today. Yeah two very poor sides now.
“Listen Ruben Amorim is the right man for Manchester United, but the man needs backing. He’s not got any of these players in there other than the fullback [Patrick Dorgu] he’s brought in.
“He’s got no players that he’s had in there. I’d say something now that team is under pressure through Ratcliffe and these cronies.
“We need to get rid of them. If every Manchester United fan knows that these people need to get out of our club. Ratcliffe is b*****ed.
“I’m so upset at the moment about our club. Ratcliffe needs to go. Qatar needs to come in and offer the Glazers another deal to get rid of everything Ratcliffe, what 29 per cent isn’t he?”
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United fan Dave blamed Ratcliffe and Ineos for the club’s problemsCredit: Getty
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He emotionally called for the Glazers to ‘get rid’ of RatcliffeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ratcliffe bought a minority stake in the club from the Glazer family in February 2024, with his INEOS group taking over football operations at Old Trafford.
The British billionaire has since overseen hundreds of redundancies in a bid to cut costs for the club.
However, results on the pitch have not changed even after sacking Erik ten Hag in October.
Dave continued to call for change at the club as he became increasingly emotional about the situation, almost breaking down in tears.
He continued: “What they need to do is to sort the debt out and to sort everything around that club.
“Because at the moment that club is toxic. It’s absolutely toxic and it needs people who love that club to sort that club out because we love that club.
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Amorim has not been ‘backed’ by the club, according to DaveCredit: Getty
talkSPORT reacts to James Maddison celebration which is potentially aimed at Manchester United Roy Keane
“And I’m nearly brought to tears now. I’m upset because I’ve always loved that club.
“My dad brought me up through that club in 1974 and that club means the absolute world to me and at the moment everything is going wrong.
“And we need that club to be back to where it should be the Busby Babes and everything we need that club to be.”
With United already out of both domestic cups, the Europa League remains their only hope of silverware and European qualification this season.
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After months of being pillaged by injury, Postecoglou welcomed back first-choice Guglielmo Vicario, who made his presence known with several key saves, and James Maddison, who scored the only goal of the game when he pounced on a rebound from Lucas Bergvall’s shot, to the starting line-up.
Almost as importantly, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert returned to the list of substitutes, with the latter two coming on in the second half.
Tottenham started to look like the side who came agonisingly close to a Champions League berth last season again.
Meanwhile, Amorim had eight teenagers among United’s nine substitutes, and he only called upon one of them.
The sole change he made was bringing on 17-year-old striker Chido Obi for his debut with three minutes remaining as they tried to snatch a point.
It was a predicament Postecoglou knows all too well.
But the Australian was not in the mood to feel sorry for his rival manager as his side defeated United for the second time this Premier League season, becoming the first Spurs outfit to do the league double against the Red Devils, and for the third time in all competitions.
“If I check my office, I don’t have any sympathy cards from other managers, so that hasn’t happened,” Postecoglou said.
“There’s definitely a few (injury issues). I could see Ruben there, players out of position, kids on the bench. Well, welcome to my world.
“But that’s for one game. Now do that for two months. Do that for two months. Any club. Do that for two months.
“I thought Man United were good today, considering all that, and we had our days when we were good, we beat Liverpool in this spell.”
The victory was Tottenham’s second straight in the league and lifted them to 12th on table, while United dropped to 15th, 12 points clear of the relegation places.
Amorim has officially had the worst start of any United manager since the great Sir Alex Ferguson with his side recording, four wins, two draws and eight losses in the league since the Portuguese manager took over.
The Red Devils have lost 12 of their 25 league games so far, and the last time they piled up that many losses was in 1973/74 when they were relegated from the top flight.
The former Sporting CP boss said post-match he has “a lot of problems” and that his “job is so, so hard here”.
But United great Gary Neville summed up how dire the situation is by saying on Sky Sports that the best part of Amorim’s tenure has been his work in front of the cameras.
“The best thing about it has been his press conferences, and I think even today after the game, the way in which he communicates his vision and his idea, and he wants to succeed at Manchester United, and he feels he’ll get it right,” Neville said.
“I don’t think there’s anything on the pitch that I’ve seen so far, either in results or performances, that tell me we’re watching a really good team.
“This is a really poor team, this United team.
“He has died in a ditch when he said very early on that I’m not going to change my ideas, and now he can’t, and I suppose that’s an issue in some ways.
“The concern is that the players aren’t demonstrating this system yet, in any of the 20 games Ruben Amorim’s had, apart from maybe Liverpool away.”
Like Tottenham, United are clinging to the hope of silverware in the Europa League despite their poor Premier League campaign.
Both teams gained automatic passage to the Round of 16 courtesy of finishing in the top eight of the league phase, but Neville believes things are trending upwardly only for Spurs as they emerge from their injury struggles.
Speaking on Sky Sports pre-match, he was full of praise for Postecoglou and even said he hoped the Australian wins the secondary European trophy, but with a caveat.
“He’s a massive asset to the Premier League,” Neville said of Postecoglou.
“I hope they can turn it around and do well in Europe as well.
“I’d like United to win the competition but if they didn’t I would want Spurs to win it as well.”
Post-match Neville again expressed his support for the former Celtic boss.
“I don’t buy into this that everyone wants Ange Postecoglou to be sacked, or to fail, because actually, I desperately don’t,” he said.
“I think he’s one of the best styles of play I’ve seen here for a long time.
“It’s brilliant how he’s got his team to play. They’re so exciting to watch. I love it when I get a Tottenham game given to me.
“Everyone wants him to succeed, but obviously results do have to improve.”
Antony’s future at Manchester United remains shrouded in mystery – despite his electric start to life at Real Betis.
That’s the view of the 24-year-old‘s agent Junior Pedroso, who believes the Brazilian is back to his best in Spain following his Old Trafford struggles.
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Antony has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining Betis on loan in JanuaryCredit: Getty
The winger linked up with the Red Devils from Ajax in an eye-watering £86million deal in 2022, but has so far failed to live up to his price tag.
After being deemed as surplus to requirements by United boss Ruben Amorim, he joined Betis on loan last month having scored just five Premier League goals in 62 outings.
And while he has flattered to deceive in England, he has starred at Betis with the forward scoring in each of his last two games.
He now boasts double the amount of goals in three games for the Los Mejores than what he managed in 14 United appearances in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.
His return to form has led to question marks as to whether United could look to reintegrate him back into their first team for next season.
“There are no long-term plans to be made. There may still be a few more chapters in his story with Manchester United, or there may not be.
“This will depend on many factors involving decisions by the club and him in the near future.”
Pedroso, who has stated that Antony is ‘back to his real level’, has insisted that the player is ‘really happy’ at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Though it remains to be seen whether Antony will remain at Betis beyond his loan stay with their being no option to buy clause in his contract.
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Antony has scored in back-to-back games for Betis to show his classCredit: Getty
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The Brazilian was the source of ridicule from fans and pundits after joining United in 2022Credit: Getty
Pedroso remarked: “Yes, I can confirm there’s no buy option clause in the contract.
” So Antony will be a Manchester United player from July.”
And Pedroso was then quick to dispel rumours that Antony and Amorim enjoy a strained relationship after the player fell out of favour at United.
He stated: “Antony respects Amorim a lot, for sure, but we understood in January that his moment at the club was not good.
“So Manchester United also understood that leaving on loan was the best way for Antony to recover his best form.”
While his future at Betis is a mystery, the Manchester Evening News have claimed it remains unclear whether he could even last the rest of the season in Spain.
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Antony has looked a different player in Spain to how he fared in the first half of the season
They state that it is unknown whether United have included a recall clause in Antony’s Betis contract.
Should they have an agreement though, rules state that the Red Devils must wait the minimum days required of a short term loan before they can bring him back.
That stands at 28 days, meaning United would have to wait until February 22 if they wish to recall him.
With United currently in the midst of an injury crisis, Amorim may be having second thoughts at allowing Antony to leave.
Star winger Amad Diallo is the latest player to be ruled out of action, with an ankle knock ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.
Gabby Agbonlahor Tips Manchester United To Lose ‘So Much Money’ When They Sell Antony!
