Manchester City have been accused of a “cover-up” over a bizarre encounter between star goalscorer Erling Haaland and a club mascot.
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According to reports in The Telegraph and The Sun, Haaland allegedly caused a woman working as club mascot “Moonbeam” with a head injury after “playfully hitting her”.
The clash between the Norwegian and the costumed alien-like character supposedly from the planet Blue Moon took place before City’s home game against Southampton on October 26.
City cleared Haaland of any wrongdoing as CCTV footage showed the incident to be only a “gentle touch”, but the university graduate, who wants to be unnamed, did not have her contract renewed and accused the club of a “cover-up” as a result.
She also lodged a complaint with the police about Haaland hitting her while posing for her photo before the match.
She had initially thought, she had been struck by an errant football.
“My head was thudding and I think I was in shock,” she told The Sun. “I later realised he’d come behind me and hit me on the head and then leaned on my head.”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 3: Manchester City mascot Moonbeam wears a rainbow lace during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on December 3, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
City’s first-team doctor advised she go to hospital after claiming she had vomited and was suffering neck and head pain.
“I asked if anyone had spoken to Erling and he said, ‘No, they don’t want to distract him,’” she said. “I was offended because I was the one hurt but I was being asked all the questions.
“I’m sure Erling would have apologised to me if they had given him the chance. But they just wanted to sweep it under the carpet.”
A CT scan at the Salford Royal hospital, showed no signs of damage but notes taken by hospital staff confirmed her symptoms.
A City spokesperson said: “Manchester City refute the complaint that was made in this regard.
“The club fully investigated and found that none of the evidence, including video footage backed up the claim that an injury was sustained in the manner alleged.
“We’re also aware a complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police and no further action was taken by them either.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid from Liverpool at season’s end is a done deal, according to multiple reports from the United Kingdom and Spain.
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The defender has been tipped to trade Anfield for the Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of his contract for some time, and it has been reported that the Spanish giants have secured the 26-year-old with a five-year offer worth more than £220,000 a week.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side view the England international as the long-term successor to 33-year-old Dani Carvajal, who is out with an ACL injury sustained in October, and he would join the likes of top English players David Beckham, Steve McManaman, who backed Alexander-Arnold to “be a superstar” in Madrid, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate to represent Los Blancos.
Alexander-Arnold has been free to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January, and his impending move to Real would also reunite him with his friend and England teammate Jude Bellingham.
Real made an approach to Liverpool on New Year’s Eve to try sign Alexander-Arnold during the January transfer window, but the Premier League champions in waiting declined to cash the right-back in for reportedly around £20 million to boost their chances of a league crown.
That move was vindicated as Arne Slot’s side sits 12 points clear atop of the table with nine matches remaining, but will leave them without any profit on Alexander-Arnold as he can join Real for free like French superstar Kylian Mbappe did last year from PSG.
Alexander-Arnold is sidelined at present after injuring his ankle during the Reds’ Champions League exit at the hands of PSG and missing the League Cup final loss to Newcastle as a result.
He is tipped to return next month, in time for the crowning few weeks of the Premier League campaign and what is set to be a fitting farewell to his boyhood club.
Alexander-Arnold made his first team debut as an 18-year-old in 2016 after joining Liverpool’s academy as a six-year-old.
Many Reds fans on social media have been outraged however, calling for him to not be selected for the remainder of the season
Under esteemed manager Jurgen Kloop, Alexander-Arnold won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Club World Cup.
He is also one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at season’s end, with the futures of golden boot leader Mohamed Salah and star defender Virgil van Dijk still unclear.
Liverpool have declined to comment on the reports.
Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni wants the Matildas “performing at the level required” after naming his star-studded squad for two home fixtures against Korea in the wake of the poor showing at the SheBelieves Cup in February.
Injured star Sam Kerr remains sidelined having failed to return for Chelsea in two fixtures across the weekend, but her team did topple fellow Matildas star Mary Fowler’s Manchester City overnight.
Fowler was included in the 23-player squad, with midfielder Clare Wheeler set to make a return to the squad after being absent for the last two international windows due to injury.
Young defenders Courtney Nevin and Jamilla Rankin have both earnt recalls off the back of their recent club form in Europe, with Steph Catley to again wear the captain’s armband.
Mary Fowler has been named in the Matildas squad. Picture: Oli Scarff / AFPSource: AFP
The clashes with Korea in first Newcastle and then Sydney next week loom as crucial in preparation for the 2026 Asian Cup after a failure against rivals Japan in the February tournament in the US.
“This squad selection is about achieving the right balance – reintegrating players returning from injury and rewarding those who have been playing consistently well in clubland. It’s important to create continuity while also bringing in players who have earned their place through strong performances,” Sermanni explained.
Sam Kerr is yet to return for Chelsea. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“We are fortunate to have a core group of players competing at the highest levels, whether it’s in the UEFA Women’s Champions League or major domestic competitions.
“Every match leading into the Asian Cup is an opportunity to finetune our approach, build cohesion, and ensure we are performing at the level required to take on Asia’s best during next year’s tournament.”
Kerr has not played for the Matildas since 2023 after suffering an ACL injury.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor confirmed that Kerr would not play for the team leading up to the international break and was unavailable to play for the Matildas.
“We will assess her on a week-by-week basis, and hopefully, after the international break, we will have a clearer understanding of her return,” Bompastor said.
Kerr injured her knee at a Chelsea training camp in January, 2024.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Tegan Micah, Mackenzie Arnold, Chloe Lincoln
Chelsea’s challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday (Monday AEDT) as Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0 — with Ange Postecoglou giving a stinging assessment of one player.
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Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers at Craven Cottage.
Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva’s men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five.
A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe’s top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.
Spurs, though, have struggled to handle the burden of Thursday nights when it comes to their Premier League form.
Postecoglou’s side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek Europa League fixture.
“It’s been a difficult campaign for sure,” said Spurs captain Son Heung-min. “But I feel we’ve lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games.”
Postecoglou was unimpressed with Mali international Yves Bissouma’s performance.
“I feel Biss sometimes lets the game drift by him, he needs to be more dominant,” Postecoglou said, per the BBC.
“Today, we needed more in that position. I had needed him to play because he hasn’t played a lot.
“At the same time, I need him to perform. It is safe to say maybe Biss and a few guys lack a bit of confidence but at this stage of the season we need people to perform.
Son Heung-Min and Ange Postecoglou look dejected after defeat at Fulham.Source: Getty Images
“A disappointing outcome obviously. A tight game, it was always going to be a tight game, there wasn’t really much in it,” Postecoglou added.
“I thought, especially in the second half, I thought we were growing to the game, I thought we had the better chances at 0-0 to get ahead and then we gave them a really soft goal and then the game just got away from us.
“So it’s another day where we’re disappointed to lose. I don’t think Fulham really created much, I think Vic [Guglielmo Vicario] had a save to make and we had a couple of big chances to go 1-0 up.
“But we’ve done that a fair bit this year, conceding a soft goal and when you do that, especially away from home, then it just gives the opposition a chance to grow into the game.”
Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira’s pass.
Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on.
Spurs remain down in 13th, now 10 points off the top half.
Ange Postecoglou speaks to Yves Bissouma (L) earlier this season.Source: Getty Images
CHELSEA POOR AGAINST GUNNERS
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.
Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.
The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth within four points of Enzo Maresca’s team.
Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break. Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.
“We did enough to deserve to win the game,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “Now we have the international break so let’s take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully.”
Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s goal.Source: Getty Images
Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.
The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard’s delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.
Chelsea barely threatened but were nearly gifted a route back into the game when David Raya fumbled Marc Cucurella’s shot and the ball trickled wide.
At the other end, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal’s lead with the best effort of the second half.
But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca’s style of play among the Chelsea support.
“There was not a big difference in the two games between us,” said Maresca. “Given the injuries, we fought until the end.”
Manchester United are in action later on Sunday when Ruben Amorim’s team visit lowly Leicester.
Newcastle ended their 56-year trophy drought in stunning style as Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed a 2-1 win against Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
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Eddie Howe’s side made history at Wembley with a superb display that left the runaway Premier League leaders shell-shocked.
Burn put Newcastle ahead late in the first half and Isak’s 27th goal in all competitions doubled their lead after the interval.
Federico Chiesa got one back in the closing seconds, but Newcastle held on for their first major silverware since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
That success in the predecessor to the Europa League is a relic of a bygone era, but this long-awaited triumph will be forever etched in the memories of the Newcastle fans who turned one half of Wembley into a roiling sea of black and white with their ecstatic celebrations.
It was also Newcastle’s first major domestic prize dating back 70 years to the 1955 FA Cup.
Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams had won silverware, while Liverpool had clinched 38 major trophies in that time.
But after losing the 2023 League Cup final against Manchester United, Howe’s team returned to Wembley and set the record straight at last.
Newcastle had endured five relegations to the second tier since their last trophy, with club legends like Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Malcolm MacDonald failing to win silverware in their time on Tyneside.
Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s self-styled “entertainers” challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.
All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly hired Howe as their manager.
Thanks to Howe’s astute leadership and the Saudi financial backing, Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to silverware winners.
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes said the win was the “best day of my life”.
“It’s all for these fans,” Guimaraes told Sky Sports. “They deserve everything. When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history.
“We can now say we are the champions again. This is one of the best days of my life.
“I don’t have any words. It’s the best day of my life. For them (the fans) it’s like the World Cup. People have grown up and not seen us as champions. My first year as captain of this club and it’s one of the best days. This is unbelievable.
“This is my second home. We are making history. Some day when I leave this club I want the fans to sing my name the way they do to Shearer. He texted me before the game. I’m so emotional today.”
Dan Burn of Newcastle United lifts the Carabao Cup Trophy.Source: Getty Images
The defeat was another painful blow for Liverpool just days after their Champions League last 16 exit on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.
But despite failing to win their first trophy under boss Arne Slot, Liverpool still sit 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title.
Liverpool are 23 points ahead of sixth-placed Newcastle in the league and hadn’t lost to them for 17 games dating back to 2015.
But Howe’s men were in no mood to be cowed by past failures Newcastle fans unveiled a banner before kick-off urging their team to “write your name in the history books”.
They rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion, snapping into tackles and counter-attacking with purpose, while Liverpool were sluggish and sloppy in possession.
Bruno Guimaraes had a golden opportunity to reward Newcastle’s enterprising start when Burn headed Kieran Trippier’s corner towards the Brazil midfielder, but he nodded at Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher from close-range.
Goalscorer Alexander Isak celebrates with the trophy.Source: AFP
Newcastle’s desire and drive was clear to see when Joelinton tracked back from midfield to stop Jarell Quansah in his tracks and celebrated with a fist-pumping roar.
Despite nearly being caught out by Burn’s aerial prowess once before, Liverpool failed to heed the warning as the towering centre-back put Newcastle ahead in the 45th minute.
Bizarrely left unmarked, with only the diminutive Alex Mac Allister anywhere near him, Burn was allowed to rise unchallenged to meet Tripper’s corner as he thumped a powerful header into far corner from 12 yards.
Burn’s goal — Newcastle’s first in a cup final since 1976 — capped an incredible week for the journeyman centre-back, who received his first England call-up on Friday.
With Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah completely anonymous, the lethargic Reds had no answer as Isak put Newcastle into dreamland after 52 minutes.
Jacob Murphy met Tino Livramento’s cross with a header that found Isak, who drilled a superb first-time finish past Kelleher from 10 yards.
Chiesa’s stoppage-time strike set up an anxious finale, but good things comes to those who wait.
And all across Wembley, Newcastle players and fans celebrated with abandon as a party over half a century in the making got into full swing.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said it is not the players’ fault for the contracts signed off by the club as he hit back at claims by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that some are “overpaid”.
And he defended his teammates after Ratcliffe singled out the signings of Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana as examples of expensive deals made before he arrived at the club, which United are still paying for.
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“We can’t relax at this club. You know that there’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media, from everywhere,” Fernandes said.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things, obviously. I don’t think that any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever.
“Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract or whatever and it’s about yourself, proving that you can be important for the club.”
The Europa League is United’s only hope of salvaging a miserable season so far. Ruben Amorim’s team sit 13th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions.
Fernandes revealed he had the chance to leave Old Trafford last summer but reiterated his desire to win more trophies as captain.
“I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave,” he added.
“We talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying.
“They said what they wanted from me. I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not. I spoke at the time with (former manager, Erik) Ten Hag also.
“He was very clear with me, the club was very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild. I thought that we could be successful.”
Manchester United’s Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Photo by Darren Staples / AFPSource: AFP
Despite Fernandes’ return of 15 goals this season as United’s stand-out performer, he has still received criticism from one of his predecessors as the club’s captain.
Roy Keane claimed the 30-year-old was “not a fighter” and that “talent is not enough” in a recent media appearance.
Fernandes said the former Irish midfielder, who won 13 major trophies at United, is someone he “massively respects” and is hoping to change Keane’s mind.
“What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing,” added Fernandes.
Amorim has said his side “need more Brunos” if they are to rediscover their former glories.
Of Fernandes’ 15 goals this season, six have come in the last six games.
“I think he’s so important for this team. You can see it by the numbers, and you can see from these last games, he’s always the guy that scores,” Amorim said.
“When you play for this team, you have to be prepared for the critics and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standards for them were so high that they see the things like that sometimes as black and white.
“In life sometimes it’s not just black and white, there is some other colours and you have to understand the context.
“Again, he’s always there, trying his best, so I’m really proud to coach a player like him.”
The defining moment of Ange Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham has arrived.
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Spurs host Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar on Friday morning Australian time in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, needing to come from behind to keep their hopes of winning a trophy alive this season after losing the first leg 1-0 in the Netherlands a week ago.
Postecoglou’s statement back in September that “I always win things in my second year”, in reference to titles with Celtic, Yokohama F. Marinos, the Socceroos, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne, has seemingly become a rod for his own back during his second season in north London.
It is a quote that is brought up constantly, and when asked about it again in his match eve press conference, he passionately defended his words once again.
“I wasn’t making anything up. I was asked the question, and I answered it,” Postecoglou explained.
“Critics have used it for their own purposes, suggesting I’m making a bold claim, but I was stating a fact.
“Usually in my second season, I win things.
“That’s the whole idea. The first year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully, the second year is going to win things.
“If that doesn’t happen this year, then I can’t say that anymore. What am I supposed to say? I’ve always won in the second year; I have in the past, everywhere I’ve been, but here (at Tottenham) it won’t happen.
“Is that what people want to hear? People can twist these things, use them, and you know what, maybe we defy all the odds and we do win something.”
With the FA Cup and Carabao Cup gone, and Tottenham sitting a lowly 13th place on the Premier League table, Postecoglou is all-in on the Europa League.
Spurs won five, drew two and lost one of their league phase matches to avoid a playoff and gain automatic passage to the Round of 16.
But a second poor showing in the first knockout stage would end Postecoglou’s stunning second-year streak and the knives are sharpening in preparation.
Tottenham are winless in their past three matches in all competitions despite clearly playing better football as the cavalry returns following their injury crisis.
Key players getting out of the medical room and back on the pitch built positivity, which was boosted by a hat-trick of league wins before an arguably unlucky 1-0 loss to Manchester City started their current winless stretch, but the discontent, that has bubbled away for several months, quickly resurfaced.
Spurs salvage draw against Bournemouth | 01:30
Reports from Italian outlet TuttoSport emerged this week that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is keeping a close eye on Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi as a possible replacement for Postecoglou.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe revealed to TalkSport that he and other coaches at Spurs in 2023 wanted now England manager Thomas Tuchel appointed instead.
The Athletic’s Tottenham-focused podcast, ‘The View from The Lane’, spent much of their most recent episode debating whether Spurs would be more likely to win the Europa League if they moved on the Australian now.
Former Tottenham and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker also poured fuel on the fire, suggesting on the Rest is Football podcast that Postecoglou may have had a falling out with attacking midfielder James Maddison because he started on the bench in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Sunday.
Defender Cristian Romero made his return from injury in the same game, having not played since December, but the World Cup winner increased speculation of unrest by thanking the Argentinian physiotherapists, and not Tottenham’s, on Instagram for getting him back on the park.
But despite the huge amounts of negativity swirling about, Postecoglou is pushing ahead with trying to orchestrate a memorable comeback victory.
Son Heung-min started on the bench along with Maddison against Bournemouth, in a call seemingly made to ensure they are fresh for this European clash.
Romero played a little over an hour before making way for Micky van de Van, who has also returned from injury to offer Postecoglou the chance to start his preferred pairing in central defence.
But midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur, after a third booking in the competition, and Dejan Kulusevski, foot injury, will be absent because Tottenham could not possibly have their first-choice team available at the same time this season.
The key addition that Postecoglou is most counting on, however, is a supportive home crowd.
Reds fall in penalty shootout to PSG | 03:28
Tottenham fans are routinely ridiculed for their negative antics, and Postecoglou has experienced a testy relationship with the supporters.
It was all sunshine and roses when they sat atop of the Premier League table ten games into the Australian’s maiden season at the helm.
He was serenaded with “I’m loving big Ange instead” to the sounds of Robbie Williams’ hit Angels upon the full-time whistle after home wins, but by the end of the season, Postecoglou blasted the club’s fragility as fans pleaded for the team to lose the penultimate game of the season to eventual champions Manchester City to deny rivals Arsenal the title.
The tension increased throughout the current campaign as Postecoglou clashed with verbally abusive fans on several occasions after disheartening losses.
He was also met with choruses of boos instead of jubilation upon the final whistle as well as calls for his sacking on social media and talkback radio.
But the 59-year-old has asked the faithful to channel their passion into supporting the team rather than ridiculing.
Postecoglou believes the players need a vibrant crowd to feed off rather than becoming engulfed by an anxious one.
“Yeah, look, again I said before, I can’t sort of dictate to people how they sort of interact, but, AZ’s crowd certainly helped them on Thursday night,” he said after the Bournemouth match.
“We need our crowd to get behind the boys on Thursday to make it an atmosphere where maybe we lose some of that nervousness and anxiety within our game.
“But the reality is, we as a team have to respond irrespective of the atmosphere and one may follow the other. If we start the game strong, it’ll get the place nice and loud, which will help us.”
Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24
Tottenham have undeniably been a team of moment throughout the Postecoglou era.
When they are good, they have ran over the top of teams and piled on goals, proven by the fact only league leaders Liverpool have scored more goals than them despite such an underwhelming campaign.
When they are poor, the reverse is true. Unable to stem any bleeding with defensive frailties causing unrest in the stands.
An early goal would be a nightmare for Postecoglou’s side, while like Liverpool in their Round of 16 defeat to PSG in the Champions League, the fans would scarcely be able to handle the drama of a penalty shootout.
But the reality of the situation is that the feeling of impending doom will not disappear if they can advance to the quarter-final.
Tottenham have infamously not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and their European drought dates back to the 1984 UEFA Cup, the precursor to the Europa League.
Patience has not been Tottenham’s strong suit in the 17 years following their 2-1 triumph against Chelsea at Wembley, with Postecoglou their eighth full-time manager since Spaniard Juande Ramos, who lifted the trophy that day.
The nerves will likely get greater if they can make it deeper into the competition, but that is far better than Postecoglou being given his marching orders.
In a media blitz, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has repeatedly claimed that the club would go “bust by Christmas” if he did not execute a controversial cost-cutting plan.
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United have made 450 staff redundant, 39% of the club’s workforce, so far this financial year as penny pinching methods including scrapping staff lunches and ending legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2 million-a-year ambassador deal have been implemented.
Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of British multinational conglomerate Ineos who bought a 28.94 per cent stake in the club from the Glazers a year ago for £1.25 billion with a commitment to inject a further £232 million, has total control over football operations and has copped flack for the redundancies in particular.
But in separate interviews with the BBC, UK Telegraph as well as with club great Gary Neville for Sky Sports and The Overlap podcast, Ratcliffe reiterated that United had “gone off the rails” and his measures were necessary to get the club back on track.
“In super simple terms the club has been spending more money than it has been earning for the last seven years, including this year,” he said.
“If you do that for a prolonged period of time it ends up in a very difficult place and, for Manchester United, that place ended at the end of this year. At the end of 2025, Manchester United would have run out of cash. There would be no cash at the end of this year. That is the first time we have ever said that in public, but that is the fact of the matter.
“It [United] goes bust at Christmas [without change]”.
“Do you want to run an organisation as the press would like you to run the organisation or run the organisation the way you think is the best?” Ratcliffe added.
“My mother would say: ‘You look after the pennies, the pounds look after themselves.’
“[The club can say to staff] ‘We’ll give you free lunches, we’ll give you all these perks and we’ll pay for your first-class train fare. We’ll give you a free taxi for this, but we’re going to cut back here [elsewhere].’ It’s not coherent.
“I know I’m getting a tough time in the press for being brutal, unpleasant, all those sorts of things.
“People [think], ‘Well, you know the directors are doing this, in that case I can do that [in terms of spending]. That sort of thing, you can’t be half pregnant. You either get it sorted out or not.
“I mean it [United] goes bust at Christmas.
“To be clear, if we hadn’t implemented the cost-saving projects and [even] if we bought no players in the summer then it would have run out of cash at Christmas.
“However, we reduced the cost of running the club by about £125 million so that transforms the club. And £125 million is a lot.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Manchester United co owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe with Sir Dave Brailsford (L) and Sir Alex Ferguson (R) before the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The dire financial state that Ratcliffe has outlined is the result of astronomical spending on a massively underperforming squad.
United have lost £410 million over the past seven years on the transfer market and are required to spend £100 million this summer in fees for players they already own.
Despite all that spending, the Red Devils sit 14th on the Premier League table and need to beat Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie on Friday morning Australian to keep their last remaining hope of winning silverware this season alive.
Such a lowly standing in the league prompted Ratcliffe to label some of the recent signings “not good enough” and “overpaid” but he defended manager Ruben Amorim, who is having a torrid time since replacing Erik ten Hag in November.
Ratcliffe stated that the squad the Portuguese boss is dealing with is a “fraction” of Liverpool or Manchester City’s.
“If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest,” Ratcliffe said.
“I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He’s an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time.”
Utd coach full of praise for Fernandes | 00:48
Ratcliffe was also reluctant to point the finger at his co-owners.
The Glazers have been the bane of Manchester United fans throughout the club’s downward spiral, and Neville pointed out that United had “the best stadium in the country, the best training ground in the country, the best team in the country and were debt-free” roughly 20 years ago when the American family took charge.
But Ratcliffe insisted that past administrations were at fault for United’s current woes, rather than the Glazer’s.
“If you look at some of the other characters in English football that are owners, and you know them very well, they’re heavily involved in all the running of the club,” Ratcliffe said.
“They [The Glazers] gave management an awful lot of rope, too much rope, obviously. But the previous two teams of management have to take a lot of the blame for the decisions they made.
“They have to, I’m afraid. It’s not just the Glazer family. They’ve not been involved in a level of detail.”
Neville was angered by the Glazer’s stepping back from the intricacies of how the club was run, labelling their actions “negligence”.
“You’re involved in the level of detail and you’re having to correct their mistakes,” Neville said to Ratcliffe.
“If they’ve not overseen the club in the last ten years to the point where it’s run out of cash, that’s negligence.
“You know that better than anybody.”
Premier League wrap: Arsenal fall behind | 03:13
Ratcliffe avoided the debate going further and instead also took the chance to look to the future.
One of the biggest gripes among United fans for many years has been the state of Old Trafford.
As rivals have unveiled shiny new stadiums or redeveloped their traditional homes, ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ has remained much the same, a relic of a bygone era, fitting of the club’s downfall.
A roof leak at the famous Stretford End last year was a particularly embarrassing moment for the iconic venue, while rival fans love to chant ‘Old Trafford is falling down’ to taunt United supporters.
All the while ticket prices have risen and away fans have gained easy access to sit among season-ticket holders, causing clashes, at several Premier League and European fixtures this season.
But despite the cost-cutting measures, Ratcliffe revealed that a new-look Old Trafford is among his plans to make United the most profitable Premier League club within three years.
“It’s definitely deliverable but I think it needs to be set in context again,” Ratcliffe said.
“If you take the view that it’s the greatest football club in the world, then if it’s going to build a new stadium it should be a new stadium that’s befitting the greatest club in the world.
“And also a stadium that befits the greatest league in the world because the Premier League is the greatest league in the world.”
Ratcliffe wants to emulate Real Madrid’s Bernabeu which was renovated from 2019 to 2024.
The stadium in the Spanish capital can hold up to 83,000 fans and boasts a retractable playing surface to easily swap out the football pitch for stages to host concerts.
It also has a retractable roof to ensure matches are always played in sublime conditions, as the club spent more than US$1 billion on the project to make the venue look out of this world.
“At the moment, if you look at the Premier League, we’ve got some great stadiums, but we don’t have a Bernabeu, do we? And we don’t have the new Nou Camp. We don’t have that in the Premier League,” he said.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot described Paris Saint Germain’s visit as the second of “three finals” in a week, but has warned much more is needed from the Premier League leaders to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
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The Reds escaped the Parc des Princes with a 1-0 lead last week despite being battered by the French champions, who came up against an inspired Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal.
The Brazilian number one said his nine-save display was the “performance of his life”.
Never before have Liverpool won the first leg of a European tie away and let the lead slip at Anfield.
However, Slot is taking nothing for granted based on what he saw from PSG. Luis Enrique remained upbeat his side are “going to do it” despite suffering a first defeat in 23 games.
Adding to Slot’s concern was the lethargic first 45 minutes from his side against rock bottom Southampton in Saturday’s 3-1 win that forced the Dutchman into three half-time substitutions.
The Saints, who have won just nine points from 28 games all season, took a shock lead into the break before Darwin Nunez and two Mohamed Salah penalties turned the game around to stretch Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to 15 points.
The League Cup final against Newcastle is also around the corner on Sunday with Slot very much on track for a treble in his first season in charge.
“The first of three finals,” he said of the victory over Southampton. “I do hope the next two finals we will play a bit better than the first one.
“The only good thing in the first 45 minutes was that they saved their energy (or PSG) and didn’t run at all. It was maybe the first time this season I saw this tempo.
“When I look at the game against PSG, we need to go one step up in terms of intensity. But if I compare it with the game today (Saturday), we need to go three, four, five, six or seven steps up in terms of intensity if we want to have any chance of reaching the next round.”
Forest break 30-year win drought | 02:30
– ‘Going for us’ –
Salah conceded that he had rarely seeing his manager so furious as he was during a half-time tirade that helped the turn the Southampton game around.
“The manager was like going for us,” said the Egyptian. “That’s something you need sometimes.” Slot has had little reason to lose his cool in his first nine months as Jurgen Klopp’s successor.
But he has shown his ruthless side when needed to keep Liverpool on course for just the fourth treble for an English side that would include the league title and Champions League.
Harvey Elliott scored the smash-and-grab winner in Paris with his first touch after replacing Salah, who had a rare off night.
Nunez’s work rate was questioned by his coach after disappointing displays against Wolves and Aston Villa, when he missed a glorious chance to win the game, last month.
Premier League wrap: Arsenal fall behind | 03:13
The Uruguayan has bounced back to deliver the assist for Elliott at the Parc des Princes and then sparked the fightback against Southampton with his first goal in 11 games.
Many believed Nunez would have been one of those sacrificed by Slot’s triple half-time change, but he rewarded his manager’s patience.
“I always hate the idea, if we need to score goals, to take someone off that can score a goal,” added Slot.
“That’s also the life of a number nine – you go from missing a chance to scoring an important goal.” After a pummelling in Paris, Slot is determined Liverpool do not make the same mistake in their quest for a seventh European Cup.
Declan Rice’s equaliser denied Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim a much-needed win but Arsenal’s faltering Premier League title challenge suffered another damaging blow in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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The Gunners sit 15 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool, now with just one game in hand, with their focus beginning to turn to holding off the chasing pack for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Bruno Fernandes’ stunning free-kick put United ahead in first-half stoppage time.
The Red Devils, though, could not hold on for just a sixth Premier League win in 16 games under Amorim as Rice swept home on 74 minutes.
United missed a string of late chances to win the game, with a point leaving them down in 14th.
“How we conceded chances in certain moments was not acceptable,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
“They have so much quality and they pick the right player and normally that would end in a goal.
Utd coach full of praise for Fernandes | 00:48
“We opened the gate to lose the game. there was no chance to lose the game and we opened it ourselves. I will defend my players all the time but in those moments we have to do better.”
Arteta, however, was in no mood to answer questions about the club’s failure to make signings in January amid a striker injury crisis, or about its stuttering title challenge.
The Arsenal boss awkwardly ended a post-match interview abruptly when asked about both matters.
Asked if he regrets not signing a striker in January, Arteta shook his head, said ‘no, it’s not about that’, then started trying to exit.
Stopped and asked for one more question, Arteta paused. But when the interviewer started to point out the 15 gap to Liverpool in the title race, the Spaniard said ‘no’ and completed his walk off.
Spurs salvage draw against Bournemouth | 01:30
Also feeling the heat will be United boss Amorim.
United have had three permanent managers and an interim during Arteta’s five years in charge of Arsenal.
Amorim said he knows he will not get the time Arteta did to turn around a sinking ship at Old Trafford.
The discontent among the home support could be seen around the stands with many taking part in a protest by wearing black over what they perceive as “the death” of their club.
“This club will never die, that is clear,” said Amorim. “You feel it in the streets. This is a big business and maybe all the fans in this league sometimes feel it is harder to go to the games and pay for tickets.”
Arsenal had failed to score in either of their previous two league games to realistically wave goodbye to their hopes of a first title in 21 years.
Premier League wrap: Arsenal fall behind | 03:13
Despite still missing the attacking quartet of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners hit back in stunning fashion to thrash PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Infused with fresh confidence, Arsenal started on the front foot but again missed the focal point of a natural centre-forward.
Midfielder Mikel Merino has been forced to deputise upfront in recent weeks and fired wide from the edge of the area with an early opening.
United have struggled for goals all season, but their skipper has remained a source of inspiration and Fernandes produced once more with a sumptuous free-kick just before halftime.
Questions will be asked over Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya’s starting position, but Fernandes still had to whip the ball over an imposing wall and back down into the visitors’ net.
Spurs suffer huge Europa League blow | 01:41
– Raya rescues Arsenal –
If Raya was at fault for the opener, he made amends with a string of saves in the second period.
Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee were the first to be denied as United threatened a second on the counter-attack.
Arteta was able to throw on Martinelli on his return from a hamstring injury in the hunt for an equaliser.
Instead, it was Rice who matched Fernandes’ fine finish by arrowing a shot beyond Andre Onana from Jurrien Timber’s pass.
Amorim had dropped Rasmus Hojlund to the bench after a run of 19 games without a goal.
The Dane should have ended that streak when he allowed Rice to get back and make a goal-saving challenge.
More Raya heroics followed to stop Fernandes from snatching a winner as the match entered stoppage time.
However, a draw did little for Arsenal’s title challenge.
Arteta’s men edge four points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest and eight clear of Manchester City in fifth in the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League.
