So far, United have had an extremely underwhelming season and pressure is mounting on Erik ten Hag, especially with INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe closing in on a partial 25% investment into the club.

In the Premier League, the Red Devils have lost six times in 14 games, with their most recent defeat coming against Newcastle at St James’ Park.

The situation is not any better in the Champions League, where Ten Hag’s men are currently sitting bottom of Group A with just four points and are on the brink of elimination from the competition.

Since the Newcastle match, there have been suggestions that Ten Hag has lost a section of the dressing room, with some players growing disillusioned with the Dutchman’s methods and tactics.

Ahead of United’s clash vs. Chelsea this evening, Ten Hag rubbished such insinuations and insisted that there is harmony within the ranks.

Nevertheless, it’s evident the 20-time English champions need to start getting results and performing better sooner rather than later.

According to AS, Ten Hag is not completely secure and apparently, United have a possible replacement lined up to replace him – Lopetegui.

The Spanish publication states, “There are already several important clubs that are thinking about him as the head of a project. One with whom he has been linked, in fact, is Manchester United.”

AS adds that Lopetegui’s good work in the Europa League with Sevilla alongside his proven track record with young players makes him an attractive proposition for outfits like United.

It’s believed that the 57-year-old was on the verge of taking over at Saudi Arabia Pro League club Al Ittihad after receiving a mind-blowing offer worth around €18m net per season – he rejected the proposal.

Such an amount would have instantly made Lopetegui one of the highest-earning coaches in the world.

As it stands, however, he is more keen on plying his trade in the Premier League as opposed to completing a move to the Gulf nation.

Lopetegui left Molineux during the summer after saving Wolves from relegation to the Championship. He cited Wolves’ lack of signings and ambitions in the market as his main reasons for leaving the role.

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The Dutch manager is under enormous pressure with British media constantly attacking him through sly reports of dressing room revolt over tactics, training, and even over mistreatment of Jadon Sancho.

Things reached such a state that the club was forced to ban serial offender Samuel Luckhurst from attending the Chelsea pre-match press conference.

ETH fighting for his job

It is clear that player power is running rampant at the moment with a couple of stars said to be feeding stuff to the media and Sir Jim Ratcliffe needs to come in and fix this issue.

The next week will see the Red Devils fighting to stay alive in the Champions League and then travelling to Anfield to face arch-rivals, Liverpool.

The United boss will be aware of the need to get victories under his belt or else the INEOS chairman might be forced to part ways with him.

The Peoples Person has written about the British billionaire preferring current Brighton and Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi to take over from the former Ajax coach should he be sacked.

Recently, there were reports that the Seagulls had agreed a contract extension with the Italian manager, who has overseen a hugely successful period for the club.

Brighton secured European football for the first time in their history last season and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League this season.

The team’s brave and attractive style of play has seen plenty of top clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and several Serie A outfits keeping an eye on the former Sassuolo boss.

Brighton want compensation for De Zerbi

Football Insider have claimed that despite a new contract, Brighton will not stand in De Zerbi’s way should an offer from United arrive provided adequate compensation is paid.

“Brighton will not stand in manager Roberto De Zerbi’s way if he wants to leave the club in the future amid strong Man United interest, sources have told Football Insider.

“It is believed that if the Italian were to have his head turned, Brighton would be willing to let him go if their compensation demands are met.”

The team from the south coast of England have done pretty well when moving on players and even managers, as seen from the deal that Chelsea agreed when buying Moises Caicedo and Graham Potter.

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Last month, it was confirmed that Arnold would leave United before the end of the year, with Ratcliffe closing in on a partial 25% investment into the club.

A report covered by The Peoples Person revealed that after months of delays and due process, the Glazers and Ratcliffe have made a decision to put out a public announcement on the INEOS billionaire’s investment in the coming days.

The move, which will see the British businessman essentially become a minority owner, is contingent on being granted sporting control.

It’s understood that Ratcliffe has already identified key personnel to spearhead his vision at Old Trafford as he seeks to bring the glory days back at United.

Transfer expert Paul Mitchell is thought to be a prime candidate to take over as United’s next sporting director, with the future of John Murtough far from certain.

Ex-Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus chief Jean-Claude Blanc is also under strong consideration to become the Red Devils’ CEO.

At the moment, Patrick Stewart is serving as interim CEO.

The Daily Mail reports that contrary to popular belief, Ratcliffe did not play a role in Arnold’s exit from United.

“Richard Arnold jumped before he was pushed at Manchester United – but football director John Murtough is keen to work within the new set-up when Ineos start moving into Old Trafford next week.”

“Confidential understands that Ratcliffe did not ask Arnold to go, but the United CEO knew the writing was on the wall and decided to announce his decision to leave on his own terms before the end of the year.”

“There is also a question mark over Murtough’s future as Ineos focus on United’s recruitment policy. However, sources say he remains fully engaged in his role and highly visible at Carrington, and wants to continue in the job.”

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Former player turned pundit, Gary Neville, has condemned the style of football currently being played under the management of Erik ten Hag.

Neville was speaking after Manchester United’s drab performance in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle, that truthfully, could have been a lot more had The Magpies taken their chances.

The Peoples Person has already commented on how the former United defender has described himself as “bored” by the current insipid style of play.

According to The Manchester Evening News (MEN), Neville has claimed that out of all the managers to take the helm at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson, only Louis van Gaal was able “to install a recognised style”.

The Sky Sports pundit’s first critique was over the way Ten Hag’s United react to adversity. He claimed, “the problem is, if you just knock them off track slightly, like Istanbul will have done, and probably won’t qualify for the next round of the Champions League, they don’t react well”.

Neville then went on to query whether the team really deserved to beat Everton 3-0 two weekends ago. The former United captain argued, “you then start to look back at the games when they have won 3-0 and question that. All I would say is, you can play poorly and win, but Manchester United have been doing that now for a long time”.

Even the most optimistic Red Devils fan would find it hard to contest this statement as despite winning five of the last seven league games, few, if any, have been dominating displays by the Mancunian side.

The former England international went on to compare Ten Hag with a fellow Dutchman, Louis van Gaal. The former defender asserted that Van Gaal “dominated football matches at United; there was a style of play. Since Van Gaal, I don’t think I have seen a pattern of play established, and that is probably seven or eight years now”.

However, Neville did add a caveat that he felt the style of football under Van Gaal was boring and not appropriate for the club or the fans. There is a little bit of counter history at work here as the former Barcelona coach was heavily critiqued during his time in England, including by Neville.

The former United number two actually stated in 2019 that Van Gaal had played “the worst style of football” he has ever seen United play.

The pundit also claimed, “no manager has been able to sort of settle on a style of play. It sort of goes something like counter-attack, moments. I have seen the same type of football irrespective of whom the manager is”.

The former full back argued that maybe the team shows it can play against weaker teams at Old Trafford but once they play genuinely top teams, “they get done”.

Finally, Neville asserted that the most damaging aspect of Ten Hag’s, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s and Jose Mourinho’s time in the dugout, is that they have failed to find a way to play despite all spending hundreds of millions of pounds in the transfer window. He compared the United managers unfavourably with other Premier League coaches, who have had much less to spend on recruitment.

“[Roberto] De Zerbi at Brighton and [Ange] Postecoglou at Spurs and others like them have come in and in three or four months, they have got them playing like Real Madrid”.

It is hard to argue with Neville’s logic. In spite of spending vast amounts of money on players, no manager has been able to implement a clear style of football. Many fans would even take issue with the mention of Van Gaal.

The Peoples Person recently warned that unless Ten Hag begins to turn things around quickly, he is flirting with the sack due to a number of strange decisions he has been taking of late and the players seemingly letting another manager fall on his sword, while refusing to take responsibility themselves.

It is becoming a vicious cycle at the club and one that seems nobody is capable of breaking.

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United are on the brink of exiting the Champions League at the group stage after they squandered a two-goal lead to eventually draw 3-3 against Galatasaray in midweek.

They now need other results in the group to go their way if they are to have any hopes of progressing through to the knockout stage of the competition.

Defensively, the three-time winners of Europe’s premier competition have conceded the second-most goals among the 32 teams in the tournament.

ETH has not enjoyed the same success in his second season

Domestically, the Red Devils are struggling to finish in the top four after a poor start to the campaign. They might be the most in-form team at the moment, but against the big sides, they have failed to come to terms.

Ten Hag’s side have struggled to score goals, the lowest scorers among the top 12 sides while many of the big-name players are looking to leave the club.

Casemiro, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho are among players linked with a shock exit in January while Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s entry will see plenty of behind-the-scene changes at the club.

A lot will change including the club’s transfer approach with the INEOS chairman set to target British players, a far cry from Ten Hag’s idea of recruiting from within the Eredivisie.

There were reports that the British billionaire was not happy with the transfer business under the Dutch manager and the results that he was getting with rumours of a sack also being mentioned.

Among the alternatives being eyed was Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi who has impressed one and all with his club playing a fearless brand of football.

Now as per Football Insider, the Italian manager is set to sign a brand new deal at the Seagulls which will increase his salary and that should hopefully put an end to the incessant rumours.

The likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid were also said to be eyeing the manager which forced the Brighton management to act.

De Zerbi new deal in the pipeline

“Man United manager target Roberto De Zerbi is likely to pledge his future to Brighton as they prepare to offer him a new contract at the club, sources have told Football Insider.

“The Italian’s current deal is set to expire in June 2026. However, he is happy at the south coast club and is likely to pen a new contract on improved terms to extend his stay at the Amex Stadium.

“He has been linked with United as well as Man City, Real Madrid – and clubs from his native Italy.”

Instead of focussing on a new manager, the club should put their faith in Ten Hag and support him with the right players.

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The Manchester United manager has been nominated for the league’s top award for the month of November alongside Rob Edwards, Eddie Howe, and Andoni Iraola.

The Dutchman guided United to three wins in three games without conceding a goal, brushing aside Fulham, Luton Town, and a tricky away day at Everton.

The run lifted United to sixth place in the table, with Champions League qualification firmly back in sight.

He would be a big contender to win the award, although he is facing a tough fight, particularly against Luton Town’s Rob Edwards.

Your @BarclaysFooty Manager of the Month nominees…

Rob Edwards
Eddie Howe
Andoni Iraola
Erik ten Hag#PLAwards | Vote: https://t.co/L6NoBQCuIV pic.twitter.com/6s6yBEVdNd

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 30, 2023

Edwards guided his much-less fancied Luton to a win over Crystal Palace, took a point off Liverpool, and almost repeated the feat against United at Old Trafford.

As a result, they are out of the relegation zone now, something which not many would have predicted after 13 games.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle had statement wins against Arsenal and Chelsea in November but inexplicably lost to Bournemouth.

Iraola led Bournemouth to wins against Sheffield United and Newcastle but suffered a 6-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Therefore, Ten Hag is the only manager who won all his games, without letting in a goal.

If he is victorious, the United manager will be crowned the Manager of the Month for the third time, after winning it in September 2022 and February 2023.

While there will hardly be fireworks if he ends up winning, especially with United’s performance in Europe putting a dampener on things, it would still be a sign of encouragement in a season of extreme highs and lows.

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Freedman, currently the Sporting Director at Crystal Palace, has been strongly linked with the executive role at Old Trafford, following the news John Murtough would likely be departing the club once the new ownership structure is confirmed.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to become a minority owner of United having agreed a deal for a 25% stake of the club, subject to ratification.

It has been reported that the premium price Ratcliffe has agreed to pay for this deal was contingent on the INEOS owner assuming full sporting control at Old Trafford.

Though this has yet to be officially confirmed, it is widely reported that both a new Director of Football and a new Chief Executive will be installed within this new INEOS-led structure.

It has already been confirmed that CEO Richard Arnold will be vacating his current position, with Jean-Claude Blanc the strongly linked replacement. The Frenchman has enjoyed great success at the executive level at both Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, and appears tailor made to take on a senior role at a commercial behemoth like United.

The Director of Football position appears more uncertain, however.

Paul Mitchell had been the early front-runner with the INEOS Sporting Group thought to be long-term admirers of the executive. Mitchell has enjoyed successful roles at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Bull Sporting Group and, most recently, Monaco.

Michael Edwards was another name linked with the Old Trafford hotseat; the former executive at Anfield widely praised for his work in helping Jurgen Klopp rebuild Liverpool.

Both men were reported to be on a shortlist for the position at United. But another name has emerged in recent weeks – Dougie Freedman. 

Freedman’s work at Selhurst Park has been as quietly impressive as it has consistent, despite a much more limited budget than his competitors. The Scot is widely respected throughout English football, having previously worked as a manager.

Crystal Palace have always appeared to possess a cohort of talented youngsters or a group of experienced pros picked up on the cheap during Freedman’s time as the club’s executive. The club’s current iteration – Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze – represents one of their most impressive groups. And the four players cost less than what John Murtough sanctioned in United’s move for Antony last summer.

It was reported that Ratcliffe will seek “guidance” from Sir Alex Ferguson once his ownership bid (and the associated sporting control) is confirmed. As such, Ferguson’s long-standing admiration for Freedman may prove pivotal in where Ratcliffe sets his sights.

The Daily Mail report Freedman has been added to “shortlist” for the position at Old Trafford, having been “mentored for many years by fellow Glaswegian, Sir Alex.” This may be enough to give Freedman the inside track ahead of his competitors.

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United desperately need three points from their trip to Turkey to salvage any hope of qualifying for the next round of Europe’s premier competition.

They currently languish bottom of their group, though a win tonight, accompanied by Bayern Munich beating FC Copenhagen, would elevate them to second place.

Galatasaray is a notoriously difficult place to go, however. The atmosphere generated in the RAMS Stadium is intense and overwhelming, with the home fans vicious and vitriolic with their voices.

Ten Hag has implored his players to “deal with that environment” and use the atmosphere and pressure as “fuel” to secure a vital win.

The Dutchman told MUTV the only way his team would succeed is if they played as one: “That’s the only way it can go. You have to be together. You have to stick together. You have to get on one page and execute.”

Fresh from a 3-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park – a similarly hostile away ground – United are in good form and even better spirits, compared to the nadir they appeared to be experiencing only a few months ago.

Eighteen points from a possible twenty one makes Ten Hag’s side the most in-form in the Premier League, with United actually one point better off this year in comparison to last season at the same juncture.

Ten Hag praised his squad for their performance against Everton, revealing how united he saw his United team.

“Yeah, I think it was really a team performance from the first whistle, how we took control in that game. Then we had a tough period. We survived it and then second half we were very proactive, very dynamic, very brave and we killed the game.”

Alejandro Garnacho‘s outrageous overhead kick sparked things off, before Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford combined to put the game beyond reach. Ten Hag appeared particularly pleased every member of his starting front three were able to return a goal.

“Of course it gives confidence. When you score such a beautiful goal, that gives a certain vibe. When you win 3-0 and all the strikers score, that gives belief and we have to build on that.”

The Dutch manager will be unable to deploy Rashford tonight as the English forward is unavailable due to suspension from the previous match against FC Copenhagen. Ten Hag welcomes back Rasmus Højlund in Rashford’s place to soften the blow, however.

Ten Hag was effusive in his praise of the 20-year old, who he describes as “magnificent.” The Dutchman was also quick to point out how effective Martial was against Everton, detailing how “its good we have options.”

United’s manager will be reliant on as many as options as he can muster to traverse tonight’s fixture; anything short of three points will be an unmitigated disaster. Good luck Erik.

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The win will be remembered for years to come for Alejandro Garnacho’s stunning overhead kick, reminiscent of Wayne Rooney’s wonder goal against Manchester City all those years ago.

The Argentine rightly took home all the plaudits but it was another academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo who put in a performance for the ages, highlighting he is ready to take up the mantle as United’s defensive midfielder in the absence of Casemiro.

Mainoo, a star is born

Thrown into the deep end for his first-ever Premier League start amidst a cauldron of noise, most youngsters would have found it tough to handle.

But not the teenage sensation who thrived under pressure and what was even more impressive was he just recently recovered from a nasty ankle injury.

He covered almost every blade of grass during his 70-minute display, showcasing an expert understanding of positional awareness as he consistently dropped deep to link up play and cover for his marauding full-backs.

He has been helped by the fact that he is learning from the former Real Madrid superstar and Sofyan Amrabat back at Carrington with his attitude impressing one and all.

Manager Erik ten Hag and skipper Bruno Fernandes were full of praise for the England U-19 international and as per The Daily Star, a potential fight is on the cards regarding his international allegiance.

The United academy graduate is eligible to represent Ghana but Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate wants to meet the young midfielder to sort out the issue.

Southgate wants Mainoo to represent England

Quite a few promising youngsters have opted against representing England in recent years and the England manager is keen to ensure Mainoo does not go along the same route.

“Gareth Southgate will target Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo in a bid to keep him out of the clutches of Ghana. Southgate is desperate to see him pledge his international future to the Three Lions instead.

“The England boss is expected to hold talks with the midfielder in the hope of persuading him to stick with the country of his birth. And Mainoo could even be fast-tracked into Lee Carsley’s England U21 squad to speed up the process.”

United will need to take things slowly with Mainoo despite his obvious talent and try to keep him grounded so as to not get carried away with all this tabloid attention.

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Manchester United’s sticky opening to the new season has heaped unexpected pressure on manager, Erik ten Hag.

After a successful debut campaign which included a Carabao Cup trophy, an FA Cup final and a third place Premier League finish, fans were expecting further progression in the Dutchman’s second term.

However, a mix of injuries and loss of form from high profile stars have led to United losing over half of their games in all competitions.

As reported by by The Sun, Ten Hag’s former assistant Aron Winter has offered a glimpse into the psyche of the United boss, starting with his strict and structure coaching style.

“He is a very good coach, but also very strict and very structured. He is always thinking how to win, how to damage an opponent. He showed that last year. He won a trophy.” he said.

Winter feels United’s extensive injury list is the reason for the team’s underwhelming performances so far and added that although Ten Hag won’t be enjoying the criticism he is facing, he will be fully focussed on turning fortunes around.

“His problems now are injuries and a start to the season that was not so good.

“When he gets criticism, he doesn’t like it, but he knows what he is doing. If you listen to everything it makes you crazy. He has that quality to close his ears and work,” said the former Dutch international.

Winter added that Ten Hag also suffered a difficult spell in Amsterdam but the board stuck by their man and allowed him the time to do his work, reaping the rewards as a consequence.

“When Erik arrived at Ajax, he found the first six months very difficult. The fans were not happy with him, but we had a very strong board who helped and supported him a lot,” he said.

The pair worked closely together at Ajax and having been at the club from player to coach, Winter believes having the club DNA running through the staffing structure is key to success and feels that Ten Hag might be missing such support United.

“I was already working at Ajax and he asked me to join his coaching staff. I used to be at the club as a player and it is very good to have the DNA from the club in your staff.

At United, Erik should have those voices around him too. He has Steve McLaren as an assistant and Sir Alex Ferguson watching on, but maybe that is not enough,” added Winter.

Winter is currently in charge of lowly CONCACAF nation Suriname and hoping to guide them to to their first World Cup, in 2026.

Ten Hag’s next assignment is a trip to Goodison Park to face a scorned Everton side after the Premier League’s decision to deduct Sean Dyche’s men 10 points for breaking Profitability & Sustainability Rules.

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