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Premier League Roundup: Fulham Into Top Six, Wolves Earn First Win, West Ham Struggle Again

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Two goals from Yoane Wissa helped Brentford turn the tables against Bournemouth and earn a thrilling 3-2 win at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Two goals from Yoane Wissa helped Brentford turn the tables against Bournemouth and earn a thrilling 3-2 win at the Gtech Community Stadium.

A dreadful mistake at the back from Sepp van den Berg allowed Evanilson to round Mark Flekken and open the scoring for Andoni Iroala’s Cherries, but they weren’t behind for long as Wissa headed home at the back post.

Bournemouth regained the advantage four minutes into the second half, courtesy of Justin Kluivert, but they had barely caught their breath before Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard drew Thomas Frank’s side level again.

Wissa’s seventh goal of the season eight minutes later turned out to be the winner, hoisting Brentford into the top half of the Premier League table and above their dogged opponents.

Crystal Palace 0-2 Fulham

Fulham’s superb start to the Premier League season continued with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Goals from Emile Smith Rowe and substitute Harry Wilson lifts the Cottagers up into the Premier League’s top six and was just reward for another fine performance on the road.

Smith Rowe’s goal came courtesy of an error from new Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, but the former Arsenal playmaker still had plenty to do as he fired a left-footed strike past the helpless Dean Henderson.

A second goal for Smith Rowe was chalked off by VAR but substitute Wilson snatched his third goal of the week after climbing off the bench, putting the game to bed for a jubilant Marco Silva.

The home side had Daichi Kamada sent off with just over 15 minutes to go and in truth could have lost by more – Wilson also having a second goal of the afternoon ruled out for offside.

West Ham 0-0 Everton

West Ham United and Everton played out a goalless draw at London Stadium, increasing the pressure on home manager Julen Lopetegui.

The Hammers have been uninspiring for most of the campaign, despite spending a considerable amount of money on new signings, and there wasn’t much to shout about once more as they struggled to create clear-cut openings against the Toffees.

Jordan Pickford did make a terrific save from West Ham substitute Danny Ings in stoppage time, preserving a point for the visitors, but Everton were largely the better side in a game that failed to inspire.

Indeed, Everton’s profligacy in front of goal was their undoing, leaving both teams to wonder what might have been as the international break approaches.

Wolves 2-0 Southampton

Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up their first Premier League win of the season with a vital 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Southampton.

Gary O’Neil’s side were glued to the bottom of the table as the day got underway having failed to win in their opening 10 games of the campaign.

But any Molineux nerves were quickly settled by Pablo Sarabia’s early goal – the Spaniard rounding Aaron Ramsdale in Southampton’s goal to give Wolves the lead with less than two minutes on the clock.

Matheus Cunha’s brilliant goal took the wind out of Southampton’s sails early in the second half, sealing a crucial victory for Wolves while transferring the pressure onto opposition manager Russell Martin – his Saints side now prop up the table after suffering their ninth defeat in 11 games.

 

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Premier League

Ruben Amorim Has Three Manchester United Issues To Address – Details Emerge

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Ruben Amorim Has Three Manchester United Issues To Address - Details Emerge

Ruben Amorim is now Manchester United head coach having begun his reign on Monday.

The Reds boss has a near two week wait until his first match – at Ipswich Town on Sunday week – but there is plenty of work to do between now and then. His first few days will be spent familiarising himself with his new surroundings and staff before the players return from either international duty or a few days off.

United have markedly improved under the now departed Ruud van Nistelrooy but there is plenty of work to be done with the Reds still in the bottom half and with work to do in Europe. Amorim has three clear priorities.

Amorim will no doubt want to implement a style and put his own stamp on this misfiring United side but priority number one is results. The Reds are 14th in the Premier League following the weekend defeat to West Ham and are closer to the relegation zone than the top four.

The first task is to climb the table and maximise the potential of an immediate fixture list that includes several home matches and several fixtures against bottom half sides. United also need to find victories in the Europa League having managed just one in four outings. Going out at the first hurdle is unthinkable and Amorim must ensure United are at least involved in the play-offs come the new year.

Amorim’s Sporting hit seven in his first match in charge while he was able to lift the title within 18 months. He knows how to get results quickly.

United have struggled for goals this season and their two most recent striker acquisitions, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, have yet to fully convince. The latter has the potential to become a focal point of the attack while Zirkzee’s role remains uncertain given his lack of goalscoring prowess.

Amorim could use both’s tune-up to ensure United can turn chances into goals. It wasn’t too long ago that Marcus Rashford was enjoying the season of his career, yet he regressed last term—though the early signs this season have been promising. Restoring confidence up top feels like a big priority.

And United can look at Viktor Gyokeres for inspiration. Not so long ago he was in the Championship with Coventry, he’s exploded onto the world stage at Sporting with almost a goal a game and Amorim has played a role in helping the frontman take his game to the next level.

Old Trafford used to be a place of intimidation, where teams were beaten in the tunnel. Now it’s nothing more than a welcome mat.

United have lost the fortress that served them so well and if they can find a tempo, style and intensity to worry teams and lift the fans, they can begin rebuilding that Old Trafford fear factor. United’s support, particularly away, is superb and if Amorim can hit the ground running with the basic template expected of United – front-foot football, attacking intent, effort and intensity – then players and supporters can start to create a club with a clear identity.

Sporting’s final home match under Amorim showed how united the club was, with a thumping 4-1 win over Manchester City, where players, managers, and fans were all together. Amorim fostered that, with results and success helping, but it was only a little over 12 months before his arrival that the unrest was so patent at the club that fans stormed the training ground in protest.

Manchester United Evening

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PHOTOS) Ruben Amorim Arrives At Old Trafford As Ruud van Nistelrooy Quits Manchester United

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Ruben Amorim Arrives At Old Trafford as Ruud van Nistelrooy Manchester United

Ruud van Nistelrooy will not be part of Ruben Amorim’s coaching staff and has left Manchester United.

Van Nistelrooy was appointed as assistant manager in the summer and became interim head coach when former United boss Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.

He signed off in style by beating Leicester 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday to stay unbeaten in his four games in charge, but the club confirmed his departure on Monday as Amorim arrived to begin his time at the helm.

“Ruud is and always will be a Manchester United legend,” the club said. “We are grateful for his contribution and the way in which he approached his role throughout his time with the club. He will always be very welcome at Old Trafford.”

Assistant manager Rene Hake, goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar and analyst Pieter Morel have also left the club.

This was the first big call for Amorim to make as United boss and he acted decisively.

Van Nistelrooy made it clear he would like to continue helping at Old Trafford and had the backing of the players, but Amorim wasted no time in jettisoning a club legend.

The key issues for Amorim to address at Man Utd
It was always going to be difficult for Van Nistelrooy to be kept on after saying he would one day like the job that Amorim has just taken up.

We saw under Ten Hag that the presence of Van Nistelrooy in the dugout always felt ominous. This was the man in charge of PSV, one of Netherlands’ biggest clubs, as recently as last year. Van Nistelrooy feels like a head coach.

His impressive handling of the situation he inherited from Ten Hag had only added to his plausibility as such. Van Nistelrooy, particularly in his dealings with the media, almost did too well. Keeping him on may have brought added pressure for Amorim.

Amorim is also expected to bring a whole team of his own people from Sporting, leaving it unclear where Van Nistelrooy would have fitted had he stayed. The Dutchman wanted to help, but would he have been happy on the periphery?

There is, of course, the argument Van Nistelrooy knows the club well and has had a first-hand view of the squad since the summer, so could have been invaluable to Amorim, at the very least in the short-term.

But Darren Fletcher remains embedded in the set-up at United and serves a similar purpose without bringing the baggage of being a threat to his job if results go south.

Amorim’s first day at Carrington
Amorim arrived at Man Utd’s Carrington training complex on Monday afternoon.

The 39-year-old boarded a flight from Beja airport in Portugal to Manchester in the morning.

Amorim was greeted outside the men’s first-team building with a hug from chief executive Omar Berrada, and was also welcomed by sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

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‘Man United job Is Difficult’ – Rúben Amorim Admits Tough Task Ahead Old Trafford New Era

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'Man United job Is Difficult' - Rúben Amorim Admits Tough Task Ahead Old Trafford New Era

Newly hired Manchester United head coach Rúben Amorim has said he is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task he faces when he takes over at Old Trafford but he is looking forward to the challenge.

The Premier League club announced Amorim’s appointment earlier this month, with the 39-year-old set to arrive from Sporting CP on Monday on a contract until June 2027.

Amorim, who replaces Erik ten Hag at United, marked his final game as coach of Sporting with a 4-2 comeback victory at Braga on Sunday.

“I feel ready for the new challenge,” he told reporters after the match.

“I’m not naive, I know it’s going to be very different, very difficult. I’m at peace now, I can focus on my new job and I’m looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

Considered one of Europe’s brightest young managers, Amorim’s first match is slated for Nov. 24 against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

However, a source told ESPN that Amorim is facing a further delay before officially starting as United’s new head coach as the club await confirmation of his visa. Until confirmation is received, Amorim cannot begin his official duties, including overseeing training sessions.

Ruben Amorim won two Primeira Liga titles during his time as head coach of Sporting CP. Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
The 39-year-old is set to arrive in Manchester on Monday, but a source has told ESPN he is still waiting for the official green light to start his employment. United are not expecting any issues with the paperwork.

United are 13th in the league, having earned 15 points from 11 matches, four points adrift of Chelsea in third. Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has guided the side to three wins and a draw in all competitions since Ten Hag was sacked on Oct. 28.

“I know it will be difficult to reproduce what I have here elsewhere, but there are other places with different exposure and pressure … It’s been a fantastic adventure,” said Amorim, who has won the Primeira Liga twice with Sporting.

“I apologise for this mid-season decision, but I felt it was my time and my way.”

 

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