Premier League

Ruben Amorim Has Made Man United A LOT WORSE – Gary Neville

Gary Neville launched a scathing assessment of the first few months of the Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United in the wake of the club’s most recent setback.

The Red Devils were handed a chastening 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday, which consigned the club to a seventh Premier League defeat under Amorim.

In fact, United have now lost five of their seven home league matches under Amorim, in a worrying run of form for the club.

The new head coach has not had long to bed in with his new players, given a lack of pre-season training and limited tactical planning with the club in midweek action, and reports suggested he had even fallen out with Marcus Rashford.

The manager frequently suggested that he did not want players who would not give their ‘maximum’ after Rashford claimed he was ready for a new challenge after being left out of the Manchester derby earlier in the season.

As such, amid the club’s torrid form, Gary Neville has predicted that things will only go downhill for United before the end of the campaign, and indeed the current progression – or lack thereof – could hinder next season’s plans too.

‘I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in, he said on the Gary Neville Podcast. ‘I thought the enthusiasm and the new system, I thought they’d buy into it the players, and we’d see a bounce.

‘We’ve seen the absolute opposite. It’s got a lot worse and that’s surprising.’

He continued: ‘But there’s going to be a lot more pain towards the end of the season and it is going to be damaging.

‘They’re obviously going to stick with Ruben Amorim, but the more you lose, the more difficult it is to convince the players of the idea. The idea that he talked about in the early days.

‘You need the players to buy into it, but if they lose with it, and they keep getting criticised, the spotlight comes on them more and the fans are leaving unhappy.

‘You can’t keep losing. It will depress the thoughts of the players, to the point whereby they’ll lose faith with the idea.

‘It’ll damage the start of next season. He has to do something. He can’t change his approach because he’s died in a ditch on it. And rightly so. I think he’s lost more games at Manchester United since he’s come than he lost in the last 75 at Sporting.

Much was made of the Portuguese head coach’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system that brought great success at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and how it would fare under rigorous testing in the Premier League.

Results alone would so far suggest that things are not quite going to plan for Amorim, though it is worth pointing out that he has been largely unable to make additions to his side in order to bring in personnel better suited to his tactical plans.

However, as Neville points out, he must now try to adapt to the players that he has in a bid to get the best out of them if he is to stand a chance to rescue United’s season.

‘He will not be enjoying this but I think he’s got to simplify it. He might not like [Rasmus] Hojlund, he might not think [Joshua] Zirkzee is great or might not like other players. He’s got to pick the players he has and stick with them.

‘It can’t keep going on as it is they have to somehow start to play better but where’s it coming from? But I have to say at this moment in time it’s a sorry situation, a very sorry situation when United play.’

United did bring in Patrick Dorgu, the deal finalised over the weekend, to bolster Amorim’s ranks at left wing back.

With Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw struggling for sustained fitness, the former now moving on loan to PSV Eindhoven, the Red Devils were thin in the ranks on the left of defence.

Wing back, though, as Neville adds, is a specialist position requiring both attacking and defending prowess, and as such the acquisition of the Danish international from Lecce should be a major boost to Amorim.

Premier League

Tottenham defender Dragusin sidelined for the season with ACL injury

Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin is set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee during the club’s Europa League clash against Elfsborg.

The 23-year-old will undergo surgery and is expected to be out for at least six months, with recovery timelines for ACL injuries sometimes extending up to a year.

In a statement, Tottenham confirmed that Dragusin “will be assessed by our medical team to determine when he can return to training.”

Having started 21 of Tottenham’s past 23 matches, Dragusin has been a vital part of the defense since his arrival from Genoa in January 2024 for £25 million.

The Romania international expressed determination to bounce back stronger, writing on Instagram:

“Football doesn’t just teach you how to win – it teaches you how to fight when things get tough.”

Dragusin joins a growing list of sidelined Tottenham players, including Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Cristian Romero.

To bolster their defensive options, Spurs recently signed Austrian defender Kevin Danso on loan with a £21 million purchase option. Additionally, the club’s £70 million bid for England defender Marc Guehi was rejected by Crystal Palace, though they secured 19-year-old attacker Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

Premier League

Arteta disappointed by Arsenal’s lack of winter signings

Nobody Works Harder Than Me - Arteta On Woeful Arsenal Display

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed disappointment over the club’s failure to strengthen their squad during the winter transfer window but commended the management’s disciplined approach to player recruitment.

The Gunners were linked with potential attacking reinforcements following Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending ACL injury and the continued absence of Bukayo Saka due to a hamstring issue. However, no deals materialized before the window closed.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle on Wednesday, Arteta stated:

“We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad with players that can make an impact.

“With players injured, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it. We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well. I think that we were.”

Despite the challenges, Arteta emphasized the importance of staying true to Arsenal’s recruitment philosophy.

“It’s in the profile, a player that we believe can make us much better. Financially there is a lot of ways, a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there try to improve.”

Arsenal face a difficult task in Wednesday’s semi-final after a 2-0 defeat in the first leg against Newcastle.

Premier League

Gary Neville backs Arsenal to challenge Liverpool for Premier League title

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has expressed confidence that Arsenal can still beat Liverpool to the Premier League title this season, despite facing challenges with injuries and a quiet January transfer window.

The Gunners trail Liverpool by six points, with the Reds holding a game in hand. However, Neville remains optimistic about Arsenal’s title hopes.

Speaking as quoted on Arsenal News Channel, Neville said: “It’s a difficult window to do business in, and the type of striker Arsenal need is a significant one, and those players aren’t available. Ollie Watkins would have hit the ground running at Arsenal, but you need to be world-class to get into that team.”

He praised Arsenal’s patience and strategic management:
“I can see why they are being patient. Liverpool did the same with Martin Zubimendi. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are being run pretty well. They won’t panic.”

Neville emphasized that Arsenal’s chances hinge on staying competitive if Liverpool falters:
“Arsenal can still win the title. It’s a long shot, but they just need to be there if Liverpool slip up. Injuries happen to big players in football, and the loss of Van Dijk or Salah would disrupt [Liverpool].”

Arsenal’s next challenge comes on Wednesday in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Newcastle United, who hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.