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Manchester United have an uncertain couple of weeks ahead of them, after Ruben Amorim was dismissed from his manager position at Old Trafford.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was a huge advocate for handing the 40-year-old an extended period to turn things around in Manchester, but a breakdown in the relationship has brought any plans to an abrupt end.

It’s been reported that Jason Wilcox suffered a breakdown in his relationship with the former Portuguese international, with his sacking confirmed early on Monday morning.

Darren Fletcher has already been installed as a temporary replacement whilst INEOS work tirelessly to identify a long-term replacement for the outgoing Amorim.

It remains to be seen who could take the reins in the near future, but numerous names have already emerged on their shortlist in recent hours after the announcement.

Man Utd want to appoint former PL boss to replace Amorim

Over the last couple of hours, a whole host of managers have been touted with a move to join United – whether that be as a long-term or short-term appointment.

Former temporary boss Michael Carrick is just one name that has been mentioned after previously managing three first-team matches at the end of 2021.

Other managers, such as Oliver Glasner, Kieran McKenna and Gareth Southgate, have all been named as potential options in the hunt to replace Amorim.

However, the quartet aren’t the only options currently in INEOS’ sights, with Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi another option being considered by the hierarchy.

According to the Telegraph, support is growing behind the scenes for the Italian boss who was previously interviewed for the role back in 2024 before Amorim’s arrival.

It also states that the 46-year-old, who’s achieved a 58% win record in France, would offer a Premier League proven option after managing Brighton and Hove Albion.

Why De Zerbi would be the perfect Amorim upgrade

Back in November 2024, the appointment of Amorim by the United board was seen as an exciting one after winning the Liga Portugal title twice with Sporting CP.

However, as seen by the 15th-placed finish in England’s top-flight last campaign, his spell in charge of the Red Devils was nothing short of a disaster.

From the terrible league finish, to a second-round Carabao Cup exit to League Two outfit Grimsby Town – it truly was a period to forget for the United fanbase.

The 40-year-old was only able to achieve a 40% win record across all competitions, subsequently winning just 25 matches out of the 63 outings he led in Manchester.

Such numbers, coupled with his breakdown in a relationship with Wilcox and Co, no doubt contributed to his demise and ultimately, dismissal from his position.

However, as previously mentioned, the hierarchy have wasted no time in identifying replacements, with De Zerbi potentially being an excellent option for the Red Devils.

Whilst any deal would require a compensation package, it could be a move that would see the club land a huge upgrade on Amorim – as seen by their respective Premier League stats.

When comparing their figures, the Italian has dominated Amorim in countless areas, all whilst doing so at Brighton – a club with much lower funds than the Red Devils.

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The Italian, who’s been dubbed a “genius” by Statman Dave, has achieved a better points per game record in England’s top-flight, whilst also achieving a better win percentage.

How De Zerbi & Amorim compare in the PL

Statistics

De Zerbi

Amorim

Games managed

70

47

Wins

26

15

Draws

19

13

Losses

25

19

Goals scored

116

66

Goals against

110

72

Points per game

1.39

1.23

Stats via Transfermarkt

Such figures reflect his incredible ability to make his sides hard to beat, which is something that has been far too easy for opposition sides making the trip to Old Trafford.

He’s also conceded fewer goals per game, whilst also scoring more, showcasing the impact he’s able to have on his sides at either end of the pitch in the Premier League.

De Zerbi has also achieved a higher finish come the end of a season compared to the former Red Devils boss, with his record deserving of a chance to thrive in Manchester.

It’s unclear if De Zerbi himself would be open to the role at present, but it’s clear he has all the tools needed to bring the glory days back to the Theatre of Dreams.

He would no doubt be an upgrade on Amorim based on their respective spells in England, with the next appointment massive if the club are to be a dominant force once again.

Related Mainoo will love him: INEOS considering re-hiring 4-2-3-1 manager at Man Utd

Manchrester United have a huge task on their hands to replace Ruben Amorim after his sacking.

Posts ByEthan Lamb

It will be interesting to see what Liverpool and Arne Slot decide to do in the January transfer window, and what they decide to leave until the summer window.

The markets that the Reds shop in will also be interesting because they have had struggles with their domestic and international signings from the summer transfer window.

Florian Wirtz has scored one Premier League goal since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Alexander Isak’s two-goal haul in the top-flight after a £125m transfer from Newcastle United shows that there are no guarantees in football.

Their respective struggles, though, should not deter FSG from pursuing big-money signings from domestic or international markets, as every case should be treated individually.

Liverpool plot summer move for Premier League star

The Reds have not been put off by the lack of output from their big-money signings, because they are already looking at a summer move for a star who could cost a similar amount of money.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are plotting a summer swoop to sign central midfielder Adam Wharton from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

In a piece on what the Reds may do in the current window, the report explains that they could wait until the summer to pursue a deal for the England international to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

It was reported ahead of the 2025/26 campaign that the Eagles value Wharton at a fee of up to £100m, and it remains to be seen if their valuation has changed in the subsequent six months that have passed.

Why Liverpool should sign Adam Wharton

The Reds should push to win the race for the central midfielder’s signature in the summer transfer window later this year because he has the potential to be the club’s next Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool signed Henderson from Sunderland as a 20-year-old, for £20m, in 2011 to bolster Kenny Dalglish’s midfield, in what was far from a high-profile addition, as he joined from a midtable side rather than as a star from another huge European or English outfit.

The central midfielder, though, went on to captain the club to a Premier League title and a Champions League trophy during his time at Anfield, making 492 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Henderson was an ever-reliable deep-lying midfielder who offered consistency, quality, and leadership skills, which is why he had the success and longevity that he had.

Wharton has the potential to offer a similar presence in the middle of the park as a star who loves to pick up the ball and play forward passes to his teammates, whilst also being combative and aggressive out of possession.

As you can see in the chart above, Wharton’s form this season is fairly comparable to Henderson’s last Premier League campaign with Liverpool, as they excel in similar areas.

One thing that really stands out is that they both rank incredibly highly for progressive passes per 90, which speaks to their ability to punch passes into the front players to allow the exciting attackers to get the ball as quickly as possible, and in advanced positions.

Highest xA in the 25/26 PL

Player

xA

Rayan Cherki

4.4

Bruno Fernandes

4.1

Bukayo Saka

4.0

Jeremy Doku

3.9

Pedro Neto

3.9

Adam Wharton

3.5

Bryan Mbeumo

3.5

Declan Rice

3.4

Jack Grealish

3.3

Enzo Fernandez

3.2

Stats via FotMob

Wharton, as shown in the table above, has also been one of the most creative players in any position in the Premier League so far this season, ranking sixth for xA created.

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Bruno Fernandes, who is a natural attacking midfielder, is the only central midfielder who ranks above him in that statistic, which speaks to the immense creative quality that the Palace star can provide in the middle of the park.

Wharton was dubbed “the best U21 player in the Prem” back in October by one analyst, and it is hard to argue with that assessment, given that the 21-year-old star is also the youngest player on that list of creative stars.

On top of his creativity, the midfielder also averages 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game in the top-flight this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he can offer quality in and out of possession, as Henderson did.

Such has been the quality of his performances in the Premier League, Everton’s Jack Grealish went out of his way to stae that Wharton was the best player on the pitch in their clash with Palace in October, showing how highly he is rated by his peers.

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Therefore, Wharton could arrive at Anfield in the summer as their next Henderson in the making, as another English midfielder signed from a midtable Premier League club at a young age, with the potential to be an immense deep-lying midfield star for many years to come.

ScorecardFile photo: Aamir Kaleem’s counterattacking 42 not out lifted Oman•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Fast bowler Bilal Khan and left-arm spinner Zeeshan Maqsood picked up seven wickets between them, leading Oman to a four-run win against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. Victory also meant that Oman took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.Defending just 131, Bilal (4 for 20) and Maqsood (3 for 22) thwarted Hong Kong’s chase by striking at regular intervals. With Hong Kong floundering at 89 for 6, it appeared Oman had the upper hand, but a handy 26-ball 29 from Nizakat Khan kept the score ticking. By running singles and striking the occasional four, Hong Kong brought the equation down to six needed off the final over with two wickets in hand, but with Nizakat stuck at the non-striker’s end. Haseeb Amjad converted the first ball, bowled by Bilal, for a single, but Nizakat failed to make most of the strike, as Bilal yorked him second delivery. Bilal then bowled two successive dot balls, before wrapping up the game by once again bowling out Nadeem Ahmed, the No.11 batsman.Earlier, Oman, after being sent in, began poorly, losing their top three inside nine overs. However, Hong Kong were unable to completely firm up their advantage, as Aamir Kaleem counterattacked with a 31-ball 42, helping his team to 131 for 6. Fast bowler Aizaz Khan was the pick of the Hong Kong bowlers, collecting 3 for 22.

Ricky Ponting accepts the major award © Getty Images

Australia’s Ricky Ponting was named ICC Cricketer of the Year for the second year running at the ICC Awards in Johannesburg.Ponting was the winner after the ballots from the 56-member ICC Awards Voting Academy were tallied, adding the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy to the award for Captain of the Year, won earlier in the evening.Ponting was also named on both the ICC ODI and Test Teams of the Year which were chosen by a five-man ICC selection panel led by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and also including Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, ex-South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten, Iqbal Qasim, the former Pakistan left-arm spinner, and ex-England captain Alec Stewart.On winning the award, Ponting said: “It’s more of an eventful night that I thought it would be and I am honoured. It’s a great thrill for me and something I am very proud of. It’s a great achievement and something I will probably look back on this in years to come with a lot of pride.”I am the first player to win this award twice in a row and maybe if I keep my head down there might be more around the corner. I was happy with the way I have gone about things during the past year and I think we have lifted ourselves to a new level as a team. It has been an unbelievable 12 months of cricket and we should all be very proud with what we have achieved.”Ponting received the award from ICC president Ray Mali as the finale to the prestigious awards ceremony. “These awards are about excellence and I can think of few cricketers who have demonstrated genuine excellence through their careers more than Ricky Ponting,” Mali said.”He has a huge amount of natural talent but through hard work, desire and dedication he is making the most of that ability. And as a captain he has been remarkably successful in all forms of the game. He is a deserving winner of this award and the fact that he has won it for the second year running shows the level of consistency that he is putting in time after time for his country.”

Matthew Hayden is in no danger for the Ashes © Getty Images

Matthew Hayden, the Australian Test opener, will undergo a scan for a possible crack to the little finger on his right hand sustained during Queensland’s defeat against Tasmania in the Pura Cup at Brisbane. However, Dr Simon Carter, the team doctor, said Hayden was in no doubt for the first Ashes Test.Initial x-rays did not show a fracture after he attempted a catch, but he will undergo more tests after batting in pain at No. 7. He scored 36 off 46 balls as Queensland slumped to a seven-wicket defeat.”The X-ray was inconclusive. His hand is still sore and that’s why he batted late today,” Dr Carter said. “He’s going to have another scan tomorrow to get a definitive answer on whether he has a small fracture, but either way if there is a [crack] he won’t be in doubt.”

Hamilton will retire at the end of the 2005 season © Getty Images

Gavin Hamilton, the Durham all-rounder, has announced he will retire from county cricket at the end of this season. Hamilton spent a decade with Yorkshire, before joining Durham in 2004 – but he failed to hold down a regular place in the first XI. He has spent part of the summer on loan with the Scottish Saltires, and plans to play for Scotland next summer.Hamilton, 31, came to prominence in the 1999 World Cup while playing for Scotland; he was subsequently selected for England’s tour to South Africa, and made his Test debut in Johannesburg. But it wasn’t a memorable experience, as he was dismissed for nought in both innings.Durham’s coach Martyn Moxon paid tribute to Hamilton in a statement released on Thursday: “Gavin has been an excellent member of our squad for the last two seasons and, although he has only played a handful of first XI games, his contribution both on and off the field has been extremely valuable.”

Ashley Ross, one of the technical directors of New Zealand Cricket, has been chastised for making sexual innuendoes in a presentation. Ross, who briefly coached New Zealand, is alleged to have delivered a coaching presentation titled “Phone sex, masturbation and the real deal: Cricket training as it has always been”.Ross is said to have compared phone sex with throw-downs, masturbation with net practice and the “real deal” with simulated game situations. The presentation apparently tried to bring out the the parallels between three different levels of cricket practice, and the three different levels of sexual practice. It is believed to have been delivered to at least two groups of qualified coaches over the past year.New Zealand chief executive, Martin Snedden, condemned this approach and said that he wasn’t comfortable with these methods. The quoted him as saying, “It’s certainly not the angle we would usually take on coaching, and it’s fair to say I’m not comfortable with it. That sort of thing does not fit easily with the NZC culture – it’s not the way we go about things.”Snedden also cautioned against over-reaction and felt that the issue shouldn’t be blown out of proportion “The bottom line,” he continued, “is that Ashley was delivering a presentation to a closed group of coaches who he knew very well.”Emily Drumm, the former captain of the New Zealand women’s team, said that this latest strategy stretched the boundaries of common decency and termed it as “an absolutely disgusting analogy”.Drumm, who had earlier decided to skip the tour of England and Ireland, added, “It’s a ridiculous way to discuss the issue. He’s obviously become bored, has tried to come up with a fresh approach, and has overshot the mark by quite some distance. The shame is that Ash is a sound technical coach and has often offered fantastic advice. He’s been a great help for the top women cricketers, and is an excellent source of information.”

On the eve of the launch of the new Twenty20 Cup competition that gets underway at the County Ground this evening when Somerset entertain Warwickshire the county have received some good news regarding one of their favourite adopted sons.Sir Vivian Richards who would have been ideally suited to Twenty20 cricket has announced that he will definitely be a making a nostalgic return to play at the County Ground in Taunton at the age of fifty one when he appears for Lashings Cricket Club against his old county on July 21st.Sir Viv, along with Ian Botham and Joel Garner made up the big three in the Glory Years of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when the county won the Gillette Cup and the Bensons and Hedges Cup on two occasions and the John Player League once.He played for Somerset between 1974 and 1986 and scored nearly 15000 runs at an average of just under 50 which included 322 against Warwickshire in 1985.Chief executive Peter Anderson said yesterday "David Foalb the Lashings coach and managing director has confirmed that Viv Richards will definitely be appearing along with Richie Richardson and Jimmy Adams, which is great news."The great man is also expected to officially open the new Sir Viv Richards Gates that are situated at the Priory Bridge entrance to the County Ground on that day.Tickets for the match against Lashings Cricket Club that will be 45 overs per side and will get underway at 1pm are available from the club office, 01823 272 946.

The South Australian State Selectors have named the four teams for round 3 of the 2001 Redbacks League. Both matches will be played at Park 25.Jason Gillespie will be playing in the Chappel XII.Round 3 (10.00am Start) Sun 30 September

• Chappell XII v Sleep XII
• Freeman XII v Cunningham XIISleep XII
  1. Plant, Tom (Glenelg)
  2. Cameron, Ben (Tea Tree Gully)
  3. Vaughan, Jeff (Capt. – Prospect)
  4. Harris, Ryan (Northern Districts)
  5. Fergusion, Callum (Prospect)
  6. Ellicott, Stuart (Prospect)
  7. Manou, Graham (Kp – Northern Districts)
  8. Duval, Chris (Northern Districts)
  9. Harden, Michael (Prospect)
  10. Thomas, Wes (Tea Tree Gully)
  11. McIntyre, Peter (Tea Tree Gully)
  12. Borlace, Travis (Tea Tree Gully)
  Chappell XII
  1. Williams, Luke (Adelaide)
  2. Johnson, Ben (Capt. – Adelaide)
  3. Deitz, Shane (Kp – Southern District)
  4. Fitzgerald, David (Glenelg)
  5. Ridley, Liam (Glenelg)
  6. Maraun, Shane (Adelaide)
  7. Williams, Sam (Adelaide)
  8. Rowe, Neil (Glenelg)
  9. Bulger, Ryan (Glenelg)
  10. Ross, Dwayne (Southern District)
  11. Gillespie, Jason (Adelaide)
  12. Bevan, Brett (Southern District)
  Freeman XII
  1. Taylor, Jarrod (West Torrens)
  2. Monger, Darryl (Port Adelaide)
  3. Kelly, Trent (West Torrens)
  4. Harris, Daniel (Woodville)
  5. Young, Bradley (Capt. – West Torrens)
  6. Higgins, Ben (West Torrens)
  7. Reeves, Darren (Kp – West Torrens)
  8. Harrity, Mark (Port Adelaide)
  9. Sainsbury, Andrew (Port Adelaide)
  10. Marsh, Jamie (Port Adelaide)
  11. Swain, Brett (West Torrens)
  12. Whiteoak, Steve (Port Adelaide)
  Cunningham XII
  1. Adcock, Nathan (Capt. – Sturt)
  2. Borgas, Jason (Sturt)
  3. Crook, Andrew (East Torrens)
  4. Dempsey, Darren (Kensington)
  5. Stokes, Matthew (Sturt)
  6. Williamson, Simon (University)
  7. King, Matthew (Sturt)
  8. Palmer, John (Kensington)
  9. Rofe, Paul (East Torrens)
  10. Wilson, Paul (University)
  11. Tait, Shaun (Sturt)
  12. Borgas, Cameron (Sturt)

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed the latest information regarding the fitness of midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, who has been out since December.

What’s the latest?

According to the Villa boss, the 28-year-old still isn’t training with the first team but is scheduled to return to full training after the upcoming international break.

The 41-year-old said: “Marvelous Nakamba will be in full training for us after the international break, which is positive. He’s not too far away and he’ll do certain sessions with our Under-23 group next week.

“We’ll integrate him into the first-team set-up. That’s good news for us.”

The Zimbabwean hasn’t played since the mid-December defeat at Liverpool, when he sustained the knee injury which has kept him out of action for three months and counting.

Villa supporters will be gutted

While the news that Nakamba is nearing a return is welcome, Villa supporters must be desperate to have the midfielder back in action as soon as possible.

After an impressive three-game winning streak, Gerrard’s side were beaten 2-1 at West Ham last Saturday, a result which highlighted the need for an alternative in midfield, and next up is another massive test as the Villans host Arsenal in today’s lunchtime kick-off.

The preferred midfield trio of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey has been a treat to watch at times, although the Villa faithful will be keen to have another option in case of injury or suspension to one of the favoured three.

Prior to his injury, Nakamba started all of Gerrard’s first five matches in charge, which highlighted him as one of the Englishman’s favourites, and his return to action will be very welcome.

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The defensive midfielder had been averaging two tackles, one clearance and 0.8 interceptions per game prior to his convalescence, highlighting why Villa fans will surely be delighted to have him back in contention in a couple of weeks’ time.

Still, Gerrard could certainly have done with the Zimbabwean today, especially with the Midlanders coming up against an Arsenal side whose five-game winning run was only ended by a title-chasing Liverpool in a tightly-contested clash in midweek.

In other news: Aston Villa dealt another injury setback which will have many supporters sweating