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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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Posts ByDan Emery

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.

Click here for a full list of the 2008 fixturesThe England & Wales Cricket Board today unveiled the full fixture list for the 2008 domestic season, which gets underway on Thursday, April 10 when the reigning county champions, Sussex, take on MCC in the traditional curtain-raiser at Lord’s.Sussex will begin the defence of their back-to-back championship crowns the following week (April 16) as they travel to The Rose Bowl to take on Hampshire, while newly-promoted Nottinghamshire will face Kent at Canterbury on the same day. Lancashire, who came so close to snatching the title on the final day of the season, return to The Oval, the scene of their bitter last-ditch defeat against Surrey.The Division Two season kicks off with a midlands derby, as Warwickshire host Worcestershire at Edgbaston after both teams were relegated in 2007.The Friends Provident Trophy takes on a new format in 2008 with the 18 first-class counties as well as Ireland and Scotland making up four groups of five teams. Each team plays the other four teams in the group twice throughout the competition, home and away. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the quarter-finals on July 4, with the winners of each group earning a home draw.The opening round of the Friends Provident Trophy pits last year’s winners, Durham, against Yorkshire at the Riverside on April 20, with a further seven opening round matches to be played on the same day. The final at Lord’s takes place on Saturday August 16.The Twenty20 Cup gets under way on Wednesday, June 11 with last year’s winners Kent taking on Sussex at Canterbury in the first round of the new-look group stage. Next season, each team will play a symmetrical format of five home and five away games with the groups remaining regional-based with three groups of six first-class counties.The Twenty20 Cup group stage concludes on Friday, June 27 with quarter-finals on to be played from July 7 to 9 and four teams progressing to finals day at The Rose Bowl on Saturday, July 26.The Pro40 competition kicks off on Tuesday, July 15 with a floodlit Division One match between the holders Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire at New Road, while the competition will feature a further 23 matches under lights in the second half of the summer. Televised fixtures for the 2008 domestic season will be confirmed in due course.

Scorecard

Steve Harmison was able to field, despite having pulled out of the match with a side strain © Getty Images

England fans were heartened to see Steve Harmison fielding on the final day of England’s tour match against South Australia, as the game petered out to a draw. Harmison pulled out before the start of the match at the Adelaide Oval on Friday with a side strain.But England could have used his bowling as South Australia’s top order created problems, batting their way to 2 for 164 before the teams agreed to finish the game an hour early. Matthew Hoggard and James Anderson – who both spent time off the ground – were unable to have the same impact with the new ball as they had in the first innings.Daniel Harris, who finished unbeaten on 71, and Matthew Elliott (55) put on 94 for the first wicket before Anderson pulled in a one-handed catch at midwicket to claim Elliott from the bowling of Monty Panesar. Kevin Pietersen picked up the only other wicket, that of Cameron Borgas for 27, shortly before the teams shook hands.England were dismissed for 415 immediately before lunch, after Sajid Mahmood entertained the crowd with some lusty hitting on his way to 41 from 46 balls. He took to the South Australia spinners, Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen, striking a six from each of them as England lost 4 for 112 in the morning session.Geraint Jones added 19 to his overnight total before Cullen had him caught at bat-pad for 33, while Andrew Flintoff kept the scoreboard ticking over until he was bowled attempting a slog off Bailey for 47. Mahmood was stumped off the part-time spin of Darren Lehmann and when Anderson was caught behind off Bailey for 9 the tourists finished their innings with a lead of 168 runs.The signs were good for England earlier in the match, when Ian Bell (132) and Paul Collingwood (80) put together a 178-run partnership on day two. Each of the top six that will line up in the first Test at Brisbane have scored at least one half-century during the warm-up matches, while the bowlers – with the exception of Harmison – have clocked up useful miles.

Match Package

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Bulletin – Kallis steers South Africa home
Verdict – Positives despite the defeat
Comment – Yuvraj Singh – From potential to performance
Quotes – ‘Our focus is winning the series’ – Graeme Smith
Quotes – ‘Batting under pressure, I concentrate more’ – Yuvraj Singh
News – Harbhajan fined for conduct
Preview package
Preview – India train their sights on South Africa
Stats – Red-hot South Africans have a point to prove
Quotes – ‘You have to play well to beat anyone’ – Dravid

Shane Warne: broke Muttiah Muralitharan’s record of 532 Test wickets and stands alone at the top of the pile© Getty Images

Shane Warne has claimed the world record for the most Test wickets as he overtook Muttiah Muralitharan’s tally of 532 earlier today. Warne’s crowning moment came when he had Irfan Pathan caught at slip by Matthew Hayden with a peach of a delivery that drifted away from the left-hander and turned in.It was by no means a walk in the park for Warne – he toiled hard to pick up 3 for 95 in addition to his rather meagre returns of 4 for 193 in the first Test. But the moment was a special one, and the knowledgable Chennai crowd gave Warne a rousing response. David Shepherd, the umpire standing at the end where the wicket fell, was quick to congratulate Warne, as was Rahul Dravid, the batsman who replaced Pathan.But it did not always seem like Warne would make this record his. Muralitharan has been on a hot streak in recent times, and only an injury to his shoulder gave Warne the breathing space to catch up. Murali has taken only 91 Tests to get to 532 wickets, each of his wickets costs 22.86 runs (Warne 25.64).Murali first claimed the record when he beat Courtney Walsh’s tally of 519 wickets, against Zimbabwe in Harare. He then raced on to 527 wickets, with a 6-wicket haul in Bulawayo. Warne then matched the feat, picking up seven wickets against Sri Lanka in Darwin. Murali has not played a Test since August and Warne has two Tests after this one in which to stretch the lead.

David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors, said the meeting prior to the third npower Test match was one of the most important in quite some time. They faced some big decisions, he said. Well, after much head-scratching they have now been made. And the reaction: one good, one bad and one for the future.With Graham Thorpe unavailable with a back injury, Ed Smith was the second-best option to replace Anthony McGrath. Smith has been in fine fettle for Kent, and his selection is a plus point for county cricket. Previous players, such as Chris Adams and Aftab Habib, have made big waves in the domestic game and then drowned when thrown into the deep end of Test cricket. Smith deserves his chance to prove he isn’t one of them.Gareth Batty is unlikely to play at Trent Bridge unless England choose two spinners, but his inclusion confirms his position as twirler No. 2 to Ashley Giles. Batty had a tough taster in his two one-day internationals against Australia last winter, and impressed many with his loopy offspin. His inclusion will also keep Giles on his toes.With a clutch of fast-bowling injuries such as Richard Johnson, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Tudor (the list goes on), England searched far and wide for a replacement for Darren Gough. The obvious successor, James Kirtley, has been with them all summer. After missing out in the four Tests so far this season, he deserves to make his debut. However, England now have another option in Glen Chapple.Chapple, 29, completes the triumvirate of new faces. His inclusion is the most shocking, but it would be harsh to call it a shocker. He has the experience of three England A tours, and has been a consistent performer for Lancashire for over ten years – and boy, do the England attack need consistency. Admittedly he would bolster the lower order, but he’s no Gough with the ball. Could he be another McGrath (Anthony, not Glenn) in disguise?James Anderson and Steve Harmison have correctly kept their places and they need to stop bowling with learner plates on their backs and appreciate the virtues of the other two L’s (line and length). Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart haven’t been pensioned off, although it might have been the end of a long and tiring road for Nasser if Thorpe had been fit. Michael Vaughan hinted he didn’t want Hussain, Stewart and Thorpe in the same team, but he needs at least two of them in these uncertain times for England.Probable team1 Michael Vaughan (capt), 2 Marcus Trescothick, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Nasser Hussain, 5 Ed Smith, 6 Alec Stewart (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Ashley Giles, 9 James Kirtley, 10 Stephen Harmison, 11 James Anderson.

England will be without Graham Thorpe for the rest of the Test series in India.The Surrey left-hander is flying back to England today to sort out personal matters at home.The decision to let Thorpe go home for the last fortnight of the six-week tour was taken last night. Thorpe, 32, has been replaced in the side for the second Test by Yorkshire’s Michael Vaughan.An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: “The England team management today announced that Graham Thorpe is to return to England and consequently will play no further part in the Test series with India.”Pressing matters of a personal nature have arisen that required Graham’simmediate attention.”The team management request that Graham’s privacy and that of his family berespected by all.”Michael Vaughan will replace Graham in the second Test.”

Potchefstroom – They are known as the North West Dragons, and for most of the season their fire has spluttered rather than roared in defiance. On Thursday night they trailed a smoke haze across their new stadium when it was officially opened and cracked the 200 mark for the second time this season before losing by 41 runs against an England XI.While the tourists used the outing to utilise their options for their opening match of the triangular series in Bloemfontein on Sunday, and put a solid, if unconvincing 264 for nine on the board, North West did what they could to give the local public a little to remember scoring 223 for eight.A pity the chaotic melee provided by an unruly crowd at the end let down their side who did what they could, having previously failed three times this season to reach 100.Yet it was not a batting performance to remember: there were odd patches as well as a first wicket partnership of 71 between Gary Outram and Hendrick de Vos. After that the locals were not going to be in the hunt – there was solid batting down the order with 30s littering the scorecard rather than an impressive half-century.If England had been hoping for a big response from Hick and Adams after Nasser Hussain had won the toss, the partnership of 102 against average bowling did notquite fill the expectations.As it is there were rumblings over allegations of a row between Alec Stewart and the skipper over Stewart’s so-called “sacking” by being sent home early. Although David Clark, the England Cricket Board media liaison officer on tour for the slogs, said the team refuted the claims, it is known Hussain and Duncan Fletcher were “quietly livid at such false claims” on the eve of the triangular series. Plans for Stewart to go back to England had been approved some time ago when the Test tour and limited-overs squads were announced.Instead of Chris Read keeping wicket here though we had the specialist utility all-rounder Mark Alleyne, the Gloucestershire captain who kept wicket for England A on their more recent tour of Bangladesh and New Zealand.The rumpus, which blew up yesterday may have deflected Hussain’s thoughts from his own game plan with an edge into the stumps curtailing his performance while Nick Knight was less impressive.Yet it was the windmill style action of exhibitionist David Pryke, who collected five wickets in the innings, which undid Chris Adams. The Sussex captain has battled this tour to make an impression and yesterday found the unusual style of Pryke a problem.Pryke also gives the impression he delivers from almost 18 metres instead of the regulation 20.12 metres and Adams found the foot shuffle, more accentuated than that of Mike Procter, was unable to get his own footwork going. His best is four for 38, but as this is a friendly the five for 32 does not really count: four of the five in his last four over spell.If anything the partnership showed that in normal circumstances Hick and Adams could be a dangerous pair. Hick’s own batting carried all the hallmarks of his flat-track bully mood: tough, hard and aggressive. The bowler knows he has been up against it when facing Hick in this mood.There was some swashbuckling slog from Vikram Solanki as well during the partnership with Craig White as they rattled along a 50 partnership off 33 balls. Not bad at all for a first game in the South African veld.

When Leeds United travel to Selhurst Park later next month to take on Crystal Palace, there will be one player in the opposition ranks whom the club will wonder what could have been.

Michael Olise has been one of the shining lights for the Eagles this season in the Premier League as they continue to push up the table, but he could have been playing for the white of Leeds had the Yorkshire club acted on their interest.

Reports back in January 2021 suggested that then manager Marcelo Bielsa was very interested in landing the France U21 international, but a deal failed to materialise.

Then, according to TEAMtalk in the summer, Ligue 1 champions Lille put their name into the hat to take the teenager back to his native France, with the French side battling Leeds for his signature.

Of course in the end, it was fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace who won the race for him, and it’s been a debut campaign in the top-flight that has surely left Leeds thinking ‘what if’.

With seven goals and 12 assists, Olise was an absolute revelation in the Championship for Reading last term, and it’s no surprise that he has earned so many reviews for both his performances and incredible technical ability.

His Reading team-mate Sam Baldock said early last year: “Michael is a real talent, he’ll get on the ball in any situation. He’s fearless, if you ask him today I’ll guarantee that he had no nerves. He’s a lively character and one who I’ve noticed a real change in the last couple of months.”

Hailed as “super talented” by Reading boss Veljko Paunović, Olise’s former Royals manager Jose Gomes added: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”

Signed for just £8m by Palace and becoming Patrick Vieira’s first signing in charge at Selhurst Park, the young Frenchman has come on leaps and bounds under the Arsenal Invincible, now being valued at a hefty £25m by CIES.

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This campaign has seen him score four goals and provide an impressive nine assists in just 26 games across all competitions, including registering goal contributions against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League.

The 5 foot 9 star is really making Leeds pay for not taking the leap of faith last year.

AND in other news – Forget Joffy: Marsch can get Leeds rocking by finally unleashing “phenomenal” 20 y/o