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Tottenham 2 Man City 1: Spurs miss chances but cling on to reach Cup quarters as they target first trophy in 17 years

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Tottenham 2 Man City 1: Spurs miss chances but cling on to reach Cup quarters as they target first trophy in 17 years

WHAT’S Catalan for ‘down to the bare bones’?

The old adage of former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp seems very fitting for Pep Guardiola now after his Manchester City side suffered more blows in this lost battle of the walking wounded.

CARABAO CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW LIVE

Timo Werner broke the deadlock for Ange Postecoglou's men

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Timo Werner broke the deadlock for Ange Postecoglou’s menCredit: Rex
It is Werner's first goal of the season after a number of missed chances

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It is Werner’s first goal of the season after a number of missed chancesCredit: Rex
Pape Matar Sarr made it two for the hosts with an accurate long-range strike

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Pape Matar Sarr made it two for the hosts with an accurate long-range strikeCredit: Rex
Sarr superbly curled his shot into the bottom corner

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Sarr superbly curled his shot into the bottom cornerCredit: Rex
Sarr was impressive as Spurs ground out the win over Manchester City

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Sarr was impressive as Spurs ground out the win over Manchester City
Spurs had to absorb a lot of pressure particularly in the second half

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Spurs had to absorb a lot of pressure particularly in the second half
Dejan Kulusevski received the Player of the Match award

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Dejan Kulusevski received the Player of the Match award

Savinho became the latest casualty as the Brazilian was forced off on a stretcher, leaving Guardiola with just ELEVEN fit outfield first-team players.

Manuel Akanji also picked up a problem in the warm-up, joining Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku, Oscar Bobb and Ballon D’Or winner Rodri on the treatment table.

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No wonder Guardiola, who had asked for a “good performance, but no more injuries please” ahead of the game, did not want to waste energy on this competition.

Now he will not have to as Tottenham earned a statement win thanks to Timo Werner ending his 12-game goal drought this term and a Pape Sarr stunner.

But it came at a cost for Ange Postecoglou’s men as they lost both Werner and Micky van de Ven to hamstring injuries, either side of a Matheus Nunes strike.

At least the hope of a first trophy in 16 years was kept alive for Spurs – as was Postecoglou’s promise of always winning silverware in his second season.

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City dominated the ball in the opening exchanges but it was Spurs who took an early lead thanks to Werner’s uncharacteristically clinical finish.

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Matheus Nunes pulled one back for Manchester City before half-time

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Matheus Nunes pulled one back for Manchester City before half-timeCredit: Reuters
Ange Postecoglou's pledge of a trophy in his second season received a big shot in the arm

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Ange Postecoglou’s pledge of a trophy in his second season received a big shot in the armCredit: PA

A clever flick from Brennan Johnson had set Dejan Kulusevski away down the right and when the Swede fired a ball across the box, Werner struck it first time past a helpless Stefan Ortega. 

The smile on his face, and those of his team-mates, showed the relief after such a long stint without scoring.

Man City star Savinho talks about his rise to football stardom

In contrast Van de Ven looked to be in tears as he was subbed off soon after after damaging his hamstring in a sliding challenge on Savinho.

Spurs shook off the blow and managed to double their lead midway through the half thanks to Sarr’s fantastic finish.

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It came from a smart short corner when Kulusevski exchanged passes with Werner and laid it back to Sarr who curled it home from the edge of the area.

The Malian was nicknamed Roberto Carlos as a kid on account of his long-range strikes.

This was more placement than power – but an effort Brazilian legend Carlos would have been proud of.

Guardiola had made six changes to his side, and though it still possessed plenty of quality, it was struggling to conjure up its usual creativity.

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The only negative for Spurs was Micky van de Ven went off injured

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The only negative for Spurs was Micky van de Ven went off injuredCredit: Alamy

Erling Haaland had been left on the bench with Phil Foden reprising his false nine role from the seasons prior to the Norwegian goal machine’s arrival.

As the first half wore on, England man Foden became more involved.

He was inches away from tapping home Nunes’ ball across the box and then hooked a difficult, but manageable, for him anyway, volley over the bar.

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Spurs were dropping deeper and ceding more and more possession, just hoping to get to the break with their two-goal lead intact.

Yet they could not hold out as in the fourth minute of stoppage time, livewire Savinho crossed for the equally-impressive Nunes to fire in at the far post. Game on.

Postecoglou was left shaking his head but it was fair cop, as the Aussie might say, given how his side had gone into their shells. 

The Spurs chief responded by taking off Sarr for Yves Bissouma at the break, while Mateo Kovacic was sent on for the disappointing Gundogan.

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Postecoglou’s side had a flurry of chances to restore their two-goal cushion early after the break.

Pep Guardiola's men were dumped out of the Carabao Cup

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Pep Guardiola’s men were dumped out of the Carabao CupCredit: Getty

First, lightning almost struck twice as Werner came so close to netting again when sent racing through by Dominic Solanke, but his left-footed strike shaded the wrong side of the post.

It was then Kulusevski’s turn to be sent haring into the box but his effort was turned away by Ortega, who had earlier denied Johnson too, before Werner then blasted over.

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Foden’s night was done before the hour but instead of Haaland, it was Bernardo Silva sent into action.

Seconds after the sub had been made, Savinho went down with what looked like a right ankle issue, seemingly after an innocuous challenge with Destiny Udogie.

It was so bad that the Brazilian had to come off on a stretcher, being replaced by rookie Jacob Wright.

Spurs were then hit by more injury woe as Werner pulled up with a hamstring issue but managed to hold out for the victory – helped massively by Bissouma’s goal-line clearance from Nico O’Reilly late on.

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Motorsports

Is Colapinto the answer to Red Bull’s $20 million Perez headache?

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Sergio Perez’s ongoing struggles in Formula 1 have left his Red Bull bosses facing a $20 million headache over what it does with him going forward.

Where once his lack of scoring was not much more than an annoyance, and only had an impact on the Mexican’s own drivers’ championship positions, things have got much more critical now that McLaren and Ferrari have stepped up.

Red Bull is quickly facing up to a reality that, with Perez not delivering the points hoped for, it now risks finishing third in the constructors’ championship this year if it does not quickly turn around the speed of its car.

Ferrari’s resurgent form, having taken back-to-back wins and double podiums in Austin and Mexico, has helped the Maranello squad join McLaren in overtaking early-season frontrunner Red Bull in the teams’ standings.

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McLaren is still out in front on 566, with Ferrari 29 points back on 537 – leaving Red Bull picking up third place on 512.

While Red Bull’s gap to those ahead of it is not mathematically insurmountable, with a lot of points still to play for, the reality is that Red Bull is barely holding on to the tailcoats of F1’s current two pacesetters – so has little hope of turning the situation around.

The current car performances are also why it is understood that there seems little to gain in pushing for a driver change before the end of the season, because nobody is going to be able to step in and be guaranteed to save its plight enough right now.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

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Ending up behind McLaren and Ferrari will have major consequences for Red Bull, because it well understands that F1’s prize money system is based entirely on constructors’ championship position. So, a third place finish to end the 2024 campaign, as opposed to winning it as looked highly likely in the early phase of the campaign, will be a big financial blow.

And should it come to the point of analysing why exactly – with championship positions worth around $10 million each – it has ended up with $20 million less than it had hoped for, it will have to look at the points that Perez left begging throughout the campaign.

It is this element that will also certainly dictate what Red Bull does when it comes to deciding who Max Verstappen’s team-mate will be next year.

Right now, all indications are that Liam Lawson will get the nod if he continues doing what he is doing. The New Zealander has shown strong form since returning to the F1 cockpit as the replacement for Daniel Ricciardo from the United States Grand Prix.

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Although he perhaps overstepped the mark of what was expected of him by clashing with Perez – and then showing him the finger – in Mexico last week, what he has also shown is that he is more than ready to get stuck in – a characteristic that Red Bull’s chiefs always want to see.

But Red Bull’s driver decision is not as simple as picking the best two candidates it can for the main team because it also has to factor in what goes on at sister squad RB. There is no point shifting all the good drivers to Red Bull for a constructors’ championship boost, if that then leaves RB with a line-up that drops it down the order.

A Lawson promotion to the top squad in 2025 could only really happen if it was sure that there was another strong candidate to slot in as team-mate to Yuki Tsunoda.

The obvious next driver in line coming up the Red Bull ranks is Isack Hadjar but, despite his strong season in F2, he would almost certainly benefit from a year of testing and development work to get himself up to speed with F1 before being thrust into what looks like a super-tight midfield battle for RB.

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Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

However, another interesting scenario emerged over the Mexico Grand Prix weekend, and that is of Red Bull trying to get Franco Colapinto out of Williams’ grasps to slot him in next year.

The Argentinean has made a big impression in F1 since Williams drafted him in from the Italian Grand Prix, scoring points and becoming a fan-favourite.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has raved about his performances, being quoted recently as saying he is “turning heads” and telling media in Mexico that he would not be doing his job if he hadn’t made enquiries about his availability.

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Sources have suggested that there is another key interest from Red Bull, and that is in tapping into the Latin American sponsor market, as interest in the region ramps up off the back of Colapinto’s form.

Red Bull had good knock-on sponsor benefits to having Perez on board, and there seems plenty of opportunity and interest from Argentinean sponsors already, with Williams certainly capitalising.

While Williams has said repeatedly it would like nothing more than seeing Colapinto land a race seat in F1 in 2025, there remain suggestions it may still want to keep hold of him as much as possible. That suggests any race seat for 2025 would be on a loan basis, rather than letting the youngster become a free agent.

From Red Bull’s perspective, however, this may be a deal breaker, as Marko admitted last weekend that it has no interest in taking someone on loan only to make them better for when they return to their original team.

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“The problem with him is that he has a long-term contract with Williams,” the Austrian told the Kleine Zeitung. “[Taking him on loan] is not interesting for any team. You do not want to train a driver for another team.”

It is a situation that seems quite fluid at the moment, and it is little wonder that Williams team boss James Vowles hinted at it being quite delicate when asked about what was going on with Colapinto and RB.

Speaking to F1 TV, Vowles said: “He [Colapinto] has earned his place on the grid, and what we want to help with that is finding him a place in that regard.

“What it looks like, I can’t tell you at the moment, because A, it’s very sensitive, and B, there’s really not a lot to discuss right now.”

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Exactly how things shake out with Red Bull’s driver line-up across both its teams for 2025 remains uncertain at the moment, but one thing is clear: it will not accept a $20 million prize money drop for the second year running.

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England v Samoa: Improved calendar offers hope to international game

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England v Samoa: Improved calendar offers hope to international game

England men’s football captain Harry Kane has 101 caps. His cricket counterpart Ben Stokes has played 107 Tests. Rugby union skipper Jamie George has worn the red rose 93 times.

It is little wonder England rugby league captain George Williams feels slightly short-changed – last Sunday, against Samoa, he made only his 18th international appearance, nine years after his debut.

While other sports have a schedule geared towards year-round competition on an international scale, with breaks set in the calendar in some cases, rugby league does not have that luxury.

“Personally I’d love to play a lot more – I love playing for England,” Williams told BBC Sport.

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“If you look at rugby union, I’m not sure how many exactly they play in a year but it’s a lot more than us.”

This year’s Test series with Samoa has highlighted the quality within the England ranks. With a decent turn out for the impressive 34-18 win at Wigan in game one and a bumper gate expected for the second meeting in Leeds this Saturday, there is genuine cause for optimism.

Yet there is the perennial frustration in the northern hemisphere – for England in particular – that competitive matches, those appetite-whetting encounters featuring the world’s best players, are so few and far between.

“There’s no disrespect to France, but if we want to compete in the World Cups, we need to be playing against the best nations more regularly,” Williams added.

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“Union is a bit more worldwide in that they’ve got Argentina and other nations that they can go to, but if we can try to get us to five to eight games a year, it would be brilliant.

“I’m not sure how that looks for Super League but I’m just talking as a player. I’d love to play for England a bit more.

“You see lads who have played for England rugby league for 10 years and they’ve still only got 20 caps – it’s crazy really. You see the football and the rugby union lads and they’ve got hundreds.”

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Who is Ruben Amorim, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate to become first Manchester United manager in INEOS era? 5 Points- The Week

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Who is Ruben Amorim, Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate to become first Manchester United manager in INEOS era? 5 Points- The Week

The bond between Liga Portugal’s Sporting CP keeps growing. After handing the English team two captains (Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes), Sporting have now agreed to let their manager Ruben Amorim  take over the teetering Premier League side. 

At 39, the former international teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo, is already a legend at Lisbon thanks to his immediate effect at Estádio José Alvalade after taking over in 2020. When Jurgen Klopp decided to bid farewell to Liverpool, Amorim was rumoured to be his replacement before Arne Slott was appointed. Amorim had maintained he remained fully committed to Sporting and didn’t intend to go to England. However, the story has changed after Erik Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United. According to reports, the Red Devils are set to pay €10m exit clause for Ruben Amorim to become new manager at Old Trafford. Sporting confirm also confirmed to having received formal communication from the English club. 

READ HERE | Era over! Manchester United sacks manager Erik ten Hag

Here are five things to know about  Ruben Amorim, the first MUFC manager in the INEOS era.

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1. Ruben Amorim is currently in charge of Liga Portugal side Sporting CP. He was roped in as the manager of the Lisbon-based side on March 4, 2020. At the time of the hiring, Amorim had only the experience of slightly over two months in charge of a top-flight club. Sporting reportedly paid €10 million for his services, the third-highest transfer fee for a manager in history!

2. His limited top-tier experience ahead of the Sporting assignment was with SC Braga, another esteemed top-tier club in Portugal. After being signed to manage the reserve team in 2019 September, he was asked to take over the senior team for the remainder of the season starting in December. With Amorim in charge, Braga won the Taca da Liga — the domestic league cup — and registered its first away win against Benfica in 65 years. His tenure with the ‘Os Arcebispos’ lasted 72 days before making a switch to Lisbon. 

ALSO READ | These THREE players are untouchable! Manchester United tell ‘new’ manager Ruben Amorim

3. After finishing fourth in the debut season, Ruben Amorim managed to bring the league trophy home — Sporting CP’s first Liga title in 19 years. The team tasted defeat just once throughout the campaign and six of its stars made it to the Primeira Liga Team of the Year! Ace ballers Nuno Santos, Pedro Porro, Joao Mario and Joao Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Nuno Mendes were among the stars that Sporting CP either bought or promoted from the academy during his tenure.

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4. The highlight of his second season was Sporting making it to the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen for the first time since the 2008–09 season and winning a third consecutive league cup final (the first one was with Braga). He is the fastest manager to win 50 games in the Primeira Liga.

5. During his playing days, Ruben Amorim was predominantly a midfielder who could also take up responsibilities on the wings or down the right. The Belenenses and Benfica player represented Portugal in the 2010 and 2014 editions of the FIFA World Cup and received time on the field during either edition. In August 2015, Benfica sent Amorim on a season-long loan to Al-Wakrah in Qatar. In April 2017, he terminated his contract with Benfica and announced retirement at the age of 32.

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FPL tips and team of week 10 – captain Mohamed Salah this week, pick Bukayo Saka and Rayan Ait-Nouri

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FPL tips and team of week 10 - captain Mohamed Salah this week, pick Bukayo Saka and Rayan Ait-Nouri


Matz Sels, Nottingham Forest, keeper, £4.6m – home to West Ham

The Belgian is on a nice run of form – with a surprise assist and a clean sheet in his past two games.

Forest are still top five in most defensive stats and have conceded just seven goals – the second-lowest total in the league.

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At home and with clean sheets in general at a premium, Sels makes sense.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, defender, £7m – home to Brighton

Last week, just three of 20 teams kept a clean sheet. The week before it was five – thanks in part to a 0-0 draw between Aston Villa and Manchester United.

In that context, picking the most attacking defensive asset in a home game is a simple choice, despite Brighton posing a decent forward threat.

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Alexander-Arnold is still miles ahead of any other defender in expected assists (3.05) and has just one. If you believe in those figures regressing to the mean – and I do – then “he’s due”.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, Wolves, defender, £4.6m – home to Crystal Palace

A very popular FPL pick at the moment and one flagged as a player to watch in this column three weeks ago.

Super attacking and budget friendly, Ait-Nouri has scored with three of his five shots on target and now has a run of fixtures where he could muster up a clean sheet to go with everything else.

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Leif Davis, Ipswich, defender, £4.5m – home to Leicester City

Looking at this week’s fixtures, it is hard to predict a clean sheet. So in comes another attacking full-back at home.

We’ve talked about Davis’ attacking stats before – he had a superb season in the Championship in 2023-24 and has a couple of assists already this time around.

Ipswich should be on the front foot, at home against relegation rivals, so expect plenty of attacking positions from Davis.

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Valencia MotoGP race should be cancelled on ethical grounds

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Spanish star Marc Marquez has led a call by MotoGP riders for the world championship finale not to be staged at Valencia amid the heavy flood damage to have hit the region.

The race is scheduled to be held in two weeks on 15-17 November at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. While the circuit itself is understood to have escaped major issues, there is heavy damage to at least one of the access roads.

Although repairing the local infrastructure is probably a viable option, the feeling in the paddock ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix is that the finale is in doubt. There is a question mark around the deployment of local emergency services, which may be required for ongoing relief efforts, as well as the moral aspect of racing so soon after a catastrophe that has resulted in many lives being lost.

While MotoGP released a statement on Wednesday saying it is “committed to holding the event on the scheduled date” and emphasised solidarity with the victims at this point, riders including Marquez offered clear positions during Thursday’s media interviews at Sepang.

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“Ethically speaking, I don’t think the Valencia Grand Prix should be held,” Marquez stated. “Now [the organisers] have to meet and decide, but [if it were up to me] I would have already decided: there would have to be another race, one to close the championship, but somewhere else.

“The only idea that would make sense would be if all the proceeds [from the event] went to the families [affected]…looking at the pictures from here, if money can be raised to help the people affected, then that would be the only logical option.

“As a Spaniard it is very difficult to see these images. We know that the area around the circuit has been badly damaged, but it doesn’t make sense to spend money on repairing that. Resources should go to helping people.”

Circuit Ricardo Tormo after flooding

Circuit Ricardo Tormo after flooding

Photo by: Paco Alcobendas

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Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro added that he would only be comfortable racing in Valencia if the event served as a fundraiser for the relief effort.

“Right now I think going there to race is the less important thing,” said Spain’s Espargaro, for whom the Valencia finale is scheduled to be a farewell before he heads into retirement.

“It’s not about the facilities. I think the facilities can be repaired. But the hospitals and the emergency [personnel deployment] are more important than to go there and do a sporting show.

“I think if we are able to go there and race, then somehow we have to help.

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“We can handle it in different ways. If we can give something back to Valencia, for example if we donate our prize money, I would do it 100%. Or [maybe] Dorna can find some [other] way to help them.  

“It’s a very difficult situation. Hopefully Dorna and the government in Spain will take the right decision.”

Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales did not go so far as to say the race should be cancelled, but echoed his countrymen as far as the moral aspect was concerned.

“We’re in Malaysia and we need to race, but our minds are in Valencia,” said Vinales. “Racing is an aside: we’re praying for everyone who lost their homes or people. Racing in Valencia is not a priority.”

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Man Utd transfer target Viktor Gyokeres ‘UNHAPPY with Ruben Amorim’ as boss prepares to quit Sporting to replace Ten Hag

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Man Utd transfer target Viktor Gyokeres ‘UNHAPPY with Ruben Amorim’ as boss prepares to quit Sporting to replace Ten Hag

RUBEN AMORIM’S expected move to Manchester United has not gone down well with two Sporting CP stars, reports suggest.

The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday and appointed assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager.

Ruben Amorim is expected to leave Sporting CP for Man Utd

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Ruben Amorim is expected to leave Sporting CP for Man Utd
However, this has left star striker Viktor Gyokeres upset after he stayed in Lisbon to play under Amorim

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However, this has left star striker Viktor Gyokeres upset after he stayed in Lisbon to play under AmorimCredit: Reuters

However, club bosses Ineos proved to be laser-focused in appointing the next permanent manager, with two-time league winner Amorim set to take charge.

United have indicated they are willing to pay the 39-year-old’s £8.3million release clause, but have been told to cough up a further £4m to take his coaching staff as well.

SunSport exclusively revealed that idol and former tutor Jose Mourinho encouraged him to take the job.

Tuesday night saw Amorim’s Sporting side win 3-1 over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup.

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But come Wednesday, not all was as it seemed with O Jogo reporting that star striker Viktor Gyokeres had been left unhappy with Amorim’s upcoming exit.

The Swede has become one of Europe’s top strikers under Amorim, and scored in Tuesday’s 3-1 win, but was “enticed” to stay in Portugal to continue working with the “Special One 2.0”.

However, both the 26-year-old and Danish star Morten Hjulmand have been left irritated by the Amorim news after turning down interest from elsewhere, including from Man Utd.

Speaking to SportTV, ex-Coventry ace Gyokeres said: “He’s here and that’s what I’m focused on, let’s see what happens. He’s still here, so I’m not going to wear myself out.”

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Amorim was asked about player instability regarding his move at his press conference.

He replied: “If I haven’t even left Sporting yet. What I say is that, when everything is decided, I will come here to explain everything. At this moment, everything I can say to a Sporting fan. It is obvious that they are revolted about the situation.

Watch Sporting Lisbon fan reveal how you’ve been pronouncing incoming Man Utd manger Ruben Amorim’s name all wrong

“Because they have a lot of affection for me. They believe a lot in my work. And love is very close. It’s not really hateful. But we know what football is like. I realize that.

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“People have to feel what they have to feel at this moment, I have nothing to say about it and I think it’s perfectly natural. What I am saying is that now I cannot say anything definitive or definitive.

“And I’ll be able to say that. If I have the opportunity, and I should, I’m sure I will, I’ll explain here, step by step, why I decided one thing or another. I don’t want to give hope to anyone, nor stop giving hope.

“What I say is that there was the club’s situation. The communication had to come out on this day that there is a game. The feeling in the stadium that Pedro had, I had.

“I can see that my players, when they go to a lecture, are not the same. This is part of our life and we know what these situations are like. We have been through in the past.

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Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd

WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.

Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.

But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.

Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.

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He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. 

The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.

And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.

Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.

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Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.

United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”

And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.

For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.

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“What I say is that a club has appeared that wants to pay my clause. And I don’t control that. When the plane came, I might not have caught the plane. It’s true.

“I thought the championship was already won. I couldn’t say that at the time, but now I do. In this situation, there are things that I do not control.

“What I control is that I’m going to say and I’m going to explain everything here. And I’ll explain my decision. That’s it. But I need to have everything defined. Players do not need to make any requests.

“I know what the players want. I know what the players feel. Now, it’s time to get ready to work.”

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Asked about the likes of Gyokeres in particular, he added: “First, no player was offered the clause [to leave mid-season]. And that doesn’t change. There is no more stability than that.

Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting on a high

By Charlie Wyett

RUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.

Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.

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Sporting won 3-1 thanks to  second-half goals by captain  Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.

Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.

The stadium  will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for  a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.

Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.

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Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39,  could not turn  down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.

There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.

Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.

Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.

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And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.

So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.

This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.

They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.

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In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.

Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.

There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards.

He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.

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While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.

It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the  coming months.

But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change.

“It’s easy to say, only someone leaves here because of the clause. Then, it wasn’t Viktor who said that. He was Viktor’s agent. They are different people.

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“I will not be talking about the decision or non-decision. I’ll explain everything. What will force one way or the other, that doesn’t matter now. I’ll explain everything.

“Now, speaking of that part, the club only lets assets be sold in the middle of the season, it seemed to me, it was always that rule, by the clause.

“No player had proposals for the clause. None. In this respect, the project is not weakened because the rules remain. And the coherence remains.”

Despite reports initially claiming Amorim could be in charge as soon as this Sunday’s clash against Chelsea, The Guardian report there is a 30-day notice period before the switch can officially happen.

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The Red Devils play six games in that period before hosting Everton at Old Trafford on December 1 in what could be Amorim’s first game in charge.

In the meantime, United beat Leicester 5-2 in the League Cup on Wednesday, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro both grabbing a brace while Alejandro Garnacho also got on the scoresheet.

It was a stark contrast even to the West Ham game on Sunday, as Ten Hag’s squad struggled to get the ball in the net. A fact that ultimately cost the Dutchman his job.

Man Utd ratings vs Leicester

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MAN UNITED started life after Erik ten Hag with a comfortable win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

But who shone in the 5-2 victory, and who will be hoping incoming boss Ruben Amorim wasn’t watching?

SunSport’s Katherine Walsh gives her ratings…

Altay Bayindir – 6

Although United dominated, Bayindir looked shaky when Leicester’s chances came.

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He flapped with a dodgy punch which led to the away side’s 33rd minute goal. And he looked to repeat it with McAteer’s shot just before half-time.

But one excellent second half save, pushed on to the crossbar, when Steve Cooper’s side were pressing, boosts his mark up a bit.

Victor Lindelof – 6

Hasn’t got the partnership with De Ligt established yet as they both failed to deal with crosses too often from centre-back.

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But wasn’t really troubled consistently in the absence of Jamie Vardy in what was his second start of the season.

Matthijs De Ligt – 7

A more physical presence at the back than in previous performances but a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.

Kasey McAteer got the better of him a few times and he was subbed in the 71st minute for Jonny Evans.

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Lisandro Martinez – 6

Looked vulnerable at left-back in moments, with Lindelof filling in at centre-back.

James Justin often had acres of space in the second half before United made it 5-2.

Diogo Dalot

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Back in his beloved right-hand side and told to push into midfield but often left his defensive channel wide open.

Passed back all too often and kept Justin onside in the first half.

He assisted Garnacho’s opener though after collecting Casemiro‘s stunning lofted pass.

Played a part in Leicester’s second after the ball bounced off him to drop for Coady in another silly goal to concede for the home side.

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Casemiro – 9

The star of the show. A stunning first-half showing saw Casemiro score a brace after bagging a 30-yard screamer for United’s opening goal inside 15 minutes.

He was involved in Garnacho’s goal too. Came up with a number of key defensive headers in the second-half to show class is permanent, although form might be temporary at 32 years old.

Manuel Ugarte – 6

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Conceded early fouls but worked hard. Slowly but surely starting to get to grips with his United team-mates after a shaky start.

Bruno Fernandes – 8

Restored United’s 3-1 lead with his first finish of the season. Played with a smile on his face, which we often haven’t seen this season.

Dummied the ball for Casemiro’s worldie and scored his second of the evening in the 57th minute after rolling it under Danny Ward before tapping it into an empty net.

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Will be leaned on heavily by Van Nistelrooy to produce the goods following Ten Hag’s departure.

Marcus Rashford – 6

A quiet evening for Rashford, who needs to kick on after Ten Hag’s exit.

The winger lost the ball a lot in the first 30 minutes. Flicks didn’t come off and hauled off again in the 60th minute.

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Rashford’s only played a full 90 minutes THREE times this season.

Alejandro Garnacho – 7

A goal and assist for Garnacho, who attended the Ballon d’Or on Monday.

The 20-year-old doubled United’s lead inside 27 minutes after a well worked team move and set up Casemiro’s brilliant opener.

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Looked a constant threat throughout and was taken off 20 minutes from time to be saved for Sunday’s clash against Chelsea.

Joshua Zirkzee – 4

Worked hard but never looked confident on the ball and struggled to get involved in the seven-goal thriller. Never seemed to be on his toes either.

But the only consolation is that he was involved in Casemiro’s second (United’s fourth).

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Trudged off after 85 minutes looking disgruntled with his tail between his legs.

Subs

Amad (60′ for Rashford) – 7

Instant impact from the bench. The youngster almost scored an overhead kick with his first touch of the evening.

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Mazraoui (60′ for Martinez) – 6

Hojlund (71′ for Garnacho) – 6

Jonny Evans (71′ for De Ligt) – 6

Ethan Wheatley (85′ for Zirkzee) – N/A

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