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Supercomputer predicts Man Utd to have worst-ever finish
Manchester United have been tipped for their worst-ever Premier League finish by a supercomputer.
The Red Devils have endured their worst start to the season after picking up just eight points from their opening seven games.
They have broken the record they set only last year, and are 14th in the table following a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.
Erik ten Hag is under increasing pressure with United appearing to have got even worse after recording their worst-ever Prem finish last season.
They finished eighth in the previous campaign with 60 points, yet look unlikely to even manage that this time around.
A supercomputer run by Grosvenor Sport predicts United will be even worst this term and will end up ninth on just 55 points, behind the likes of Brentford.
They are expected to lose an astonishing 15 games, managing just one win more to leave them a staggering 19 points off the top four.
A predicted final goal difference of zero also reveals what a dire season United could be in for.
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Flying Dutchman
ERIK TEN HAG has jetted off on holiday — as he is confident Manchester United will not sack him during the international break, writes Martin Blackburn.
United are off to their worst start in 35 YEARS under the Dutchman, with just eight points from seven games to leave them 14th in the table.
His future is certain to be discussed at the next meeting of United executives — including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe — in London.
But it is understood Ten Hag spoke to Old Trafford’s top brass following Sunday’s goalless draw at Aston Villa and did not get the impression he was facing the chop.
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ICYMI - 'Tuchel would be perfect'
BetMGM ambassador and renowned TV presenter Laura Woods believes Thomas Tuchel is the ideal replacement for Erik ten Hag should Manchester United choose to sack the Dutch coach.
Woods said: “I don’t like calling for a manager’s head as we really don’t know what is going on behind the scenes at Old Trafford, but, if they did decide to move on from Ten Hag, then get Thomas Tuchel back in the Premier League!
“It’s been too long. I love him as a coach and a character and I think he’d be perfect for Manchester United.
“He’s a bit of a maverick and, although his appointment might not last more than a couple of seasons, I bet he’d get them closer to winning something than they currently are.”
Credit: Rex
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ICYMI - Ruud on 'standby'
Ruud van Nistelrooy is “on standby” to take over from Erik ten Hag as Man Utd caretaker boss, according to reports.
The Dutchman, 48, joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff in the summer.
According to The Guardian, Ten Hag’s fate will be decided at a routine board meeting in London later today.
They add that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox will be present at the crucial meeting.
Should they decide to sack Ten Hag, it’s claimed that Van Nistelrooy would be the prime candidate to take over as caretaker.
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ICYMI - United chiefs at OT
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was spotted heading into Old Trafford with chairman Joel Glazer on Monday amid speculation over the future of manager Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils played out a goalless draw at Aston Villa on Sunday in their final match before a two-week international break – with Ratcliffe and other Man Utd bosses watching on from the stands.
He is set for showdown talks with club chiefs, including co-chairman Glazer, in London later today.
SunSport understands their trip today is for various meetings, with Glazer attending one with the Fans’ Advisory Board.
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More on Mainoo injury
Kobbie Mainoo Ezri Konsa and Morgan Gibbs-White have all withdrawn from England's upcoming Uefa Nations League squad.
The Three Lions host Greece at Wembley on Thursday, before heading to Finland on Sunday, in Lee Carsley's second round of fixtures.
The trio drop out after sustaining injuries for their respective clubs over the weekend in what is a triple injury blow for Carsley's new-look side.
Konsa, 26, suffered a hamstring injury and left the pitch just 12 minutes into Villa's goalless draw with Manchester United.
And Gibbs-White, 24, was removed after 76 minutes of Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
But Mainoo played 85 minutes at Old Trafford on Sunday before he was replaced by Casemiro.
It comes as a further blow for under-fire boss Erik ten Hag who also lost the services of Harry Maguire, who left Villa Park in a plastic boot.
Maguire was dropped from Carsley's squad after featuring in September and Mainoo has been carrying a knock for some time.
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Noussair Mazraoui latest
Amid the speculation surrounding Erik ten Hag's future, there has been an update on Noussair Mazraoui's status.
The full-back, 26, was withdrawn at half-time during Man Utd's 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday.
After the game, Ten Hag admitted that'd be been forced to take the Moroccan off, and that there would be a further diagnosis on Monday.
Following that diagnosis, Mazraoui has now withdrawn from the Morocco squad.
He had been due to join up with his country for matches against the Central African Republic.
United will now be sweating on Mazraoui's fitness for their clash with Brentford after the international break.
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BREAKING - Mainoo withdraws from squad
Kobbie Mainoo has withdrawn from the England squad due to injury.
The midfielder, 19, was the only Man Utd player called up by Three Lions caretaker boss Lee Carsley.
After suffering an injury against Aston Villa, Mainoo has pulled out of the England squad alongside international team-mates Ezri Konsa and Morgan Gibbs-White.
United will now sweat on his fitness for their next match against Brentford at Old Trafford.
It remains to be seen whether Erik ten Hag will be in the dugout or not.
Credit: Rex -
Tuchel on Man Utd pressure
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been linked with the Manchester United job, following the poor start to the season endured by Erik ten Hag's men.
The German, 51, has previously commented on the scrutiny placed upon United managers.
He said last season: "There is always a lot of noise around Manchester United. A lot of pundits in the UK are from Manchester United.
"You have a legacy from Alex Ferguson which creates expectations around the club."
Credit: Getty
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Sir Jim's Man Utd stance
Ahead of the crunch Man Utd board meeting set to take place in London tomorrow, let's remind ourselves of what Sir Jim Ratcliffe had to say when interviewed last week.
The INEOS chief, 71, admitted: "I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik, I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call.
“It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.
"But that team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July.
"They weren’t there in January, February, March or April – Omar, Dan, they only arrived in July."
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More on Van Nistelrooy
Upon claims that Ruud van Nistelrooy is "waiting in the wings" to be Man Utd caretaker boss, let's take a look at his managerial career to date.
In 2013, the former striker began his coaching career with PSV's Under-17s.
He eventually worked his way up the ranks at the Dutch club, with a further stint in charge of their Under-19s.
During this time, he also assisted Netherlands managers Guus Hiddink and Ronald Koeman.
In 2021 he took charge of Jong PSV, essentially PSV's reserve side.
After 11 wins, 11 draws and 18 defeats at the helm, he was promoted to first team boss in May 2022.
He won 33 of his 51 games in charge, only losing eight - and won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shielf.
Van Nistelrooy left his post with one game remaining of the 2022-23 season, however, due to boardroom disagreements.
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Man Utd legend 'on standby'
Ruud van Nistelrooy is "on standby" to take over from Erik ten Hag as Man Utd caretaker boss, according to reports.
The Dutchman, 48, joined Ten Hag's coaching staff in the summer.
According to The Guardian, Ten Hag's fate will be decided at a routine board meeting in London tomorrow.
They add that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox will be present at the crucial meeting.
Should they decide to sack Ten Hag, it's claimed that Van Nistelrooy would be the prime candidate to take over as caretaker.
Credit: AP -
Shearer on Ten Hag comments
Premier League legend and Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer believes that Erik ten Hag didn't help himself with his post-match comments yesterday.
The under-fire United boss, 54, pointed to his side's defensive record following their 0-0 bore-draw at Aston Villa.
Referencing Ten Hag's comments while appearing The Rest is Football, Shearer said: "In the grand scheme of things, going away to Villa and keeping a clean sheet, you look at it and think, 'okay, yep, acceptable, good result,' given their league positions.
"But what he says after the game... I really don't think he helps himself now and again when he says about 'we're going in the right direction.'
"They were 13th before the weekend and they're now 14th!"
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United ratings vs Villa
Jonny Evans showed his class in Manchester United's goalless draw with Aston Villa.
However, it was a frustrating afternoon for Alejandro Garnacho on Sunday.
Here are SunSport's full United player ratings.
Man Utd player ratings vs Villa: Evans rolls back the years with Garnacho let down
MANCHESTER UNITED eased the pressure slightly on boss Erik ten Hag with a hard-grafted stalemate at in-form Aston Villa.
United looked much more solid defensively after Ten Hag rung the changes - though the Red Devils still have just eight points from seven Prem games.
Here's how SunSport's Graeme Bryce rated 14th-placed United rated at Villa Park on Sunday.
ANDRE ONANA - 7
Guilty of sloppy distribution once or twice but his hands were safe enough and he did well to beat away a piledriver from Youri Tielemans to keep United on level terms.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI - 6
Managed to contain Jaden Philogene comfortably enough in the first 45 minutes but failed to appear for the second half and was replaced by Victor Lindelof.
HARRY MAGUIRE - 6
Booked for a high forearm challenge on Ollie Watkins but his afternoon ended at half-time after he appeared to jar his knee defending a corner.
JONNY EVANS - 9
Handled Ollie Watkins well in the first 45 and showed all his experience to deal with the twin threat of Watkins and Jhon Duran for the final half hour. Rolled back the years with a five-star display to earn his Man of the Match rating.
DIOGO DALOT - 7
Sat in and rarely got forward but snuffed out the threat of Leon Bailey and was tidy enough. Crucial block to deny Philogene a stoppage time winner.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN - 7
Used all his experience to plug any gaps in United's carefully constructed midfield. Dealt with the threat from Morgan Rogers well.
KOBBIE MAINOO - 7
Nothing flashy from the England midfielder who had his work cut out preventing Youri Tielemans carrying out his magic.
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO - 6
Fired in a first-half shot which Emi Martinez dealt with comfortably but shot hopelessly wide a couple of times after the break. Sloppy finishing let him down.
BRUNO FERNANDES - 8
United's skipper only played after his red card against Spurs was overturned on appeal.
Kept his cool here to avoid a third red card in three games - came closest for United with a free kick which crashed off the Villa crossbar.
MARCUS RASHFORD - 7
Taken off at half-time in Oporto and taken off after 64 minutes to save himself a second yellow card here!
Looked United's likeliest match-winner after forcing an early save from Martinez before bringing the best out in the Argentine World Cup winner with a sizzling effort which the 'keeper tipped over. Booked for a foul on Cash.
RASMUS HOJLUND - 6
Put himself about and was involved in the clash which led to Ezri Konsa limping off. But lacked service and was replaced by Zirkzee just beyond the hour mark. Below par.
SUBS
MATTHIJS DE LIGT for Maguire (46 minutes) - 5 - Conceded a few fouls in dangerous areas. Still finding his feet.
VICTOR LINDELOF for Mazraoui (46 mins) - 6 - First appearance since March but fitted in well as a stand-in right-back. Booked for a foul on Morgan Rogers.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE for Hojlund (64 mins) - 5 - Miles off the pace, failed to make any impact.
ANTONY for Rashford (64 mins) - 6 - Brought out the best in Emi Martinez with a curler which was heading for the top bin until the keeper plucked it out of mid-air.
CASEMIRO for Mainoo (85 mins) - 6 - Helped see out the match for United.
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‘Tuchel would be perfect for Manchester United’
BetMGM ambassador and renowned TV presenter Laura Woods believes Thomas Tuchel is the ideal replacement for Erik ten Hag should Manchester United choose to sack the Dutch coach.
Woods said: “I don’t like calling for a manager’s head as we really don’t know what is going on behind the scenes at Old Trafford, but, if they did decide to move on from Ten Hag, then get Thomas Tuchel back in the Premier League!
“It’s been too long. I love him as a coach and a character and I think he’d be perfect for Manchester United.
“He’s a bit of a maverick and, although his appointment might not last more than a couple of seasons, I bet he’d get them closer to winning something than they currently are.”
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United's next five
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Zirkzee slammed
Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has been criticised following their 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.
The Dutchman has scored once in 10 appearances since signing from Bologna in the summer.
Former Scotland international Craig Burley has not been impressed, though, telling ESPN: “But they say that’s another clean sheet, after losing the amount of goals they did last week, after losing the amount of goals they did in Porto, after signing all these players in the summer and leaving them on the bench.
“Some of the signings have been absolutely horrendous. Hojlund hasn’t worked out obviously, we’ve talked about Zirkzee. My god, he’s never a Man United player.”
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More from Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel believes Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are Manchester United's best centre-back pairing.
The duo were thrown in for Sunday's clash with Aston Villa, keeping a clean sheet in the goalless draw.
Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He started Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans and I've said this for a long, long time - they are the best two centre-backs that we've got.
"For some reason, Maguire has upset the world. I don't get that.
"The only reason I believe Evans isn't playing every game is that he picks up injuries. There is no issue in terms of his consistency. He was absolutely outstanding."
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BREAKING: United chiefs arrive
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been spotted heading into Old Trafford with chairman Joel Glazer amid speculation over the future of manager Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils played out a goalless draw at Aston Villa on Sunday in their final match before a two-week international break - with Ratcliffe and other Man Utd bosses watching on from the stands.
Now Ratcliffe who is in charge of the football operations at the club, has been seen at Old Trafford on Monday alongside fellow owner Glazer.
He is set for showdown talks with club chiefs, including co-chairman Glazer, in London on Tuesday.
SunSport understands their trip today is for various meetings, with Glazer attending one with the Fans' Advisory Board.
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Rotation 'doesn't make sense'
Peter Schmeichel has question Erik ten Hag's team selection against Aston Villa.
The Manchester United manager made four changes for Sunday's 0-0 draw at Villa Park.
Reacting to the team selection, Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live that the constant rotation "doesn't make a lot of sense".
He added: "Last season there were so many injuries, so it was difficult for him to play a consistent 11. But now he's got all players fit and he still makes those changes."
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Dominos dig
Dominos have poked fun at Erik ten Hag with an advert outside Old Trafford.
The pizza chain placed a van outside Manchester United's home ground displaying a message for the Red Devils boss.
Alongside an image of a glum-looking Ten Hag, it read: "We're hiring (not you Erik)."
A snap of the van was also shared to the company's X account, along with the message: "You need the right people for the top jobs."
Credit: X / @Dominos_UK
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United's next five
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Ten Hag's 'new job'
Manchester United fans have been left in stitches after spotting a brilliant Erik ten Hag lookalike.
Supporters are convinced the under-fire boss has already started a new job after spotting his double on the sidelines during the Villa game
As Diogo Dalot took a throw-in, Sky Sports cameras picked up a ball boy with an incredible resemble to Ten Hag.
The man had an identical beard and the same bald look as the Dutchman.
And fans found it hilarious, with one saying: "Ten Hag's twin brother."
Another added: "He has already found a new job."
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Ten Hag 'did not help himself'
Erik ten Hag did not do himself any favours with his post-match comments, according to Alan Shearer.
The Manchester United boss looked at the positives as he praised his team following their 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.
Reacting on The Rest is Football podcast, though, Shearer said: "In the grand scheme of things, going away to Villa and keeping a clean sheet, you look at it and think, 'okay, yep, acceptable, good result,' given their league positions.
"But what he says after the game... I really don't think he helps himself now and again when he says about 'we're going in the right direction.'
"They were 13th before the weekend and they're now 14th!"
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More from Scholes
Paul Scholes also hit out at Erik ten Hag's "survival tactics" following Manchester United's draw with Aston Villa.
He told SuperSport: "When you don't have a style of play and you don't know how to play, or the way you want to play, it's very difficult to choose players.
"When you don't have a style of play and it changes from week to week, you're almost throwing balls in the air and saying: 'He looks a good player, we'll try and get him'.
"It's a point for United, going to a tough ground under a lot of pressure.
"I never really felt like they went there to try and win the game. It was more of a survival tactic more than anything.
"But from everything we said before the game, United were quite tough to play against.
"But you have to take into account the midweek fixtures. Villa had a big lift from Bayern Munich, winning that game, big atmosphere.
"They struggled to really live up that today. You could see they probably suffered a bit.
"For Manchester United, it's difficult to go away in Europe on Thursday night and it was a tough game against Porto with ten-men, so I think the game probably reflected the midweek that both clubs had."