It will be an abomination – Sir Alex Ferguson names the team he does not want to see win the league
Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has named the team he does not want to see win the league this season, according to Metro. In the English top-flight, the Premier League, the title race is intense among Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal, as only 10 fixtures remain this season. Real Madrid leads the table in Spain, while Paris Saint-Germain is ahead in France, and Inter Milan tops Serie A in Italy. The Bundesliga might witness a surprise champion as Bayer Leverkusen, managed by Xabi Alonso, holds a 10-point lead over Bayern Munich in Germany.
Sir Alex Ferguson, has said he does not want Bayern Munich to win the league title this season. The Bundesliga could see a surprise champion in May, with Bayer Leverkusen currently 10 points ahead of Bayern in second place. Ferguson is keen to see Xabi Alonso’s men win the title ahead of the German champions.
Ferguson is keen to see Thomas Tuchel’s side miss out on the top-flight title in Germany as he told the Eintracht Frankfurt website: ‘I always hope to see the underdog win. ‘Bayern fans may not agree with that, but like all the neutral fans in Germany, I really hope to see someone else win the league again.’
Walcott reveals what he likes about this Man Utd star
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in a recent statement dropped a comment about Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
The former Arsenal star disclosed his love for Garnacho after his display in the Red Devils’ FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday.
Recall that the Red Devils won 4-3 against Jurgen Klopp’s led Liverpool side at Old Trafford over the weekend.
Garnacho put on an impressive display, setting up Amad Diallo’s dramatic late winner.
Speaking about the Argentine, Walcott said (via TBR Football): “The thing about Garnacho I always like is he always gets into spaces where it is hard to pick him up.
“He makes runs off the ball, but not just that, it is his end product as well. There’s this passion that he shows. He is always available for the ball. He always keeps the full-back guessing. He always creates so much space for himself.”
Manchester United fans sends a warning message to England manger Gareth Southgate clear
The future of Man United manager Erik ten Hag is uncertain and Gareth Southgate has been linked to replacing him.
Gareth Southgate is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
It doesn’t take much money to shift the bookies’ manager markets, but Southgate is now their front-runner for the job following a report claiming he is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s priority target.
That hasn’t gone down well with the majority of United fans, who don’t want to see Southgate manage at Old Trafford after his tenure with England. The 53-year-old hasn’t won a trophy in his managerial career and he relegated Middlesbrough in his last club job.
Ratcliffe has said all the right things since acquiring a minority stake and appointing Southgate would be his most controversial decision yet, so what do our writers think?
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They have given their thoughts on the links to Southgate below…
Steven Railston
It seems fans are split on whether Ten Hag should leave at the end of the season, but even those who’d prefer him to part ways would rather he stay over appointing Southgate.
Southgate simply does not have the credentials to manage United and his last experience of club management saw Middlesbrough relegated from the Premier League.
Although he’s done an excellent job with England, the demands of international management are different and success in that realm often doesn’t translate into club football. Southgate has been perfect for the England job because of his personality. He is a statesmanlike figure, he speaks well on issues in football and wider society and he spent three years as the Three Lions Under-21 manager, so he understood how nuanced the job was.
However, England’s squad is stacked with attacking quality and Southgate’s approach to games is often pragmatic, overly cautious and defensive, which wouldn’t work at United. Southgate is not the right manager to replace Ten Hag. You must win trophies at United and the bottom line is he’s never won silverware.
Dom Booth
Southgate isn’t a popular name with United fans. There’s a general consensus among them that if the club are to replace Ten Hag in the managerial hotseat, they should seek a truly elite name in world football. The problem is, who fits the bill? The really big names are all either occupied in jobs, associated with United’s fierce rivals or seem ill-suited to the Old Trafford job. So why not Southgate?
What holds back his case, of course, is his lack of big club experience. Southgate’s credentials in the Premier League are thin to say the least. But as a statesman and a figurehead, he ticks all the boxes and you can actually see him galvanising players and getting them to enjoy the responsibility that comes with the United shirt, in the same way that he’s made players relish playing for England.
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It might be an unpopular opinion, but Southgate could be a decent fit in Ratcliffe’s new-look United regime – so long as the club make the right appointments in terms of his support staff. He can handle the pressure of United, he’d get the best out of players but tactically he’s more akin to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer than Pep Guardiola.
George Smith
As someone who recently said United should stick with Ten Hag for at least one more season, the prospect of Southgate replacing him is underwhelming. If Ratcliffe does decide to pull the trigger on the Dutchman, Southgate would not be considered an upgrade – and that is not a direct criticism of him.
I am one of Southgate’s biggest supporters, constantly finding myself backing him when others have called for him to be sacked as England boss. I think he has done a terrific job on the international stage, resurrecting the country’s interest in the national team over the last few years.
However, Southgate is a pragmatic coach, often playing it a little bit too safe. That outlook is unlikely to be welcomed by United supporters, who turn up at Old Trafford expecting to be entertained.
Of course, Southgate has done a good job with England, but international management is very different to managing at club level. Furthermore, the 53-year-old has not managed a club since 2009. All in all, if Ratcliffe does decide to sack Ten Hag and head down a different path, it needs to be made to feel worthwhile. Appointing Southgate would lead to negativity and criticism that can be avoided.
Tom Doyle
There is no doubt that Southgate has done an impressive job with England, but United is a very different beast. Southgate has one of the most talented squads in the game to pick from at England, but that will not be the case at United until Sir Jim Ratcliffe has the club’s finances in order.
Southgate has a strong working relationship with Dan Ashworth from their time at the FA and Ashworth is Ratcliffe’s No.1 candidate to become United’s first sporting director. Ratcliffe’s recent comments on United looking for the “next Mbappe” rather than signing the PSG superstar himself point towards a more measured approach to transfers for the short-term, with the focus on ensuring the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo flourish – and have like-minded teammates of a similar age profile to build a core around.
Southgate boasts impressive man-management skills and the ability to instil a playing identity in a young group of players, which would align with such an approach.
Still, it is difficult to shake the doubts over Southgate’s tactical ability as an in-game coach. His time as England manager is defined by near misses, of what could have been had Southgate decided to twist rather than stick against the likes of Italy, Croatia and France. United is a club in flux, but very much defined by the famous chant from the Stretford End: “Attack! Attack! Attack!” Does Southgate have the force of personality and the cast-iron belief to make bold decisions in the heat of the moment?
Southgate may have to win the Euros to convince United fans he has the stomach for a job that has chewed up and spat out the likes of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.
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