Manchester United
United players largely back Ruben Amorim despite tactical concerns
Most of the United squad still back Ruben Amorim despite tactical doubts and a poor start. Unsettled
Most of the Manchester United squad remain publicly supportive of Ruben Amorim, but unease is growing about his suitability for the role. Club officials have privately pledged their support to Amorim, whose position is not thought to be under immediate threat, and that stance is said to be shared by many inside the dressing room.
Reports in The Times highlight questions over his team selection and his refusal to alter his system, yet they add that Amorim retains significant backing from most players who accept the scale of the task. By contrast, the Daily Mail reports that players, while currently supportive of Amorim, are “losing confidence” after a disastrous start to the season.
United have been eliminated from the Carabao Cup and have suffered three defeats in five games across all competitions. A central source of concern inside the squad is Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, which is said to present problems for a group that was not built for that setup. More than £200 million (£272 million) was spent on new forwards, yet the club did not address midfield issues that, according to club legend Paul Scholes, should have been the top priority this summer.
There are also claims that club captain Bruno Fernandes has reservations about being deployed in a deeper midfield role, given his past success further forward on the pitch. Crucially, there are no indications of an imminent dressing room revolt; the squad have not lost faith in Amorim despite being led to their joint-worst start to a Premier League season ever.
An added dimension is reported interest from Benfica vice-presidential candidate Nuno Gomes, who has expressed admiration for the former Sporting CP coach. For now, the internal picture is one of guarded support mixed with growing tactical doubt as the results continue to disappoint.
Manchester United
De Ligt returns to Manchester United training as preseason nears its end
De Ligt’s return to training gives Manchester United a late preseason boost before the league starts.
Manchester United have been given a timely lift with Matthijs de Ligt back in first-team training, a sign that his eight-month spell on the sidelines is edging toward a conclusion.
The defender joined the squad for the first time on this leg of the club’s summer tour of northern Europe, which has already included stops in Finland, Norway and Sweden before the move to the Republic of Ireland. On Monday, he took part in the opening 15 minutes of training at a facility in Co. Kildare, after which he returned to his individual programme as the rest of the group stepped up the intensity.
That does not mean a match return is imminent, but it is still an encouraging stage in his recovery. With the 2026-27 Premier League campaign due to begin in just under two weeks, every player is now back with the squad in Ireland.
That includes those who had been away on post-World Cup breaks, along with De Ligt, Benjamin Šeško, and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow, all of whom were working at Carrington. JJ Gabriel has also rejoined the group after a brief spell away from the travelling party, while new winger Tynan Thompson has earned his first opportunity around the senior squad. The 18-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur with the hope of making a similar impression to Ayden Heaven, who moved from Arsenal in 2025.
Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens are back after illness kept them out of the trip to Gothenburg for the PSG match. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford trained on Monday after their time with England until the World Cup’s final weekend, and Lisandro Martínez arrived later that evening.
How Carrick shapes his defence for the opening weekend may depend on Martínez’s condition. Manchester United travel east across England to face Hull City on Aug. 22, and Martínez remains the club’s best left center back when fully fit, though he will have had limited time to rebuild after a delayed summer break.
That could open the door for Heaven alongside Harry Maguire. De Ligt, once fully ready, is expected to compete directly with Maguire for the right-sided role, with Leny Yoro also an option on that side because of his right foot.
Chelsea
Mourinho reveals he was once set for Ferguson’s Manchester United role
Mourinho says he was set to replace Ferguson at United before changing course to return to Chelsea instead.
José Mourinho has disclosed that he was initially due to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United in 2013, before changing course and returning to Chelsea.
The revelation adds a fresh layer to one of the most scrutinised managerial transitions in recent Premier League history. David Moyes was ultimately chosen to follow Ferguson at Old Trafford after being personally selected by the departing manager. The appointment earned Moyes the nickname “The Chosen One”, but it proved to be a short-lived reign, ending before he completed a full season as United struggled to maintain the standards of the Ferguson era.
For years, that decision has been viewed as a major misstep by Ferguson and the Manchester United hierarchy. Mourinho’s version of events now presents a different path, one in which he was the intended successor before the deal collapsed.
On the new Netflix series Mourinho, the current Real Madrid manager said: “When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”
Ferguson, who also appears in the docuseries, backed that account and described how close the arrangement came to being finalised.
“I sat him [Mourinho] down and explained the situation,” the 84-year-old claims. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”
Mourinho said he then reversed his decision and chose Chelsea, the club where he had already won two Premier League titles earlier in his career. Ferguson recalled the moment the change became clear: “One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says: ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word.’
“The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed.”
Mourinho explained the choice in emotional terms: “One thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club,” Mourinho reasoned as he explained his decision to choose Chelsea over United..
“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid , I needed to feel that I’m loved.
“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret [it] because it was a decision that I made with my heart.”
The disclosure leaves open the view that a different ending at Madrid might have altered Manchester United’s post-Ferguson years.
Manchester United
Rashford set for familiar shirt number after Manchester United return
Rashford is expected to return to Manchester United and take the vacant No. 14 shirt after
Marcus Rashford’s return to Manchester United brings an issue beyond the role he will be asked to play after 20 months away from the club. The 28-year-old left for Barcelona on loan last summer, with an option for the Catalans to make the move permanent for a fixed fee below market value, but few expected him to be back after only one season.
His old No. 10 shirt at Old Trafford has already gone to Matheus Cunha, meaning Rashford must choose again. According to Fabrizio Romano, the number he is expected to take is the vacant No. 14. It is the same shirt he wore at Barcelona, and the link appears to have carried weight for him after his spell there.
The No. 9 was also available, but No. 14 seems to be the preferred option. It is a number with a long history at United since fixed squad numbers were introduced in the Premier League in 1993.
United’s No. 14 has had 10 permanent holders, with Christian Eriksen the most recent before it was left open last season. Among the better-known names to wear it are Jesse Lingard and Javier Hernández, though the standout remains Andrei Kanchelskis. He was the first to wear No. 14 for the club in the division and went on to become a two-time Premier League champion. He also top-scored for United in the 1994-95 season with 15 goals in all competitions.
Fabrizio Romano also indicated that Rashford will be reintegrated into the Manchester United squad. The only exception would be an offer from a “top European club” during the final three weeks of the transfer window.
At present, there is little to suggest that such an offer will arrive. That leaves Rashford with a clear short-term task: re-establish himself at Manchester United, where he still has two years left on his contract.
