Manchester United
Maguire Backs Amorim’s System as Manager Stands Firm
Maguire defends Amorim’s 3-4-2-1; Amorim refuses to change his system before Chelsea visit Saturday.
Harry Maguire has pushed back against the idea that Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 is the cause of Manchester United’s early-season difficulties, arguing that the responsibility lies with the players rather than the formation.
The three-at-the-back approach is not new to the Premier League; Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace have adopted similar systems and Antonio Conte won the 2016–17 title with Chelsea in a 3-4-3. Maguire suggested the shape has become an easy target because results have not followed.
“I think the formation is an easy one to go at, because we’re playing something a little bit different to everybody else,” he told Sky Sports . “For me, it just became an easy one to go at when the results don’t work.
“The formation has been fine. Like I said, box to box we been pretty comfortable in every game. Tactically we’ve been comfortable in every game, it’s got to be down to the players. The players have got to take their moments, they’ve got to make the difference in those moments.
“I think this season, the first four games, we just haven’t done them ‘moments’ well enough. And like I said, we haven’t defended in our box well enough in the big moments. Every time the opposing team comes near the box, it ends up in the back of the net, which is something we need to work on.
“But I think the formation is just an easy one to dig out because we’ve not been winning football matches. The formation is not a set formation, everyone says ‘3’ or ‘5’ but in a lot of phases of the game, we play a back four.
“We’ve been happy since the manager has come in. It’s an easy one to dig out, but it’s down to the players to execute. And if you’re a good player, you can play in any formation.”
Amorim, meanwhile, has been unequivocal that he will not abandon his tactical approach and said he will only make changes as part of a process rather than in reaction to pressure ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford.
“No one, not even the Pope will change [me],” Amorim stressed. “This is my job, this is my responsibility, this is my life. So, I will not change that.
“There will be an evolution, but we need to make all the good steps. If I’m a player and I have a coach that, with a lot of pressure and all around the world they are saying, ‘You need to change the system’—if I change in this moment, the players will look at me in a different way.
“When you think about the impact that any decision is going to have on the team, everything is important. So, I will say the same thing: this will have to be an evolution. I’m doing things my way. Some guys do it in a different way, but it [results] will change. I hope to have the time to change, but they will change. I’m just trying to win games, trying to see what is the best option to win the next game.
“I’m trying to get the best connections to play better and, in the end, to win points. It’s about belief, confidence, aggression, it’s everything. And sometimes, what we call luck means we will play the game with more belief. Sometimes, with us, I feel the opposite. We are playing well, but something is going to go wrong in some moments. We need to change that, but it’s just with wins.
“I can do whatever, but if you look at the goals against [Manchester] City and Fulham, all these moments can be stopped. In all these moments, I think we can do better. It’s our fault. So we work on that during the week to improve.”
Arsenal
Premier League’s longest-serving managers and the rapid reset shaping 2026/27
A summer reset has left the Premier League with a long list of new managers and just one clear outlier.
The Premier League remains a ruthless place for managers, and the 2026/27 season begins with that reality clearer than ever. A summer of upheaval has left dugouts across the division occupied by a fresh wave of appointments, while one club is still waiting to name a new head coach.
At the top of the list, Mikel Arteta stands alone as the league’s longest-serving manager. Appointed by Arsenal on Dec. 22, 2019, he has outlasted every other current rival and remains comfortably ahead of the pack. Behind him comes Unai Emery, who has been in charge of Aston Villa since Nov. 1, 2022, followed by Daniel Farke, who took over Leeds United on July 4, 2023.
Further down the rankings, the turnover becomes even more obvious. Régis Le Bris and Fabian Hürzeler both arrived in July 2024, while Frank Lampard, David Moyes, Sergej Jakirović, Keith Andrews and Michael Carrick all joined their clubs during 2024 and 2025. The list then tightens further still, with a cluster of appointments made only months before the new campaign.
There are notable cases throughout. Roberto De Zerbi, hired by Tottenham Hotspur on March 31, 2026, sits just outside the top 10. Michael Carrick is inside it after first being named interim Manchester United boss in January and then permanently hired in May. At the other extreme, Álvaro Arbeloa is the latest arrival, taking charge of Fulham on July 7 after an unsuccessful spell as Real Madrid boss.
A number of other clubs have also changed course recently, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. Over half the division has turned to new managers in 2026 if Newcastle United are included, with the club still yet to appoint Eddie Howe’s successor.
For now, Arteta remains the benchmark for staying power in a league that rarely gives managers much time.
Manchester United
Agent confirms Manchester United talks for Orlando Gill amid transfer negotiations
Manchester United were named in talks as Orlando Gill’s agent outlined a transfer nearing completion.
Orlando Gill’s agent has confirmed that Manchester United were among the clubs involved in early discussions over a possible move, while insisting the goalkeeper is at a stage where a transfer makes sense.
Mario Jara, speaking to DSports Radio, said the Paraguay international is in active talks with English and German clubs and that only two firm offers have been received so far. He added that negotiations are ongoing and that a move is drawing closer.
“We’re in talks with English clubs, as well as some in Germany. There were preliminary discussions with Manchester United . We’ve only received two concrete offers. We’re in the midst of negotiations,” Gill’s former club manager turned representative told DSports Radio .
Jara was equally direct about the timing. “The sale is close—now is the time. We have to handle this very carefully because there are a lot of factors involved. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to take a leap forward in his career. He’s ready and capable of playing in any league, without a doubt.”
Gill’s rise has been unusual and difficult. Only in September 2025 did he make his senior international debut, keeping a clean sheet as World Cup qualification was secured against Peru. His wife, Melissa Ávalos, later described the sacrifices behind that journey. “We had nothing, and Orlando sold his jerseys from the club where he was playing at the time to cover the expenses,” she said after the match. “Our son fought for his life, and his dad was always there. He sold everything.”
The goalkeeper had made only two top-flight appearances in Paraguay before a move to San Lorenzo’s reserves in a deal that raised questions. It took more than a year, along with a run of injuries, for him to make his professional debut, after which he kept his place.
At the World Cup, Gill’s reputation was tested after conceding four against the United States. Jara admitted the response was intense: “Everything he went through at the World Cup wasn’t easy, especially the 4–1 loss to the United States,” he said. “A lot of influential people spoke out.”
Gill responded by keeping clean sheets against Türkiye and Australia, then starring in the knockout rounds. Against Germany, he made six saves and denied Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade in the shootout. France were beaten too, though Kylian Mbappé did score from the spot after Gill tried to unsettle him, and later refused to shake his hand.
Even with Manchester United named, a move to Old Trafford still looks unlikely.
Man Utd Transfer News
Rashford’s transfer stance leaves United with a narrow set of outcomes
Rashford wants only elite Europe or United, leaving Manchester United’s summer plans in doubt.
Manchester United’s intention to move Marcus Rashford on this summer has run into a familiar obstacle: the forward’s own standards.
Reports have narrowed the picture around the England international, with Fabrizio Romano indicating that Rashford is only open to two outcomes in the window. He would either join a “top, top, top” club in Europe or stay at United.
That position leaves the club in a difficult spot. Rashford, now 28, is not believed to be interested in stepping down a level, which immediately removes much of the market from consideration. In England, United’s decision to exclude Manchester City and Liverpool from Rashford’s release clause makes a move to either domestic rival look impossible. Arsenal could still be a possibility, while Chelsea are not expected to enter the discussion because of their lack of Champions League football.
Elsewhere, the options remain limited. Barcelona are not thought to be in line for another deal after bringing in both Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, while Real Madrid have no obvious need for another winger, particularly with Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig expected to arrive.
That leaves Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain as the two clubs most often mentioned as possible destinations. Both have previously held an interest in Rashford, yet neither has shown any sign of pushing ahead with a move this summer.
Inter and Atlético Madrid can be included in the wider conversation, but there has been no exploration of a deal from either side.
United had started planning for Rashford’s return towards the end of last season, when Barcelona’s position on keeping him became uncertain. His exile came under former manager Ruben Amorim, who is no longer in charge at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick now holds the role and is understood to be open to a reunion. He is expected to have Rashford back in preseason training in the coming days after a rest following the World Cup.
