Man Utd
Amorim Accepts United’s Past Errors and Sets Out Priorities Ahead of Tottenham
Amorim accepts past mistakes at Manchester United, outlines structural changes and defensive focus.
Ruben Amorim took an unusually candid line on criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo, acknowledging historical failings at Manchester United while outlining immediate priorities ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
“Manchester United, right now, they don’t have a structure,” he sniffed. “I hope that changes in the future.” Those comments were raised during Amorim’s prematch press conference and he did not seek to dismiss them.
“Of course, he knows he has huge impact on everything he says,” the United head coach began. “But what we need to focus on is in future. We know as a club we made a lot of mistakes in the past. We are trying to change that. Let’s not focus on what happened. We need to focus on the future. Let’s focus on the way we are doing things.
“We are changing a lot of things, the structure, the way we want the players to behave, we are improving. Let’s forget a little bit the past.”
Amorim has presided over a visible improvement in performances and points over the last month, but he remains exacting in his assessment of the team’s work. United have managed only one clean sheet in 11 games this season, that shutout coming at home to newly promoted Sunderland, a record the coach flagged as worrying.
“It’s a problem,” the 40-year-old said of the clean sheet drought. “If you see the league nowadays, the team that is winning is not conceding goals. That’s a big thing.
“When you have talented players, if you defend well, in one moment, you can score and win a game. But it’s a team thing. We need to defend well and be more aggressive. Everything is connected.
Faced with the defensive shortfall, Amorim pointed to the example of Arsenal as the kind of record he believes United should emulate. His message was consistent: acknowledge past mistakes, continue the internal restructuring and prioritise defensive improvement as part of a broader plan to change the club’s structure and habits.
Aston Villa
Solskjaer on Rashford: management responsibility, public fallouts and a return to form
Solskjaer: managers must address unhappiness; Rashford has rediscovered form while on loan in Spain.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested Ruben Amorim could have done more to try to help Marcus Rashford before the forward was effectively banished and sent on successive loans. The former Manchester United manager framed the issue as one of duty and proximity, arguing a manager should probe a player’s wellbeing when form and mood change.
Rashford has this season been rediscovering his goalscoring output while on loan with Barcelona. Solskjaer, who led United when Rashford scored 20-plus goals in successive seasons in 2019–20 and 2020–21, said he sees renewed enjoyment behind the improved output in Spain.
“I’ve not spoken to Marcus since, since I left… texting a little bit. It’s circumstances,” Solskjaer said on the new episode of Stick to Football , on The Overlap network. “I don’t know what’s happened in Marcus’s life, but you can see he’s enjoying himself now in Barcelona. It looked like he didn’t enjoy himself [at Manchester United ] at the end.”
Solskjaer did not name Amorim directly while offering his view that managers must try to understand why a player is unhappy, particularly when it affects performance. He warned against handling such issues publicly and described a manager’s role in addressing off-field and on-field pressure.
“All the pressures, every single one is different… the pressure of life, the pressure of football. We don’t know what’s happened to players when you walk in, in the morning, and see them grumpy,” he said. “That’s the manager’s job, [to] speak, ‘What’s up? I can see something’s wrong.’ And you don’t talk about that in the media most of the time.
“We don’t really know what’s happened, you just want him to do well because he’s an incredible player when he’s in form and he’s happy, and when he’s got energy.”
Solskjaer also referenced a public falling out elsewhere at United, that between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag. Sancho, signed under Solskjaer in 2021, is on a third consecutive loan this season at Aston Villa. “We wanted players who could break teams down, and Jadon, with his skill, link-up play, and little passes around the box, gave us that,” Solskjaer explained.
Man Utd
Six midfield options Manchester United could pursue in January
Man Utd eye six midfield options for January as Amorim assesses short-term and long-term solutions.
Manchester United entered the summer transfer window expecting to prioritise midfield reinforcements, but Ruben Amorim diverted resources to strengthen an underperforming attack. That decision left the club without a new central midfielder before the deadline. Amorim has relied on Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro operating together at the start of 2025–26, and the arrangement has so far held up. With Casemiro’s contract expiring next summer, the club will almost certainly revisit midfield recruitment in January.
Here are six realistic targets United might investigate.
Conor Gallagher moved to Atlético Madrid in 2024 and produced a solid debut season, making 19 La Liga starts and earning public praise from Diego Simeone, who said Gallagher “bring a lot to us” during an impressive run. The summer additions of Alex Baena, Giacomo Raspadori and Thiago Almada increased competition, and Gallagher has been limited to four starts across La Liga and the Champions League. Reports link him with a return to England via a possible loan to Manchester United.
Angelo Stiller attracts attention for his passing. FBRef data shows Stiller ranks in the 96th percentile with 84.87 passes attempted per 90 minutes and the 98th percentile with 9.74 progressive passes per 90. United already have a leading distributor in Fernandes, and Stiller’s defensive limitations and physical profile present risks when covering transitions.
Éderson’s stock has dipped slightly over the past year, yet he enjoyed another fine season in 2024–25 for Atalanta. He offers versatility and work rate and could be a short-term upgrade on Manuel Ugarte if United cannot secure a long-term midfield signing.
Lucien Agoumé impressed in La Liga after leaving Inter in 2024. He is a strong athlete who excels defensively and profiles as a potential long-term successor to Casemiro.
Carlos Baleba remains of interest, though Brighton demanded as much as £104 million before 2025–26. Baleba covers ground and can unlock defences, but price will dictate United’s interest.
Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson appear realistically unattainable without large fees. Anderson’s all-round qualities and leadership stand out as the kind of addition that would materially improve United’s midfield.
International
United criticised for slow communication after Šeško withdrawn from Slovenia duty
Kek criticises Manchester United after Šeško withdrawn from Slovenia squad; paperwork arrived late..
Manchester United confirmed Benjamin Šeško would not join Slovenia for international duty, but the delay in sharing medical information prompted public criticism from Slovenia manager Matjaž Kek.
Kek said he had not received formal documentation from the club and voiced frustration at the handling of the situation. “With all due respect to a great club like Manchester United, we have officially not received anything yet; no papers, no documents,” Kek confessed.
He made clear Slovenia wanted full access to United medical details so its own staff could assess the striker. “We would certainly like to get them. We want our medical team to also take a look at it. Our doctor is an expert in this field. We don’t have just anyone in this position.
“I cannot comment, of course I have certain information and I am also in contact with Beni. I can’t say anything because officially we don’t know anything at all. United haven’t contacted anyone from our camp. Of course, I am concerned about the player. The only thing that matters to me is his wellbeing.
“We are prepared to do everything for that and we have never sent anyone on the field if there was the slightest risk.”
The Football Association of Slovenia later said that United provided the relevant documents after the national team held its first training session on Monday. United have not issued further detail on the severity of Šeško’s condition, stating only that he would be unavailable for international duty. Slovenia’s statement added that additional tests were being arranged by United for early this week.
Numerous outlets, including The Athletic, relayed a club message that Šeško has not suffered a serious issue and is not expected to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines beyond this international break.
United also confirmed Casemiro, who was forced off against Spurs with 20 minutes to go, has joined the Brazil squad. Centre back Lisandro Martínez has been granted permission to train with the Argentina squad as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
