All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leicester City will try to quickly move on from the Enzo Maresca saga that has plagued their off-season, with talk of the Italian's future clouding over the unbelievable Championship title win just secured for the Foxes.

Maresca has now officially relocated to Chelsea, in a move that was rumbling away for some time, and now all focus will now be on attempting to find a suitable heir to the successful if slightly hard-to-like 44-year-old, ahead of the East Midlands side returning back to the Premier League.

With the football at times slightly robotic, as the possession average for the season came in at a high 62.2% despite the goals not flooding in, the Foxes fans will want to be entertained more somewhat by his successor, even when moving up a division.

This potential replacement might not bring free-flowing football, but he could certainly get even more out of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall based on his approach elsewhere if given the reins.

Leicester talking to perfect Maresca successor

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri revealed on social media that current West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan is willing to quit his job post at the Hawthorns for the opportunity to take over at the King Power Stadium, blinded potentially by the allure of managing in the Premier League.

Talks have also now begun to take place between the two respective parties over a move, according to Tavolieri, with the Spaniard's stock obviously high after clinching a finish in the play-offs last term for the Baggies, with Burnley also reportedly keen on his services.

How Corberan could be perfect for Dewsbury-Hall

Once described as being "crazy" in his methods in an article by the Athletic by ex-Leeds United player Romario Vieira, with his obsessive nature making him an ideal right-hand man for Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds once upon a time to develop players, Corberan feels overdue a crack at managing in the elite division as a main boss, having failed twice to win promotion up to it.

This appointment could be music to the ears of Dewsbury-Hall potentially, who is fresh off a blistering campaign with the title-winners in central midfield, with the 4-2-3-1 formation Corberan regularly deploys enabling him to be played in two different positions even further forward or as a holding option, where he can excel in both freely.

It goes without saying that the homegrown Foxes man was integral for his side this season just gone on their way to title glory being sealed, finishing the season with 26 goal contributions which also saw him pick up a league-best 14 assists, after all the action had finished.

Playing all over the midfield areas this season, with seven appearances even seeing him take on a role as a holding midfielder where he shone with three assists and a goal tallied up, the current West Brom boss' preference of a 4-2-3-1 would suit him perfectly and would give him the freedom to be played wherever suits to get the most out of the blistering 25-year-old making the step back up.

Dewsbury-Hall's 23/24 numbers vs Alex Mowatt's numbers
Stat – per 90 mins*	Dewsbury-Hall	Mowatt
Games played	44	43
Goals scored	12	2
Assists	14	5
Touches*	62.3	65.2
Big chances created	20	4
Key passes*	2.5	1.4
Stats by Sofascore

Blowing away Alex Mowatt's numbers, who operates in a similar role back at Corberan's current club this season just gone, the Spaniard will also be overjoyed about potentially making the quick trip over to the East Midlands to work alongside the exceptional midfield talent, if Leicester can keep him around amidst previous interest in his services.

It could be a risky appointment, considering Corberan has only tasted the top-flight as an assistant manager, but a deserved jump-up would be coming his way if he is successful in being Maresca's heir.

Corberan will hope he can even get the better of Maresca when facing off against Chelsea, having lost both league clashes to his Foxes side last campaign along the way to play-off agony.

Leicester could make Fatawu even better by hiring "tremendous" manager

Leicester City could get even more out of Abdul Fatawu next season if this Enzo Maresca replacement is handed the reins.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 5, 2024

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente issued a defiant response when asked if Barcelona's Lamine Yamal needed a rest ahead of their next Nations League games.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Yamal had a busy 2024
• Picked for Spain squad
• De La Fuente defends call-up

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal has had a busy 2024; making his breakthrough for Barcelona, starring in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, to now becoming a key player in Hansi Flick's side. When asked about the possibility of resting the 17-year-old for their upcoming Nations League matches amid concerns over his workload, De La Fuente made an impassioned argument on why he should play for his country.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT LUIS DE LA FUENTE SAID

  He told reporters: "I’ll give you a fact: FIFA has done a study of the last 12 years of 40 days. The percentage of minutes played by players with the national team is 3.5 per cent. National team matches do not ‘injure’ anyone. We must compete and to do so we need the best. And with the few windows that we have, we must always turn to them. If I had the players in a club, for 10 or 11 months, I would manage their rest in a different way, but as a coach I must always call on the best."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal has made 10 appearances for Barca this season, starting all but one of their matches in all competitions so far. He has scored five goals and five assists and giving the teenager enough rest may be key to getting the best out of him in the long term.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Winger Yamal is likely to feature for Barcelona on Sunday away to Alaves in La Liga action before playing some part in Spain's Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Serbia on October 12 and 15 respectively.

It would probably be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur have had mixed luck with transfers over the last five years or so.

Daniel Levy and Co have sometimes gotten it very right, such as with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie, but there have also been some significant blunders, such as Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, and Emmerson Royal, just to name a few.

However, another miss is often forgotten: Ryan Sessegnon.

The Englishman, who was signed by Mauricio Pochettino, has seen his value plummet and is now worth nine times less than summer signing James Maddison.

Ryan Sessegnon's Spurs career

Pochettino's Lilywhites paid around £25m to sign the "incredible" Sessegnon, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, from Fulham in the summer of 2019 following an impressive season from the then-19-year-old in which he scored two goals and provided six assists in 35 Premier League games for the West Londoners.

Unfortunately for all involved, his first year in north London was a disaster. He made just 12 appearances all season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, and missed 33 games due to a hamstring injury.

The following year was a little better on the injury front as he only missed nine games, and a loan move to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim saw him make 29 first-team appearances, in which he scored twice and turned provider five times.

However, just when it looked like things had taken a turn for the better, the England U21 international was hit with more injury problems.

Over the next three seasons, these problems would see him miss 92 games, which limited him to 45 mostly substitute appearances in those three campaigns.

Sessegnon's career post-Spurs move
Season	Senior Appearances	G+A	Goal Involvements per Match	Games Missed Through Injury
2019/20	12	2	0.16	33
2020/21	29	5	0.17	9
2021/22	21	2	0.09	31
2022/23	23	3	0.13	22
2023/24	1	0	0.00	39
Total	86	12	0.13	134
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, while the 23-year-old was once dubbed a "huge talent" by former teammate Stefan Johansen, half a decade of persistent injury problems and minimal game time has seriously taken a toll on Sessegnon's career and valuation.

Sessegnon's valuation in 2024

According to the CIES Football Observatory, Sessegnon is worth just €5m today, which converts to around £4m, or £21m less than the fee Spurs paid Fulham for the full-back almost five years ago.

Valuations of Spurs' Full-Backs
Place	Player	Valuation	Signed For
1	Destiny Udogie	€80m (£69m)	£15m
2	Pedro Porro	€60m (£51m)	£39m
3	Emerson Royal	€20m (£17m)	£26m
4	Ryan Sessegnon	€5M (£4m)	£25m
All Valuations via the CIES Football Observatory

This new price means that the Roehampton-born ace – who could be allowed to leave for free this summer – is the least valuable full-back at Tottenham, with Emerson Royal coming in just ahead of him with a price tag of €20m – £17m.

Another player worth considerably more is summer signing Maddison, whom the CIES price at €40m, or £34m, which works out to be about just under 9x more than the former Fulham man.

That said, it shouldn't come as a massive surprise as the 27-year-old has enjoyed a relatively successful first year in N17, racking up four goals and eight assists in 29 games, and even won the Premier League Player of the Month award in August.

Ultimately, while he has been extremely unlucky with injuries and hasn't had the chance to develop, it's probably time that Spurs moved on from Sessegnon this summer, as there is little to no evidence suggesting that he'll be a useful squad player next year, and his £55k-per-week wages could be better spent elsewhere.

Spurs hit gold with "incredible" Nuno signing who's worth 2x more than Son

The Lilywhites star has become an essential member of the team since signing.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 17, 2024

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney acknowledged Birmingham City's supremacy after his side went down against Tom Brady's club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• McElhenney sends a message to Brady
• Acknowledged Birmingham's supremacy
• Blues beat Wrexham 3-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham suffered their first defeat of the 2024/25 League One season on Monday as they went down 3-1 against Birmingham City in the 'Hollywood derby' at St. Andrew's. Jay Stansfield scored a brace and Krystian Bielik was on target to seal a comprehensive win for Tom Brady's side.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A day after the humiliating loss against the rivals, Red Dragons co-owner and Hollywood star Rob McElhenney sent a message to NFL legend Brady as he appreciated the Blues' performance and acknowledged their supremacy on the night.

• WHAT ROB MCELHENNEY SAID

  Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the American actor displayed great sportsmanship as he wrote, "Didn’t get the result we hoped for but wow that @Wrexham_AFC away support was [fire emojis]. Thanks @TomBrady and @BCFC for being such great hosts. You’ve got a hell of a side. See you in January."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  After the setback, the Welsh club will aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday as they take on Crawley Town at home in a League One clash.

Derby County will be wary about keeping around players on extortionate wages for too long when making the step-up to the Championship, not wanting to be burnt by financial issues yet again.

The last time the Rams were settled in the division before their disastrous demise took place down to League One, the likes of Tom Lawrence were pocketing an excessive £30k-per-week alongside other individuals such as Curtis Davies raking in £25k-per-week.

Paul Warne won't want to have such higher earners in his camp next season, with the potential for this Derby star to leave in the off-season now consequently.

Coming in as the highest earner overall according to Salary Sport, despite being 33 years of age, Conor Hourihane might well have played his last game now as Rams captain when tasting that sweet promotion success.

Conor Hourihane's season in numbers

It's not as if there's been a swift decline in Hourihane's performances on the pitch, however, with the ex-Aston Villa man showing his experience and class in the third tier.

The Irish club captain helped himself to an impressive six goals and nine assists from 47 games in all competitions, not showing any visible signs of cobwebs for Warne's men on the way to second-tier football being secured.

Described as being a "quality" asset by football Josh Bunting when signing for the Rams in 2022, Hourihane has undoubtedly proved his worth at Pride Park with 13 goals and 19 assists accumulated from 98 total contests.

Yet, with rumours continue to circulate that Derby are eyeing up far younger targets in Hourihane's position in the form of Herbie Kane and Bosun Lawal, it might well be the apt time to have an emotional farewell now and cut ties.

Expiring contracts at Derby – 30 years of age + above
Player	Age	Contract expiry date
Conor Hourihane	33	June 2024
Craig Forsyth	35	June 2024
Dwight Gayle	34	June 2024
Korey Smith	33	June 2024
Martyn Waghorn	34	June 2024
Scott Loach	35	June 2024
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The former Villa midfielder won't be the only veteran potentially offloaded when glancing at the table above, with Hourihane's excessive salary also a sticking point as to why the Rams might well decide to part ways too.

Hourihane's wage at Derby

The 33-year-old, according to Salary Sport, currently earns £12k-per-week which sees him way out in front as the top earner at Pride Park with Curtis Nelson in the silver medal spot at £8.4k-per-week.

Amazingly, despite being 11 years younger than Hourihane, Eiran Cashin takes in a lesser £3.3k-per-week all whilst being linked with moves away to the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion after another sterling season in Derby white.

Missing just two games all campaign in League One as Warne's men went up automatically, Cashin will, no doubt, want a bumper pay increase moving up a league.

Hourihane being off the books could well allow for other stars who warrant a hike in salary to get just that, with the 33-year-old then having to seek out a new home to see out his career which shouldn't be too hard considering his starring role in Derby's promotion.

There will be a tinge of sadness if Hourihane is moved on, with his presence in the Rams camp integral over the past few seasons, but a move that could make sense if Warne wants to splash the cash on some new buys and redistribute the wage bill out more fairly for the jump-up.

Derby eye dream Bird replacement in "outstanding" free agent

Derby County will look to replace Max Bird with this summer buy.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 15, 2024

The year is 1972 and Manchester United have just been battered and bruised by Crystal Palace, demolished 5-0. The consequence? The sacking of Frank O'Farrell.

The year now? 2024 and Manchester United have just been smacked from pillar to post by the Eagles again. This time it was a 4-0 rout for Oliver Glasner's side. The hope among the Old Trafford faithful will no doubt be that Erik ten Hag is given his marching orders by Sir Jim Ratcliffe tomorrow morning, just as O'Farrell was all those years ago.

This has been a wretched old campaign for United who have suffered 13 losses in the Premier League. That is the joint-worst record of any Red Devils team. Coincidentally, their 18 defeats in all competitions is their most in a single season since 1977/78. Yeah, it's a pretty grim campaign, isn't it?

So what's next? Well, it feels as though INEOS will be left with no other choice but to give Ten Hag the boot. Yes, he had to travel to Palace with just one fit central defender but there is no excuse for the performance levels we saw in the capital on a wretched Monday night.

This was Ten Hag's worst moment yet. United have already been sliced apart at will this season but this was undoubtedly the nadir of his reign. If the Dutchman thought things couldn't get worse, they certainly can.

The arrival of Ratcliffe in the last few months should have been the dawn of a new era but it feels as though he needs to tear things apart at the seams and start again.

Ten Hag must go, so must plenty of the playing staff. Casemiro was dribbled past eight times, the highest tally in a Premier League match this season. His fellow Brazilian Antony was hauled off on 60 minutes having had one of United's two shots on target but not doing a lot else.

Casemiro was forced to start owing to a lack of defensive options but why the latter continues to start beggars belief. The same could be said for a certain Christian Eriksen.

Christian Eriksen's performance in numbers

As United personality Mark Goldbridge declared on social media during the game, the Dane was rather "terrible" at Selhurst Park. Harsh? Possibly. Either way, he was one of the worst culprits on Monday evening.

Branded with a quite frankly appalling 1/10 match rating by the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, Eriksen trudged off the pitch at full-time a sorry figure.

A first-half free kick that hit the wall was about as good as it got the former Tottenham man who put in a rather Spursy performance. Okay, we're sorry, low blow. It must be said, however, that United cannot continue to rely on their ageing crop.

Casemiro, aged 32 and Jonny Evans, aged 36, certainly looked way past it. The likes of Michael Olise, Ebere Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta ran a mockery around the veterans but 32-year-old Eriksen was no better.

Luckhurst declared that 'Eriksen should not have been out there and he was off the pace for both first-half goals'. Not the harshest words but it was damning indeed.

Eriksen vs Crystal Palace
Minutes played	90
Touches	68
Accurate passes	45/55 (82%)
Key passes	2
Crosses	3/3
Shots	1
Dribbles	0/1
Duels won	0/3
Possession lost	14x
Tackles	0
Interceptions	0
Stats via Sofascore.

The Danish midfielder's display was perhaps best summed up by the stats. He lost all three of his contested duels, failed to complete his one and only dribble and lost possession of the ball on 14 occasions, once nearly every five touches.

So often we have seen this tremendous technician put in elegant performances in the Premier League but today was a sad day. Hardly helped by his teammates, it was a sign that come next season, he should no longer be at the club. Neither should plenty of others in the visiting team on Monday.

The manager who could be 'even better' than Arteta if he joins Man Utd

The manager in question has steered his side towards European contention.

By
Joe Nuttall

May 1, 2024

Enjoy Football Manager 2025… without breaking the bank!

Cheapest choice

Radeon RX 550

VRAM: 2GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1100 MHz Boost Clock Speed: 1183 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£89.99

Buy nowRead More

Better overall experience

Radeon RX 560

VRAM: 2GB DDR5 OR 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1175 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1275 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£99.99

Buy nowRead More

Future proof your setup

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

VRAM: 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1291 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1392 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£129.99

Buy nowRead More

Cheapest choice

Radeon RX 550

VRAM: 2GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1100 MHz Boost Clock Speed: 1183 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£89.99

Buy nowRead More

Better overall experience

Radeon RX 560

VRAM: 2GB DDR5 OR 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1175 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1275 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£99.99

Buy nowRead More

Future proof your setup

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

VRAM: 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1291 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1392 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£129.99

Buy nowRead More

Cheapest choice

Radeon RX 550

VRAM: 2GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1100 MHz Boost Clock Speed: 1183 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£89.99

Buy nowRead More

Better overall experience

Radeon RX 560

VRAM: 2GB DDR5 OR 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1175 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1275 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£99.99

Buy nowRead More

Future proof your setup

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

VRAM: 4GB DDR5

Base Clock Speed: 1291 MHz

Boost Clock Speed: 1392 MHz

DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

Price from

£129.99

Buy nowRead More

Football Manager (FM) 2025 will be released soon, with a “rebuilt graphics engine”, an imported save from previous games feature, and the introduction of women’s football.

If you’re a franchise veteran, you’ll know FM games tend to be CPU heavy rather than GPU heavy. The news of updated graphics might be a cause for concern if you’re running an older system. To avoid missing out on the latest FM release, you might want to consider purchasing a new graphics card. We’ve compiled a list of the cheapest graphics cards below, which should cover you for Football Manager 2025 on PC.

Football Manager System Requirements

If you’re a complete beginner to PC gaming, you should keep in mind that the performance of a game generally depends on three things:

• Processor (CPU)

• Graphics card (GPU)

• Random access memory (RAM)

There’s other ancillary aspects like your hard drive and power supply, but generally the CPU, GPU, and RAM is going to make-or-break the experience.

The CPU handles calculations and logic that make your game work; stuff like mechanics, AI, physics, anything non-graphical. The GPU handles the textures and graphics you see on the screen. The RAM temporarily stores any “assets” (maps, textures, other data) that the CPU and GPU need to access quickly. 

Football Manager’s system requirements tend to lean heavier on the CPU, due to its focus on continuity (league results, upcoming fixtures, which club a player is at, what tactics you use) and its large database. Fortunately, this means that the graphics-side of things isn’t too intensive for the game to work well.

All of that to say, so long as your CPU can handle the game, your GPU really doesn’t need to be anything crazy. If your CPU has been playing previous FM titles well, then there’s a good chance it’s going to handle FM 2025 and beyond.

• Radeon RX 550

  VRAM: 2GB DDR5

  Base Clock Speed: 1100 MHz

  Boost Clock Speed: 1183 MHz

  DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

  Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

  A lower-end GPU released in 2017, the Radeon RX 550 would hold up for FM2025 as well as other non-intensive games like Minecraft, Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, etc. It comes paired with 2GB of DDR5 VRAM, which will feel rapid if you’ve been used to DDR3 or even DDR4 GPUs in the past.

  The RX 550 is compatible with DirectX 12 and has a base clock of 1100 MHz. As a dual-slot card, you won’t require an additional power connector, making it more accessible to slot into your existing rig.

  Buy a Radeon RX 550 graphics card todayShop on Amazon

• GeForce GTX 750 Ti

  VRAM: 2GB DDR5

  Base Clock Speed: 1020 MHz

  Boost Clock Speed: 1085 MHz

  DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

  Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

  Another graphics card from 2014, but this time a mid-range one, the GeForce GTX 750 Ti was highly regarded by gamers at the time of its release, and for good reason. 

  The go-to budget card back in the day, it’s still a solid choice for titles like Football Manager, Minecraft, League of Legends, and other well-optimised games that don’t require intense graphic capabilities.

  Buy a Geforce GTX 750 Ti graphics card todayShop on Amazon

• Radeon R7 240

  VRAM: 2GB DDR5

  Base Clock Speed: 1000 MHz

  Boost Clock Speed: 1050 MHz

  DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

  Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

  Released in 2013, the R7 240 is a good choice if you’re looking for a cheap and reliable card. With a base clock speed of 1000 MHz, it’s paired with 2GB of DDR3 VRAM, which should be enough but wouldn’t be ideal for you if you’re used to DDR4 or DDR5.

  The R7 240’s low power consumption is perfect if your rig has a less-than-desirable power supply unit (PSU), making it a solid choice if you’re bootstrapping your PC’s upgrades.

  Buy a Radeon R7 240 graphics card todayShop on Amazon

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Radeon RX 560

  VRAM: 2GB DDR5 OR 4GB DDR5

  Base Clock Speed: 1175 MHz

  Boost Clock Speed: 1275 MHz

  DirectX Compatibility: DirectX 12

  Power Requirement: No additional power connector required

  A mid-range graphics card from 2017, the Radeon RX 560 is a fantastic budget-option not just for FM 2025, but other modern games that take your fancy. 

  You have the option between a 2GB DDR5 VRAM variant or a 4GB DDR5, with the 2GB obviously being cheaper. While both variants of the card could handle FM 2025, you’d be better off going for the 4GB as it should lead to a much better experience and could even handle other games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and more.

  Buy a Radeon RX 560 graphics card todayShop on Amazon

Kevin De Bruyne has warned of "real problems" after the 2025 Club World Cup as the Manchester City ace accuses FIFA of valuing money over players.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Maiden 32-team CWC begins in June 2025
• Only three weeks between final and new season
• De Bruyne fears fatigue will be a major issue

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Bruyne’s concerns reflect growing discontent among athletes about the ever-expanding football calendar, which leaves little room for recovery. The Belgian specifically pointed out the impending difficulties players will face following the 2025 Club World Cup, which has been expanded to include 32 teams, and will be held in June in the United States. He fears that the short turnaround between its conclusion and the start of the next Premier League season will leave players dangerously fatigued.

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT DE BRUYNE SAID

  "The real problem will emerge after the Club World Cup," De Bruyne told reporters.

  "We know there will be only three weeks between the Club World Cup final and the first Premier League match. So, we have three weeks to rest and prepare for another 80 matches. Maybe this year things will be OK, but next year could be problematic. The Professional Footballers' Association in England and other player associations have tried to find solutions. The issue is that UEFA and FIFA keep adding extra matches, and we can raise concerns, but no solutions have been found. It seems that money speaks louder than the players."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The international players' union, FIFPRO, along with its European member unions, has taken legal action against FIFA over this expansion, arguing that the increased number of matches will only add to the strain on players. The players' union argues that the ever-growing fixture list is unsustainable and that competition organisers are failing to prioritise the health and welfare of the athletes who make these tournaments possible. FIFPRO’s latest report, released on Thursday, revealed that some players are given as little as 12% of the calendar year to rest and recover.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite these warnings, not everyone agrees with the notion that players are facing an increased workload. The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), an independent research centre based in Switzerland, conducted its own study and found no data-driven evidence that elite players are experiencing a significant rise in workload compared to previous decades. According to CIES, which was founded in partnership with FIFA, the number of matches played by top clubs has remained relatively consistent since the early 2000s.

  CIES's report on Manchester City, the reigning Club World Cup champions, revealed that the team played around 63 per cent of its matches during the 2023-2024 season in league competitions. 4.8 per cent of their games were friendlies, while fixtures organised by FIFA stood at 3.2 per cent. Meanwhile, UEFA matches comprised 17.7 per cent of City’s total matches. These figures, according to CIES, do not indicate a significant increase in overall match frequency.

After defeating Sheffield United 4-2 on Wednesday evening, Manchester United welcome their second relegation-threatened side to Old Trafford today.

The side attempting to defeat Erik ten Hag’s team is Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, who still have a very real chance of staying in the division amid a recent upturn in form.

Nonetheless, the expectation for the Red Devils will be to display another convincing performance to the one against the Blades, minus the goals conceded.

In order for that to occur, a similar team must be fielded, but one player has to replace Christian Eriksen, who struggled in the week.

Why Eriksen must drop out of the side

Eriksen’s involvement over the last few months has been minimal, with his first start since January coming on Wednesday.

Although it wasn’t a disastrous showing, his performance was that of a player who’d had very few minutes, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst handing him a 5/10 rating.

The Dane was as technically comfortable as always, but he lacked any real intensity both on the ball and off it, making just one key pass out of his 56 completed.

Eriksen also offered absolutely nothing from a defensive standpoint, winning just one out of three duels, making one tackle, and being dribbled past once.

The 32-year-old was withdrawn just after the hour mark, and his replacement on the evening should return to the team this afternoon.

Why McTominay has to be unleashed against Burnley

Scott McTominay is the definition of a Marmite player; you either love him or loathe him, but there’s no denying that he’s stepped up when needed this season.

The Scottish midfielder has only started 15 Premier League matches this season, despite making 28 appearances, but his influence on the side has been huge, especially from the bench.

The 27-year-old has had some injury issues in recent weeks that stemmed from a problem in the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea, hence why he didn’t start against the Blades last time out.

However, McTominay has the exact profile that’s needed against a team like Burnley, and he could be key to helping the Red Devils pick up three points today.

McTominay vs Eriksen 23/24 PL Stats
Stats	McTominay	Eriksen
Goals	7	1
Shots (per game)	1.3	0.6
Touches (per game)	30.1	44.8
Passes completed (per game)	16.1	31.4
Tackles (per game)	1.6	0.9
Dribbled past (per game)	0.4	1.2
Duels won (per game)	3.5	1.2
Via Sofascore

As you can see from his average statistics in the Premier League this season compared to Eriksen’s, he’s a completely different profile from the number 14.

The number 39 is far less likely to impact the game from a creativity standpoint and even in terms of control, but what could make him pivotal this weekend is his ability to influence the game in the final third.

United legend Rio Ferdinand said that McTominay is a player who “loves a goal,” and his record really does speak for itself, as he’s netted seven times in the league, the joint-third most in the squad.

McTominay has become a master of making late runs into the box and being in the right place at the right time, and against a low block like Burnley, his movement could be the game-changer.

Unlike every other United player, bar Harry Maguire, McTominay provides a huge threat in the air, which will make the hosts much more dangerous from set pieces and crosses, and with the majority of space inevitably being in wide zones, that’ll be particularly key.

Furthermore, the United academy graduate does provide more defensive support than Eriksen, which will in turn make Ten Hag’s side more defensively secure and prepared for counterattacks.

Overall, although McTominay is hardly an undroppable figure in the side, he’s perfect for a fixture like today’s, and therefore, he simply has to start.

Ten Hag’s “passenger” shouldn't play for Man Utd again after 5/10 display

The midfielder was subbed off early by Erik ten Hag.

By
Tom Lever

Apr 25, 2024

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan believes that Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham will never live up to the expectations placed on him.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bellingham overhyped by fans as per Jordan
• Believes he will fail to live up to expectations
• Midfielder out injured for close to a month

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham's rise to fame has been meteoric since his move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. The English midfielder led Los Blancos to a La Liga and Champions League double thanks to his 35 goals and assists last season, partly due to his deployment as a pseudo-striker by Carlo Ancelotti.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Borussia Dortmund star continued his goal-scoring exploits with Gareth Southgate's England side during their run to the European Championship final loss to Spain in Berlin. Despite having turned up clutch in two games, Bellingham received a fair bit of criticism for his lack of ability to bring control and progression in midfield with the ball which left England slightly loose in the middle of the park. As such, Jordan has claimed that Bellingham will get 'overhyped' by the fans and fail to live up to the billing.

• AFP
  

  WHAT JORDAN SAID

  Speaking on the Three Up Front podcast by William Hill, Jordan said: "Players that are the real deal will also get overhyped. Jude Bellingham is going to get overhyped. It is going to be an unbearable cross for him to bear because ultimately he will never reach the levels that people are building him up to."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

  The England star picked up an injury during Real Madrid's first La Liga match of the season against Mallorca and will reportedly miss out on close to a month of action for Los Blancos and will also be out for the Three Lions' Nations League clashes next month.