By Chris Wheeler, Joe Bernstein, Liam Morgan and Kathryn Batte via Mailonline
Updated at 14:30 on November 28, 2023, 14:30 on November 28, 2023
- Friedman emerges as contender for Manchester United director of football job
- But he did once reject the advice of his former neighbor Sir Alex Ferguson
- Pressure is easing on Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag: Listen to how it all started
One interesting aspect of whether Manchester United will replace John Murtaugh and bring in a new director of football is that one of the candidates, Dougie Friedman, has been mentored by fellow Glaswegian Sir Alex Ferguson over the years.
The pair first met when Friedman’s Crystal Palace beat Manchester United in the League Cup at Old Trafford in 2011. They became neighbors and friends when Friedman moved north to coach Bolton Wanderers the following year.
Friedman respected him so much that he always called him Mr. Ferguson out of respect for the Scotsman, but on one occasion he politely declined Ferguson’s advice, which worked out in his favor.
In 2017, Friedman lost his jobs at financially struggling Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest and found himself courted by Hearts as their manager, only to receive a return from Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish. price to become their sporting director.
Ferguson urged the youngster not to look down on Hearts – “it’s a big club” – but Friedman opted for a career change and headed south.
He excelled in recruiting players such as Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, and new United investor Jim Ratcliffe Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford have noticed him and will put him on their shortlist if a change is made.
Right person, wrong Mainu
Kobe Minu may be the man of the moment at Manchester United, but the teenager has improved so quickly that his own teammates are still catching up.
Sergio Reguilon posted a photo of himself and Mainu on the team bus after Sunday’s win over Everton and wrote: “Great game bro.” I love you. ‘
However, Reguilon tagged a parody account on his X post and the mistake had to be pointed out to the on-loan Manchester United defender.
Mainu earned universal acclaim on his Premier League debut at Goodison Park and once again showed his ability to take everything in his stride in United’s 3-0 win over Merseyside.
The 18-year-old’s temperament was evident when he first came to prominence during pre-season in the United States and last season in the EFL Trophy for the Under-21s.
This led to a number of First Division clubs approaching United on loan in January, but it was clear that he was destined to break into the first team sooner rather than later.
Bruno leads by example
Bruno Fernandes, who won praise for selflessly allowing Marcus Rashford to take the penalty for Manchester United’s second goal against Everton, stopped to sign autographs and pose long after the final whistle. Take a photo and win points for Everton fans.
As the United captain gave his post-match interview to MUTV, the home fans in the company box at Goodison Park shouted at him and Fernandes had to go around each of them in turn.
Whether former Manchester United captain Roy Keane will show up is another matter entirely.
Keane has been a major critic of Fernandes’ leadership, with Sky Sports pundits harshly criticizing Erik ten Hag for praising the Portugal star after relinquishing penalty duties so Rashford would Germany can end his 12-week career sweep.
“He gave the toffee to Bruno because Bruno passed the ball for a penalty. This is absolute rubbish,” Keane said angrily.
sinfield’s power of words
Manchester United players are said to have been moved by a powerful speech from rugby league great Kevin Sinfield OBE as he continues to raise funds for the fight against motor neurone disease.
Sinfield was, of course, inspired by the plight of his close friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow, the defensive coach of the England Rugby League side who was at Carrington last week for a coaching exchange.
The content of his speech about supporting his team-mates is said to have particularly resonated with United’s players, some of whom were visibly emotional.
“I had a brief chat,” Sinfield later told the club’s media. “I don’t often get the chance to talk about my career but some people have raised some questions and certainly been interested in the work I’ve done with our team over the past few years, particularly around Rob and the MND Association.
Sinfield has also spent time with Erik ten Hag and his assistant Steve McClaren and is already planning his next challenge, as He ran seven marathons in seven different cities in one week, adding extra miles every day.
Manchester United vs Liverpool Flu Tickets
Manchester United have raised concerns with Liverpool over the allocation of tickets for next month’s crucial match at Anfield, Confidential reports.
Liverpool are carrying out refurbishment works at their new Anfield Road stand, which will be partially opened for the game on December 17, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of tickets received by United.
The club want to know why their allocation is “significantly lower” than expected after Liverpool were told they would only receive 2,427 safe standing seats.
United have been told that the expansion of Anfield and the resulting reduction in capacity is the cause and that their allocation is “in line” with that of other clubs this season.
While other teams have similar goals to Manchester United, Arsenal scored 2,511 goals in their match at Anfield on December 23. Typically, away teams score hundreds at Anfield.
Liverpool’s insistence that they “make every effort to secure more seats for away fans” will undoubtedly be met with skepticism by United fans and even those within the club, given that both sides have a history of cutting back on seating for away fans.
late night latino
Don’t tell Erik ten Hag, but Confidential understands that Manchester United’s Brazilian and Argentinian players spent all night watching last week’s match between the two countries and messaging each other.
Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro are back from injury and won’t play until January, but Anthony and Alejandro Garnacho may have been a bit bleary-eyed in training the next morning .
Argentina beat their fierce rivals for the first time at home in World Cup qualifying after the match was delayed by half an hour due to crowd disturbance at the Maracana Stadium and did not end until midnight.
Strong performances from Onana and Fernandez
Andre Onana, who has played thirteen games, and captain Bruno Fernandez are United’s only players to have made an appearance in the Premier League this season.
However, fans shouldn’t worry that an apparent lack of consistency in team selection will automatically affect the outcome.
Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t have a player that featured in every league game between 1995 and 2005 – a period when Manchester United won six titles.
With the increased rotation of players in the Premier League era, becoming a full-season player is harder than winning trophies.
Harry Maguire is Manchester United’s only outfield player this century to start 38 games in the 2019-20 season.
Patrice Evra (2009-10), Robin van Persie (2012-13) and Juan Mata (2015-16) also played in every game, but some came off the bench.
Onana hopes he can complete the full set this time. It’s easier for a goalkeeper, David de Gea has managed to do it four times.
It would be a massive feat for Fernandez, but his endurance is legendary. Research shows that no player in the world has played more minutes in elite football between September 2022 and 2023, with the midfielder playing 6,666 minutes for Manchester United and Portugal.
Cameroon goalkeeper lends a helping hand
Onana suffered a minor injury on international duty last week and had to fly home early from Cameroon, but his charity work in the capital Yaounde continues.
III Surgeon Mission, a health care initiative co-sponsored by the Andre Onana Foundation and the Spanish nonprofit Bisturi Solidario, announced that it has performed more than 200 life-changing surgeries on children and adults in need.
Manchester United goalkeeper Onana said: “I’m proud to witness the positive impact we have together with Bisturi Solidario. This mission reflects our shared commitment to improving the lives of those most in need. Bring about tangible change.
Galton’s waiting game
Manchester United are yet to sign a new contract with Leah Galton, with the striker attracting interest from other clubs.
Galton’s current contract expires at the end of the season, although United have the option to extend it by another year.
The forward, who is the club’s joint top scorer in 2022-23, is keen to stay but has no shortage of admirers elsewhere.
Galton and Mary Earps were in the same situation last season. The goalkeeper was given a one-year extension to his contract in the summer but can leave for free at the end of the season if the club do not agree to new terms.
Earps, the subject of a record-breaking bid from Arsenal, recently changed agents. The Lioness No. 1 became the first goalkeeper to win the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award with her heroics at this summer’s World Cup.
Manchester United kids have their own league
More of Manchester United’s young players are spending time with EFL and National League clubs as part of the academy’s innovative hands-on experience programme.
As opposed to loans, around 10 United players aged under 17 to under 23 are playing for other clubs through the scheme this season, including Barrow, Forest Green Rovers, Portsmouth and Blackpool.
It gives young players the opportunity to experience a senior football environment by observing the first team preparations for matches and traveling with the matchday squad.
It also provides an opportunity for the players to prove themselves before any future loan moves and they will have to show their experience to United’s academy coaches upon their return.
“We are always looking to innovate to provide the best experience for all our boys,” said Nick Cox, Head of Academy at United.
“This opportunity allows players to learn new behaviors and see first-hand the standards of a first-team environment.”