Crystal Palace go into this weekend’s tie against Manchester City off the back of an extremely promising yet frustrating 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

A win would have given Roy Hodgson and the Eagles squad a break, whilst setting the benchmark for the remainder of the season.

Instead, Palace failed to win a game for the fifth consecutive outing, putting the side 15th with just 16 points in the Premier League.

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Crystal Palace currently have ten players out due to suspension or injury, so changes to the starting XI will occur on Saturday.

1 GK – Remi Matthews

With Sam Johnstone and Dean Henderson ruled out of the game with injuries, third-choice goalkeeper Matthews is set to start in the Palace net with just three minutes of action under his belt this season.

2 RB – Joel Ward

Joel Ward has started all but one game for Palace this season and the captain will start once again this weekend in his usual right-back role.

3 CB – Joachim Andersen

The Denmark international has been defensively solid once again this season, playing every minute of his 16 starts. Andersen is also the Eagles' joint-second-highest scorer with two goals.

4 CB – Marc Guehi

The heavily admired Marc Guehi is one of the first names on the teamsheet and has started 15 matches this campaign. He will partner Andersen and look to keep a fifth clean sheet of the season.

5 LB – Nathaniel Clyne

Clyne completes the same back four that lost to Liverpool last weekend. The right-back by trade will feature in an unfamiliar left-back role due to the potential absence of Tyrick Mitchell through a groin injury.

6 CM – Chris Richards

The most defensive-minded in the midfield three is Chris Richards, whose preferred position is usually in the back four. However, due to the long-term injury to Cheick Doucoure, he will feature in a midfield role for the third game in a row.

7 CM – Will Hughes

Since being drafted into the starting XI in September, Hughes has kept his place in the side. There is very little competition for places due to how thin the Palace squad is at the moment.

8 CM – Naouirou Ahamada

Ahamada is the second player to come into the side following last week's defeat, and he will directly replace Jefferson Lerma who was forced off early last time out. This would be the 21-year-old's first start in the Premier League and he should be given the nod over Eberechi Eze who will undergo a late fitness test

9 RW – Michael Olise

Left-footed right winger, Olise, will make only his fourth start of the season this weekend after being out with a long-term injury. The 22-year-old will provide most of Palace's creativity, but he must be defensively disciplined. The attacker will replace Jordan Ayew who was sent off against Liverpool.

10 ST – Jean-Phillipe Mateta

The number 14 will come into the side in replace of Odsonne Edouard who picked up a knee injury last time out. Mateta scored from the spot against Liverpool and he will look to score in consecutive games this weekend.

Newcastle United’s most important game of the season takes place tonight as the Magpies could become the second English team to fall out of the Champions League with a defeat at home to AC Milan, following in Manchester United’s footsteps.

To qualify for the knockout phase, Eddie Howe’s side must beat the Rossoneri and hope Borussia Dortmund can do a number on Paris Saint-Germain at the Westfalenstadion. However, Newcastle couldn't be coming into the game on a worse run of form, having lost heavily to both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur over the past week.

Nevertheless, Howe could bolster his team tonight by making one change in particular to the starting lineup to ensure the Geordie outfit complete their side of the bargain.

Tino Livramento’s stats this season

Ever since Dan Burn suffered a back injury during a 1-0 win against Arsenal back in November, Howe has put full trust in Tino Livramento to make the left-back berth his own which had been going swimmingly well.

Prior to Burn’s injury, the £40m summer signing had started merely one game all season which came in an impressive 1-0 home victory against Manchester City in the EFL Cup. Now, the 21-year-old has started six of Newcastle’s last seven games in all competitions.

The ex-Southampton defender certainly impressed in Burn’s absence, playing out of position from his preferred right-back spot. Former Celtic head coach Neil Lennon even admitted that Livramento has been “outstanding” every time he watches him.

However, Livramento’s superb string of performances came to a halt away at Spurs on Sunday. The young fullback was handed a 4/10 match rating by The Shields Gazette as the Magpies were trounced in London.

During the game, Livramento lost possession of the ball five times, won merely 25% of his total duels, was dribbled past twice and failed to create a single opportunity for his team before being taken off with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Livramento’s poor display may have earned him a spot on the bench for tonight’s crucial European clash and one player in particular will be champing at the bit to take his place.

Lewis Hall’s stats this season

Lewis Hall joined his boyhood club during the summer transfer window for a whopping £28m from Chelsea despite making just 12 appearances for the Blues across the last two seasons and was handed a £7k-per-week contract at St. James' Park.

Nonetheless, Hall had proved his ability for the London club and was even labelled a “quality” player by football scout Jacek Kulig after making his debut for Chelsea almost two years ago.

Since joining Newcastle, the teenager has made only four starts, although half of these came in the League Cup. His last start for the Magpies was in the 2-0 defeat away at Bournemouth.

The 19-year-old was taken off at half-time for Livramento when the game was still goalless, with Howe explaining after the match that the reason was solely due to his lack of match fitness.

Regardless, Hall is still putting up a good fight statistically when compared to Livramento this season.

Furthermore, Livramento can play on both sides of the centre-backs, meaning there is also the possibility that Howe decides to bench Kieran Trippier who picked up a booking against Spurs at the weekend, leaving him suspended for Newcastle’s home bout versus Fulham.

Howe could potentially drop Trippier, who struggled over the past two games, especially during a 3-0 defeat against Everton, and put Livramento at right-back, with Hall being handed the nod on the left.

Anyhow, Hall is a superb player and will eventually start knocking on the manager’s door to get more minutes under his belt. Tonight could be the perfect opportunity for Howe to test out his new fullback pairing ahead of Fulham on Saturday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Visando a temporada 2021, o Palmeiras segue ativo no mercado das categorias de base, mirando não apenas formar atletas desde as primeiras categorias, mas também buscar promessas mais velhas de outras equipes, através do elogiado sistema de captação do clube.

>> Confira a classificação atualizada do Brasileirão e faça sua simulação
>> Palmeiras pode decretar jejum maior do São Paulo: veja os clubes do Brasil há mais tempo sem título

Até agora, o verdão já reforçou o plantel sub-20 com as chegadas de João Choco, meia ex-Cruzeiro, João Vitor Fubá, volante ex-Botafogo e o lateral-direito Claudinei Davi, vindo do Grêmio Novorizontino (SP). Além deles, o meio-campo Rivaldo, do Central (PE), está em São Paulo e passará por testes na Academia de Futebol II, em Guarulhos, ao longo d fevereiro e março.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom títulos sobre rivais, Palmeiras fecha temporada de clássicos em jogo atrasado do BrasileiroPalmeiras18/02/2021PalmeirasBoletim do Palmeiras: Wesley liberado pelo DM e Gabriel Menino tem lesão detectadaPalmeiras18/02/2021PalmeirasPalmeiras Sub-20 empata com campeão boliviano profissional em amistosoPalmeiras18/02/2021

No entanto, a diretoria alviverde deve em breve anunciar mais reforços para as categorias de base, segundo o apurado pela reportagem do LANCE!/NOSSO PALESTRA.

A reportagem também apurou que um dos atletas pretendido pelo clube é o zagueiro João Coser, de 17 anos. João tem passagens pelas seleções de base, e atualmente defende as cores da Chapecoense. No clube catarinense, o jovem participou de treinos com a equipe profissional e defendeu o sub-20 na última temporada.

continua após a publicidade

England boss Garth Southgate has responded to links with the Manchester United job as pressure mounts on current incumbent Erik ten Hag.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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Man Utd could sack Ten Hag this summerSouthgate mentioned as potential targetEngland boss focused on Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The Dutchman's second season as Man Utd boss has gone disastrously and as such reports have suggested that the the coach could be shown the door by the Red Devils top brass at the end of the season. Southgate's has been the most commonly mentioned name in the conversation over potential replacements, but he maintains that he is focused fully on England with the Euros due to start in just over a month – although he refused to deny the move was a possibility thereafter.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

Speaking to ITV News, Southgate said [via ]: "I’ve got one thing to focus on. That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me."

On whether the links are a distraction for him, he told the : "Well, for me, it's not an issue and never has been. I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there's enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that's where my focus should be.

"There will always be speculation about managers because if you lose a couple of games, you're in trouble – you win a couple of games and it is a different agenda.

"But for me, it [Euro 2024] is a brilliant opportunity. We're looking forward to the tournament. My focus is on how do we go a step further than we went in the last Euros [when they were beaten on penalties in the final by Italy]."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Southgate's current contract with the Three Lions expires in December, and predictably a coach of his stature has drawn the attention of clubs that may potentially look to switch coaches at the end of the season. One of those clubs is Man Utd, who look likely to miss out on European football next season as they currently sit eighth in the Premier League. It has been reported that Southgate will be considered for the role despite his lack of silverware, although soon-to-be ex-Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is believed to be the frontrunner. The possibility of Erik ten Hag staying on has also not been ruled out.

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GOALWHAT NEXT FOR SOUTHGATE?

The England manager will be looking to finalise his travelling squad for the European Championship in Germany with a lot of tough calls staring him in the face. For the Three Lions, the Euros will kick off on June 16 with a clash against Serbia.

India went down by five wickets in the second T20I after another poor performance with the bat

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-20192:35

We’ve made a shift in how to play T20s – Winfield

India needed a big effort, especially with the bat, to level the three-match T20I series against England, after losing the first game comprehensively.It didn’t quite materialise, as they only put up 111 for 8 in the face of a strong bowling performance led by Katherine Brunt, before going down by five wickets with five balls to spare as Danielle Wyatt struck an unbeaten half-century.Asked to bat, India started strongly with Smriti Mandhana hitting Anya Shrubsole for two sixes in the second over, while Harleen Deol played her part too. But Mandhana fell in the third, with the team total on 24, and in no time, India were 34 for 3.ALSO READ: Anger, guts and glory – a day in the life of Katherine BruntThough Deepti Sharma and Mithali Raj tried to rebuild, the paltry total India eventually put up was unlikely to test the English much, and it didn’t, though the Indian spinners did their best to make a match of it.Wyatt dominated a 28-run opening-wicket stand with Tammy Beaumont, and remained in control even as Beaumont’s dismissal to Radha Yadav in the fifth over triggered a slide. From 28 for no loss, they were 56 for 4 in under six overs, raising hopes of a come-from-behind win for Mandhana’s team.But Wyatt was on song, and in Lauren Winfield, she had the perfect ally to chip away at the small target.Earlier, Mandhana’s twin sixes had raised hopes of a big Indian total after they managed only 119 for 6 to lose by 41 runs in the first game. But once Mandhana fell, caught behind off Brunt, India fell apart as Brunt accounted for Jemimah Rodrigues too, and Linsey Smith took out Deol.There was a fightback, a 35-run fourth-wicket stand between Raj and Deepti, and after they fell for 20 and 18 respectively, debutant Bharati Fulmali chipped in with a 20-ball 18. But with Brunt returning 3 for 17 and Smith 2 for 11 in a clinical England bowling performance, the odds were very much in England’s favour at the halfway mark.There was a period during England’s chase, when Radha, Poonam Yadav and Ekta Bisht picked up four wickets without giving too much away, but Wyatt was supreme, coming good on her pre-match promise of performing as often as possible for England. She ended unbeaten on a 55-ball 64, exploding at the top, adopting a more cautious approach when the wickets fell, and then pacing her innings well when she paired up with Winfield.Winfield was impressive too, hitting four fours to Wyatt’s six in her 23-ball 29 before falling to Deepti with the target just nine runs away. Wyatt finished it off without any fuss.

Andy Balbirnie was the star of the Ireland show as they trumped Afghanistan by four wickets in the third ODI in Dehradun, his 145 not out helping the Irish go over the line with an over to spare to level the series. But Balbirnie needed support, and it came from somewhat unexpected quarters: George Dockrell, who has made his name as a left-arm spinner, added 143 runs for the fifth wicket with Balbirnie.”I obviously came into the team as a bowler, but these days it is important to keep improving all aspects of your game. I was a batter at under-age level, and I’ve been encouraged to keep working on my batting over the years, but the way I see it now is that all three aspects – my batting, my bowling, my fielding – they all have to be as good as they can possibly be at all times,” Dockrell told Cricket Ireland after hitting only his second half-century in 80 ODIs.”The game definitely has developed in the last number of years – you look at teams around the world and you see there are guys coming in lower down the order winning matches. That’s what you have to have – a batting line-up that bats deep. There’s not too many bowlers around the world these days who can’t play a little cameo with the bat, so it is more and more important these days that bowlers coming into the team are looking to add value with the bat as well as the ball.”At their new ‘home’ in the northern part of India, the Afghans would have backed their chances of going 2-0 up after three games – the second one was abandoned by rain – when Najibullah Zadran’s 104 not out and Asghar Afghan’s 75 helped them put up 256 for 8. Batting was expected to get tougher after that, but as Balbirnie and Dockrell showed, it was mainly a matter of application and approach.”There’s a different challenge here in India where we have a slightly bigger pitch, and the pitch has spun a little bit,” Dockrell said. “The wickets here in Dehradun are changing as the series is going on. Because the series is being played at the one stadium, we are reusing wickets, which has meant that they have tended to become a bit slower and a little bit lower.”The pitches have also seemed to offer a little more spin in the last couple of games, so it’s been about trying to deceive batsmen more with lateral movement than with depth.”And though Afghanistan swept the preceding series 3-0 and were tipped to outperform Ireland in the ODIs quite comprehensively, expect the Irish to put up a strong show in the format they are best at.”In the T20s the Afghans showed some pretty incredible power-hitting that we weren’t able to keep up with, it was a huge challenge trying to minimise their batsmen and their ability to strike the ball. We went in to those games with our plans – and back-up plans – to counteract their attack, but the biggest learning we had was the need to be able to adapt quickly,” Dockrell said.”The ODIs are definitely a format that suit us – there’s always good games when we play the Afghans in ODIs, and there has indeed been some good games so far in this series.”The fourth ODI will be played on Friday, and the fifth is scheduled for Sunday, with a Test to follow later this month.

Sunil Narine is fully fit and expected to return for Kolkata Knight Riders as they try and turn around their form after a Super Over loss

The Preview by Sreshth Shah04-Apr-2019Big pictureAt six weeks, the IPL can seem like a short tournament. But if you get on a losing run – the kind Royal Challengers Bangalore are in right now – even six weeks can seem like an eternity.But not all is lost for Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers. In the past, teams have come back from five losses to reach the playoffs, and even redeemed themselves from 0-5 behind to win the tournament. So a win and the momentum it brings could turn things for Royal Challengers.Form guide (most recent match first)

Royal Challengers: Lost by 7 wickets to Royals, lost by 118 runs to Sunrisers, lost by 6 runs to Mumbai
Knight Riders: Lost via Super Over to Capitals, beat Kings XI by 28 runs, beat Sunrisers by 6 wickets

There are too many questions surrounding Royal Challengers. Does their bowling make opponents fear? Probably not, and we saw that in their game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where two world-class openers made maximum use of a below-par attack. As for their batting, Royal Challengers have not fielded an unchanged opening combination so far, and their overseas options have not yet fired.Shimron Hetmyer, who has fallen three times to the ball turning away this season, may be the first name out of the XI for their match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Knight Riders normally bowl 12 overs of spin and one of Royal Challengers’ domestic batsmen could be a better choice than Hetmyer.Not only are Royal Challengers trying to avoid a fifth-straight loss in the season, they’re also looking to stop Knight Riders from winning a fifth straight match against them. Knight Riders have lost just one game so far and that, too, was close. Nitish Rana has collected two Man-of-the-Match awards. Andre Russell has been good with the ball, and destructive with the bat. Robin Uthappa has found form, and Kuldeep Yadav has shown he can help Knight Riders defend nearly anything.Knight Riders enter the game as massive favourites, but they’ll know that as long as Kohli leads Royal Challengers, the team will never raise a white flag.In the newsNathan Coulter-Nile has not yet linked up with Royal Challengers. He was supposed to join the side with Marcus Stoinis from the UAE, but is expected to join on 13th. Sunil Narine, who missed out on Knight Riders’ last game, has been declared fully fit and should be back in the XI.Sunil Narine took 25 runs off Varun Chakravarthy’s first over•BCCIPrevious meetingLast season, Knight Riders chased down scores of 176 and 177 as they complete the double against Royal Challengers. Knight Riders’ opening batsmen, Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine, were the Players of the Match on both occasions.Likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Marcus Stoinis, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Akshdeep Nath, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Robin Uthappa, 5 Shubman Gill, 6 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Prasidh KrishnaStrategy punt Make AB de Villiers face Sunil Narine or Piyush Chawla. He’s been out to the offbreak or googly in three games so far, and has a strike-rate of only 100 against spinners this season. De Villiers averages only 5.60 against the googly and 9.75 against the offbreak. Dinesh Karthik, however, might want to keep Kuldeep Yadav out of de Villiers’ way. Against left-arm wristspinners since IPL 2015, de Villiers scores at a strike-rate of 300, scoring a boundary every 2.2 deliveries. If Royal Challengers play Shimron Hetmyer, he should bat at No. 3. That would make Kohli the opener, but there’s a case for Hetmyer to bat in that position. In 16 T20s at No. 3, Hetmyer averages 32.10 at a strike-rate of 144.70. At any other position – which he’s batted in 10 times – Hetmyer’s average is less than 10. At the CPL 2018, he was the highest run-scorer among West Indians, where he batted all games at No. 3.Stats and trivia Royal Challengers have dropped nine of the 19 catches they have attempted in IPL 2019 Virat Kohli needs 17 to reach 8000 in T20s Chris Lynn’s strike-rate of 94.90 this season is the second-worst among all batsmen who have played at least three games this season. Only Ambati Rayudu’s strike-rate of 60.70 is worse. Kohli, at 98.70, is fifth-worst. In IPL 2019, Andre Russell has a strike-rate of 258.80 against seam bowlers and 207.70 against spin.

Manchester United have struggled at both ends of the field this season, but particularly in attack, as only two teams have netted fewer Premier League goals.

This has put the Red Devils eighth in the league, a huge 14 points behind Liverpool, who are in first.

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With that in mind, Erik ten Hag will surely look to bolster his team in January, with a focus on improving the attack certainly on the agenda.

Man Utd transfers latest – Paulo Dybala

According to Graeme Bailey via mufcMPB, United have the opportunity to sign Paulo Dybala, who has been described as a “little genius” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

The Argentine is keen to leave Roma, with a move to the Premier League potentially on the cards.

Dybala has a £10m release clause in his contract, which makes him an affordable option for plenty of clubs this winter.

Paulo Dybala’s style of play

With Man United not looking to extend Anthony Martial’s contract, according to The Athletic, the club may let go of their French attacker in January in order to gather funds.

The ex-Monaco star boy has had plenty of injury setbacks over the years, and he has only started seven matches for the Red Devils this season.

Therefore, Dybala could be the perfect Martial replacement, as he would provide experience and class to the relatively youthful United front line. The ex-Juventus gem has played as almost a second striker this season alongside Romelu Lukaku in a 3-5-2, and he has proved to be a goal-scoring and goal-creating machine.

The table below shows statistics from the 2023/24 Serie A season, that indicates he would be a hit at Old Trafford.

Goals

0.40

Top 35%

Assists

0.61

Top 1%

Key passes

2.63

Top 1%

Shot-creating actions

4.75

Top 1%

Progressive carries

4.65

Top 4%

Progressive passes

6.57

Top 1%

Touches

64.34

Top 1%

Dybala is one of the most elite attackers in Italy, as shown by the percentiles above compared to other Serie A forwards, and his creativity – having produced six goals in 12 league games this term – would elevate United to an entirely new level.

The wizard has a wand of a left foot, which he uses to create moments of magic in the attacking third, as shown by the assists, key passes, and shot-creating actions. The Roma forward, alongside Bruno Fernandes, would supply an endless amount of service to Rasmus Hojlund, which would dramatically improve his output.

The World Cup winner is an incredibly intelligent footballer who can identify pockets of space to receive the ball. This isn’t always in the attacking third, however, as he can drop in deeper to progress the play through ball-carrying or passing. On top of that, he is a set-piece specialist who can put the ball in the back of the net.

Dybala can almost do everything with a football at his feet, and it is no surprise that he has been the heartbeat of every club he has been at. The ex-Palermo prospect is instrumental to the way his side plays, taking on responsibility, which is an aspect that United currently lacks.

Signing the Roma ace for a bargain £10m could be the steal of the window, yet the only downside to Dybala is his injury record. However, the United boss could fix that by managing his minutes and not overplaying the Argentine, which means it isn’t a huge concern. Most importantly, what he could bring to the side could just change United’s season entirely.

تحدث مدرب برشلونة، هانز فليك، في تصريحات عقب الفوز العريض لفريقه أمام بلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني.

وتغلب برشلونة على بلد الوليد بسبعة أهداف دون مقابل، في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة للدوري الإسباني “الليجا” لموسم 2024-2025.

وقال فليك: “قدم الفريق أداءً جيدًا للغاية، منذ البداية، كانوا في أفضل حالاتهم، مع الضغط والكثير من الشدة”.

وأضاف: “أنا سعيد من أجل الجماهير، هتافاتهم للفريق، يمنحنا الناس في الشوارع الكثير من الطاقة وهناك عقلية وأجواء رائعة في الفريق”.

وأردف: “عندما ترى كيف يشعر المشجعون بالإثارة بعد الفوز، ترى أن الفريق لا يفقد شدّته بعد 7 أهداف، إنه أمر جيد للغاية، هذا يجعل الجماهير تشعر بالفخر، نحن هنا لنقدم أفضل ما لدينا”.

واستطرد: “قبل فترة ما قبل الموسم، قمنا بالفعل بتحليل كل شيء، يجب أن أشكر ديكو، لقد وظفوا الكثير من الخبراء لطاقم الفريق، والفريق الطبي ممتاز، وهذا أيضًا يمنح اللاعبين القوة، مع العلم أنهم في أيدٍ أمينة”.

وحذر: “لدينا 12 نقطة، وهذا ليس سيئًا لكن كرة القدم تتحرك بسرعة كبيرة، يمكننا أن نصعد ولكن قد ننزل بسرعة كبيرة”.

وتابع فليك: “أفضل ما في المباراة هو أن الفريق لعب منذ الدقيقة الأولى كما أردنا، لقد لعبوا بشكل جيد للغاية، ولعبوا بنسبة 100% منذ إطلاق الحكم الصافرة حتى النهاية، لقد مارسنا ضغوطًا كبيرة”.

وبشأن هتاف الجماهير باسمه، علّق: “نحن في المباراة الرابعة وكان هدفنا هو الفوز بجميع المباريات قبل نهاية الشوط الأول، أنا سعيد جدًا باستجابة الجماهير وهذا بسبب الفريق، نحن جميعًا سعداء للغاية، وكذلك في الجهاز الفني”.

وأكمل: “عندما نخرج لتناول العشاء، يمنحنا جمهور برشلونة الكثير من الطاقة، إنهم جيدون جدًا بالنسبة لنا، لدينا عقلية جيدة للغاية، كلنا نشكل الفريق الأقوى، نحن مثل العائلة”.

وسُئل فليك إذا كان هو أفضل توقيع لبرشلونة، ورد: “هذا يجعلني أشعر بالفخر، لكننا في المباراة الرابعة ويمكن أن تكون هناك تغييرات بسرعة كبيرة، ولكن لا يزال هناك طريق طويل لنقطعه حتى نهاية الموسم”.

وأصر: “نريد أن نقدم أداء أفضل في كل مباراة، ستكون هذه الاستراحة جيدة بالنسبة لنا (فترة التوقف الدولي)، وكذلك بالنسبة للجهاز الفني، آمل أن يتمكنوا من الفوز والعودة بثقة أكبر”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رجل مباراة برشلونة وبلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني

وبشأن حديثه مع لاعبه مارك كاسادو، أوضح فليك: “أخبرته أنه يجب أن يكون أمام المدافعين، أحب أن يطرح اللاعبون الأسئلة ويهتمون بمعرفة ما إذا كانوا قد ارتكبوا أي أخطاء”.

وفيما يتعلق بالمستوى الجيد الذي وصل إليه الفريق بهذه السرعة، رد: “أعتقد أنها عملية، في فترة ما قبل الموسم خططنا لكل شيء، عندما يكون لديك فكرة لعبة جديدة، فإن الفوز يساعدك كثيرًا لأنه يمنحك المزيد من الثقة”.

وأشار: “نريد أن نترك مساحات مغلقة جدًا لأننا لا نحب الركض خلفنا، يعرف اللاعبون كيف يكونون في مراكزهم، وهم يعرفون أيضًا ما يجب فعله بالكرة”.

وبشأن التكيف السريع لداني أولمو مع برشلونة، علّق فليك: “أعرفه جيدًا، لقد لعبت ضده وهو لاعب كرة قدم رائع، إنه يمنحنا الكثير من التوازن، ما يفعله مع بيدري أمر مذهل، فهما مهمان جدًا، إنهما يساعدان الفريق كثيرًا”.

وسُئل إذا كان رافينها سيصل إلى أفضل نسخة له تحت قيادته، وأجاب: “لقد رأيته يلعب قليلاً، أنا لست مندهشًا، سيحتاج إلى الوقت ليسجل ثلاثية أخرى لكنه يمتلك الجودة للقيام بذلك بشكل أكبر”.

وأتم: “إنه يقدم أداءً رائعًا، ويشعر بالحرية على العشب، بالنسبة لنا، من المهم أن يتحرك ويفتح المساحات لزملائه، يفعل أشياء كثيرة وكل شيء”.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be aware his side need to improve their performances in order to climb the Premier League table and they have now initiated talks over a potential swap deal for a player he loves.

Manchester United ins and outs

Manchester United will be set for both incomings and outgoings this window as they plan accordingly for the remainder of the campaign and they look to already be down the line with some departures.

Jadon Sancho has been frozen out at Old Trafford for well-documented reasons and is now closing in on a return to Borussia Dortmund, with a move now looking to be edging closer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war involving Everton and Sevilla and could move to either on a loan basis, which would see the Red Devils receive a "seven-figure" fee for his services.

On the flip side, Manchester United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Bayern Munich striker Eric Choupo-Moting and preliminary talks have been held over potentially bringing the Cameroon international to Old Trafford, as per Football Insider. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones has indicated that the veteran could be keen on a return to England as the Red Devils look to add variety in the final third.

Now, new information has emerged regarding a potential swap deal that could see Manchester United land a key target this window in exchange for a first-team regular who would head the other way.

Amadou Onana transfer update

According to Football Transfers, Manchester United have initiated talks regarding Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, who was also a summer target for Ten Hag before he elected to bring in Sofyan Amrabat on loan from Fiorentina. That was only due to the costs involved however, with Onana the boss' preferred option.

Amadou Onana's key statistics in 2023/24 – Premier League (Sofascore)

Accurate passes per game

32.7 (85%)

Accurate passes per game in own half

15.1 (89%)

Tackles per game

2.6

Balls recovered per game

6.5

Shots per game

1.1

Average match rating

7.11/10

The report states that the Red Devils have enough money in the bank to make one significant signing, but Everton have a strong interest in Scott McTominay, and there is a feeling between both parties that a swap deal could potentially be struck, Financial Fair Play concerns permitting.

Labelled "superb" by Premier League reporter Richard Buxton, Onana has made 21 appearances in all competitions this term, registering two goals and one assist in the process (Onana statistics – Transfermarkt).

Manchester United will need to bolster their squad if they have designs on staying in the race for European football and Onana would be a statement addition at Old Trafford.