Latest news with #ErikTenHag
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Leicester City confirm Man United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club
Leicester City have confirmed Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the King Power Stadium by mutual consent after joining the Foxes from Manchester United midway through last season. Van Nistelrooy returned to United last summer to join Erik ten Hag's coaching staff as INEOS sought to overhaul the dugout at Old Trafford. Advertisement The club had reached the decision to extend Ten Hag's contract by twelve months following a comprehensive end-of-season review after a dismal campaign for the Red Devils. Initially, United had chosen to dismiss the Dutch manager and sounded out potential replacements, including Ruben Amorim, but reversed their decision after these negotiations proved unsuccessful. This led to Van Nistelrooy's appointment as an assistant to Ten Hag in a bid to bring more personality and fresh ideas to the training pitch at Carrington. But it was to little avail as United began last season in a similar vein to the previous campaign. By the end of October, INEOS had reached breaking point and, for the second time that year, chose to sack Ten Hag – except this time they followed through. Advertisement Van Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager while the club conducted a search for Ten Hag's replacement, quickly settling on Amorim, despite technical director Jason Wilcox having raised concerns over the Portuguese coach in May. In Van Nistelrooy's four matches in charge, United won three games and drew one, ironically beating Leicester twice – once in the league and once in the Carabao Cup. But Amorim's arrival in November, bringing with him his coaching staff from Sporting CP, left no room for Van Nistelrooy and the pair agreed an exit for the former striker was the best option. Yet Van Nistelrooy was immediately thrust back into a managerial role after Leicester chose to sack Steve Cooper, identifying the 48-year-old coach as the man to help their fight against relegation. It proved a disastrous decision, however. Advertisement Leicester became the first club in Premier League history to go nine games without scoring as the Foxes won just five games under Van Nistelrooy in 27 attempts. They were relegated in April with five games left to play and finished 10 points adrift of safety. There was widespread expectation Van Nistelrooy would be sacked ahead of the Midlands club's return to the Championship – and this was confirmed today in a public release on the club's website. Tweet: 'Leicester City Football Club and Ruud van Nistelrooy have mutually agreed that Ruud's contract with the Club as First Team Manager will terminate with immediate effect.' Advertisement Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images Follow us on Bluesky: @
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Man United team-mate pokes fun at his staggering new '£492MILLION Al-Nassr deal' with hilarious four-word message
One of Cristiano Ronaldo 's former Manchester United team-mates took to social media to poke fun at his staggering new contract with Al-Nassr. Football's all-time leading goalscorer put pen to paper on a two-year deal, which is reportedly the most lucrative in sporting history, worth a basic £492million over its duration. The new terms, which will take him past his 42nd birthday, reportedly include an eye-watering basic salary of £488,000-a-day. Additionally, he is reportedly pocketing a signing bonus of £24.5m which increases to £38m if he triggers the second year of his contract. It is understood that he has also been given a 15 per cent ownership stake in the club worth £33m. In light of these eye-watering numbers, ex-Man United goalkeeper David De Gea could not help but share his reaction online. Under Ronaldo's post on X announcing his new contract, the Spaniard wrote ironically: 'And playing for free,' followed by a laughing emoji and an eyes emoji. De Gea and Ronaldo's were team-mates during the latter's second spell at Old Trafford. Both men have since left United in acrimonious circumstances. Ronaldo fell out of favour under former manager Erik ten Hag and orchestrated his own exit through a bombshell interview. On the other hand, De Gea departed as a free agent in the summer of 2023, and was replaced by Andre Onana. Ronaldo and De Gea are understood to have a good relationship off the field, with both players following each other on social media, and the latter seen commenting on many of Ronaldo's posts over the years. De Gea now suits up for Fiorentina, with whom he signed a new contract last month, keeping him in Italy until 2028. The shot-stopper made 545 appearances over 12 years at United - the seventh-most in club history. Meanwhile, Ronaldo scored 35 goals in 41 matches in all competitions last term and was the Saudi Pro League's top scorer for the second season running. In all, he has netted 99 times in 111 appearances for Al-Nassr and is inching closer to his dream of reaching 1,000 senior career goals. His current tally stands at 938. In addition to the ludicrous sums involved in Ronaldo's deal, The Sun claim that Ronaldo and his family will have 16 people working full-time for them. These include three drivers, four housekeepers, two chefs, three gardeners and four security people - who will be paid for by Al-Nassr at a cost of around £1.4m. Furthermore, there is £4m for use of a private jet, as well as the promise of sponsorship deals with Saudi companies which could reach £60m.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Andre Onana, Emiliano Martinez and Manchester United's goalkeeping conundrum
When Manchester United signed Andre Onana in 2023, it was not just a change of goalkeeper. It was a philosophical pivot. Out went David de Gea's reactive, shot-stopping style and in came someone who supposedly embodied the ideals of the modern game. Onana was not just comfortable with the ball at his feet — he demanded it. He was brought in to be the foundation of United's build-up play, capable of turning pressure into progression. Advertisement Two seasons on, the theory has yet to deliver. The 29-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance, but he has also looked exposed in a team that lacks structure. The Cameroon international had an inauspicious introduction. In a pre-season game in August 2023, a slack pass from Diogo Dalot was seized upon by Lens striker Florian Sotoca, who spotted Onana standing on the edge of his area and promptly lobbed him for the opener. Erik ten Hag knew Onana liked to be adventurous, but United's head coach at the time believed his risky style paled in comparison to the reward his progressive passing would yield. Two seasons and a manager change later, Onana has enjoyed streaks of good form, but also moments of difficulty. Errors have crept in. Confidence has wavered. What was a bold appointment in the summer of 2023 now raises questions. Is Onana still the right fit for this team? And is there a goalkeeper who can handle the unique pressures of Manchester United? One name linked is Emiliano Martinez, the Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper. As reported in the DealSheet on Tuesday, United have been in touch with his representatives since the start of the year, but Villa are yet to receive any direct contact. So, how does Martinez compare to United's current first-choice goalkeeper? Where Onana is high risk and high reward, Martinez is no-nonsense. Where Onana looks to dictate the tempo, Martinez looks to control the chaos. For a team as tactically fluid and emotionally fragile as United, that difference matters more than ever. Onana is a specialist. His qualities — composure, adventurous passing, brave positioning — are tailored for teams that dominate possession and use the goalkeeper to help build attacks from the back. At Ajax, Onana was a natural fit under Ten Hag. At Inter, he thrived in a system that allowed him to play high and use the ball frequently, knowing the team's structure could protect him in the event of a misstep. Advertisement United have failed to offer that stability. The defensive line has often been unsettled, and Lisandro Martinez's prolonged injury absences have robbed Onana of his best passing option. Midfield turnover is high and the press is inconsistent. Onana's game is built around risk-taking and technical freedom but in that volatile environment, his skills feel less like a system-enhancer and more like an unnecessary stretch goal. His traits do not disappear, but their utility diminishes. Martinez requires less from the system to perform at a high level. He's a more traditional goalkeeper: commanding in his box, consistent in decision-making, pragmatic in possession. The 32-year-old will not perform Cruyff turns on the edge of the penalty area, nor will he attempt to break the lines with a low, arrowed pass into central midfield. He is a known quantity, and his shot-stopping engenders confidence. Qualities that are sometimes difficult to measure, but easy to feel. His command of the six-yard box is exemplary. His composure when claiming high balls is excellent. Since his first season in the Premier League with Villa in 2020-21, he has claimed more crosses than any other goalkeeper (237). Alongside Arsenal's David Raya, he is among the best in the league when claiming high balls. There's also the psychological aspect. Martinez's performances for Argentina during their Copa America and World Cup triumphs were not just defined by big saves, but by his ability to own the moment. He has become notorious for his approach to penalty shootouts and has won multiple individual awards, including the last two Yashin Trophies for the world's best goalkeeper. However, as many Villa fans will attest, there is a difference between Martinez for his national team and Martinez in the Premier League. Rival fans may joke that he saves his more pronounced errors for non-televised matches, but the most recent season saw noticeable slip-ups at crucial moments. 'I am not having a good year in that respect,' Martinez told ESPN Argentina in December 2024 when asked about Villa's dearth of clean sheets. 'But the important thing is to win and to qualify for the Champions League again next season.' Advertisement Villa failed to secure Champions League football after losing 2-0 against United on the final day of the season, with Martinez receiving a red card after fouling Rasmus Hojlund outside the penalty area. Martinez is not a perfect goalkeeper. Neither is Onana. Statistics cannot quantify every layer and nuance of the position, but the difference in shot-stopping output between the two is not vast. Martinez has faced fewer shots than Onana since the beginning of the 2023-24 season and the data suggests he has prevented more goals. Yet Onana has shown some shot-stopping quality across the last two seasons. The difference between his goals conceded and his 'expected goals on target' (xGOT, a measure of how many goals an average goalkeeper would concede when facing the same shots) is reasonable. He finished the 2024-25 season with one more Premier League clean sheet (nine) than Martinez. There is more to preventing goals than making saves. A goalkeeper can reduce the need to make a save with a well-directed shout to the defenders in front of him. Both men take different approaches to their shot-stopping styles, and yield slightly different results. Martinez does not hesitate when attempting a save. When he believes the ball is his, he claims it with authority. Shots fired high and to the corners can be saved. Attackers have to work hard to beat him, often aiming low before Martinez's feet are set. Onana is not a one-on-one goalkeeper to the same level as Martinez, but is usually strong when protecting the middle of his goal. Onana has, however, regularly parried powerful shots back into the six-yard box, where opposition players can nip in and score a rebound. It is an issue that can be mitigated (but not eliminated) with a better defensive structure. Onana cannot catch every shot or push everything out of play. There will be moments when his centre-backs have to retreat to help. The areas both goalkeepers aim for when passing say as much about their teams as their own technical ability. Martinez is a solid distributor, frequently directing his goal kicks into central midfield where Unai Emery's well-balanced unit can fight for first contact and second balls. His open play is measured, starting Villa's well-rehearsed build-up patterns. Onana has been kicking long and to his left, hoping to get the ball to the more dangerous side of United's attack. His open-play passes are varied and sometimes scattered. Uneven squad composition and application have meant neither Ten Hag nor Amorim has maximised his greatest skills. Onana is a goalkeeping solution to a non-urgent problem in United's list of concerns. Choosing between Onana and Martinez comes down to where United are in their evolution. This isn't a fully formed possession team with a refined press and consistent tactical identity. It is a team under construction, prone to structural lapses and unforced errors. In that context, a goalkeeper who asks less of the system and offers more in terms of reliability makes a lot of sense. Martinez does not elevate your possession game, but he does not invite questions of the risk/reward dynamic that can unnerve this nervy United team. Is that worth a transfer move in a summer where United need reinforcements at centre-forward, central midfield and maybe even wing-back? All while balancing a restricted budget without the allure of European football? This is not a question of who is more talented. Only a handful of goalkeepers have Onana's technical skill set but talent only translates when it aligns with the team's needs. Right now, United's needs are more fundamental than tactical. They need a steadying presence before an ambitious progressive passer. Martinez's ceiling may not be as high in a tactical sense, but his floor is more stable. Onana could return to that base level after a summer of rest, recuperation and recalibration for the 2025-26 season. Advertisement In another version of United — one with a coherent press, consistent defenders, and controlled midfield play — Onana could be the better fit. But in this version? In the real, current United? Martinez — or a more confident version of Onana playing a much simpler version of his own game — looks like the safer option. United need someone who can help calm the storm. There are no guarantees with goalkeepers, only trust gradually earned over time, and a commitment to overcome setbacks when they arrive. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Man United 'struggling to sell forgotten star' despite ending season as title winner - and why that matters
Manchester United are reportedly struggling to sell one of their peripheral stars. Ruben Amorim 's dressing room is in need of an overhaul after a disastrous season which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League. United have made no secret of their desire to spend big, landing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5million and bidding in excess of £60m for Brentford 's Bryan Mbeumo. But their pockets will have to be supplemented by sales after they missed out on Champions League football for the third time in for seasons. One star on the chopping block is Tyrell Malacia, who only managed three games for them last season after returning from knee surgery. He was sent out on loan in January to PSV, who he helped inspire to a remarkable Eredivisie title after they abolished Ajax's 12-point lead. Malacia joined United from Feyenoord for £14.6m in 2022, becoming Erik ten Hag's first signing, but after an encouraging first season he has since only managed three league games due to his horrific injury trouble. The 25-year-old was ruled out for 18 months after a meniscus tear, a botched surgery, and then another surgery, an ordeal which reset his rehabilitation process. His layoff became somewhat a mystery due to the lack of updates from United, with one conspiracy suggesting he had died, and ran away with the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, whose whereabouts were unknown last year as she dealt with a cancer diagnosis away from the spotlight. Now The Athletic reports that there is no firm interest in Malacia, with United keen to get him off their books. Every penny matters to United and their ability to offload deadwood will shape the business they can do this window. United are also looking to sell Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, and Antony. The most likely scenario with Sancho is a return to the Bundesliga, where he shone in two spells with Borussia Dortmund, but United may struggle to secure the £25m fee they are after from a club in Germany. Rashford, who impressed initially at Aston Villa last season, is a player they are eager to sell, but sources have suggested a loan deal with an option to buy is more likely. United would want £40m to seal a permanent deal. Whistleblowers, brought to you by the Mail and Wickes TradePro, is football's most original new podcast, lifting the lid on the parts of the game no one else talks about Antony has thrived on loan at Real Betis but they do not have the money to sign him permanently and he is another that has been mooted for a loan deal with option to buy, unless United lower their asking price of around £30-35m. Chelsea, meanwhile, are weighing up a move for Garnacho but there are concerns about his character. Garnacho angered United fans after wearing an Aston Villa shirt on holiday with Rashford's name on the back.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Erik ten Hag meets Robbie Williams and poses for pic as axed Man Utd coach enjoys time off before starting new job
ERIK TEN HAG met pop star Robbie Williams while at a concert before starting his new job. The Dutch manager had been out of work since his sacking by Manchester United in October 2024. 4 4 Ten Hag, 55, is now back in football as he was named the replacement for Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. He has been enjoying himself before his arrival at the BayArena, which has included watching the former Take That star perform in Amsterdam. Ten Hag was at the gig at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday evening. He would have known his way around the iconic stadium, having managed Ajax between 2018 and 2022. He was able to get backstage after the show and posed for a picture alongside the 'Angels' singer. Williams shared the snap on Instagram in a post showing off his time in Holland. He capitoned it: "Two incredible nights in Amsterdam… that was fun. "All the love, Rob." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Williams also attached a picture of himself next to a Port Vale banner to make sure his true allegiances were known. It is not the first time that their paths have crossed, as Ten Hag met the singer in 2022. Erik ten Hag's first day as Bayer Leverkusen manager 4 Williams visited the Man United Carrington training ground on the day Cristiano Ronaldo was axed by the club. Despite his fondness for Port Vale, he is a Red Devils supporter and previously insisted that he was in favour of Ten Hag's "football philosophy". Ten Hag will already have plenty of work to do at Bayer Leverkusen due to the club's activity in the transfer market. The 2023/24 Bundesliga champions have sold both Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool. Highly-rated defender Odilon Kossounou has also left for Atalanta in Italy. The club has welcomed Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Hertha attacker Ibrahim Maza and Bochum defender Tim Oermann.
