New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has already impressed officials at Old Trafford – despite the fact he is yet to take charge of a game.
Insiders have disclosed that the 39-year-old has carried an air of self-assurance and no little charisma during his first week at the club.
The confident Portuguese also dropped in on a group of fans who were on a tour of the stadium before happily mingling and posing for pictures. While he clearly has a significant job on his hands, the (very) early signs are positive.
Meanwhile, one of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s final acts at United was to donate a jacket to the club’s charity arm’s winter coat appeal.
The Dutchman, who won three and drew one of his four games as caretaker boss following the departure of compatriot Erik ten Hag, dropped off one of his club jackets at a collection point at United’s Carrington training ground.
A host of players from both men and women’s teams followed suit.
New Man United head coach Ruben Amorim has already impressed officials at Old Trafford
The boss arrived in Manchester at the start of the international break, succeeding Erik ten Hag
Ruud van Nistelrooy has donated a jacket to the Man United’s charity arm’s winter coat appeal
Surprise contender for Match of the Day
One contender whose name has not been widely circulated in the race to succeed Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host is TNT Sports’ Reshmin Chowdhury.
The 46-year-old, a qualified journalist, has admirers within the BBC and has commentated on major tournaments for the broadcaster.
Interestingly, sources have told Inside Sport that Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport who will make the call, attempted to bring Chowdhury to The Athletic when he was previously editor.
On that occasion he was unsuccessful, but it would be difficult to see Chowdhury turning down what is viewed as the pinnacle of presenting in UK sport.
Brady warns of ‘dangers lurking’
Baroness Karren Brady launched a scathing attack on the football regulator last week, when the Football Governance Bill was debated in the House of Lords.
The West Ham vice chair warned of ‘dangers lurking’ in the legislation, which she added ‘risks suffocating the very thing that makes English football so unique’.
What was also unique was the very fact that the Conservative peer was speaking.
According to Hansard, Brady’s passionate statement – that just happened to champion the interests of both West Ham and the Premier League – was the 55-year-old’s first contribution to a debate in no fewer than 20 months.
Reshmin Chowdhury is a surprise contender to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day
Lineker will leave Match of the Day at the end of the campaign after 26 years at the helm
Baroness Karren Brady (above) launched a scathing attack on the football regulator last week
Gloveless Trafford needs a hand
A late call-up to the senior England squad capped an interesting week for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.
The 22-year-old, who replaced Aaron Ramsdale, arrived at Turf Moor for the Clarets’ clash with Swansea City last Sunday only to realise he had left his gloves on the team bus.
An emergency call was hastily made to the driver, who was en-route back to the depot and who located the gloves, turned around and dropped them off.
A relieved Trafford went on to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win and was rewarded days later with a Three Lions elevation from the Under 21s.
Sky’s Anfield swoop
Sky Sports have raided Anfield for a new point of contact with clubs.
Joe Questier, Liverpool’s first team communications manager, is to make the switch to what is an important liaison role.
Questier replaces the highly-rated Adam Craig, who Inside Sport revealed was leaving to join Gary Neville’s production company Buzz 16.
James Trafford (above) earned a late call-up to the England squad, replacing Aaron Ramsdale
The 22-year-old goalkeeper arrived at Turf Moor for Burnley’s Championship clash with Swansea City last Sunday only to realise he had left his gloves on the team bus
Risky Whiskey copyright
EFL clubs have been ordered to remove ads from league sponsors Jamesons from their big screens thanks to a copyright issue.
Bosses wrote to every side last week to tell them that the whiskey giant had informed them of an issue with the soundtrack used in their Ginger and Lime ads and urged them to remove all big screen ads ‘ASAP’.
New Boss in town
Dido Harding’s first move as senior steward (chair) of The Jockey Club was to replace the outgoing Chief Executive, Nevin Truesdale, who stands down next month.
Baroness Test and Trace’s run of bad form seems to be continuing after a high-profile US racing leader beat others to the job only to pull out at the 11th hour to stay in the States.
With only unsuccessful candidates left to return to or asking Truesdale to stay on, Harding has instead been forced to appoint an interim solution.
However, in the shape of the returning Charlie Boss – formerly chief commercial officer at the racing organisation before leaving to join Southampton – the organisation has found a popular and progressive new leader with Disney, The FA and the RFU on his CV.
The Jockey Club chair Dido Harding (above) has appointed Charlie Boss as interim CEO
The appointment is interim, but will he remain the Boss long-term if he can turn the embattled body round?
The Jockey Club has been struggling financially and has had to slash prize money. Morale among staff is thought to have been flagging, while crowds at The Cheltenham Festival were down 50,000 over two seasons.
