No other manager lives life in the glare quite like a Manchester United manager. Supporters of other clubs will rail against this, but it’s true.
Ruben Amorim – like the others that have come before him – carries the heaviest weight of all whenever he picks a team, sits down at a press conference or takes his place in the dugout.
Last Friday, for example, Amorim spent 20 minutes fielding questions about Sir Alex Ferguson’s suggestion his team wouldn’t win the league for a decade, the decision of Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother to wear a provocative T-shirt and, finally, Rio Ferdinand’s suggestion that Mainoo should leave the club.
And all of that before he was forced to address the social media activities of two of United’s academy products currently out on loan.
That simply doesn’t happen at other clubs. Not in the same way. Not so regularly. Not all at once.
So when Amorim finally lost a little patience and spoke about the sense of entitlement he feels exists at Old Trafford then he was right to do so. It was powerful stuff from a manager who has been in place long enough now to understand the malevolent forces that undermine much of what he is trying to do.
Last Friday, Amorim fielded questions about the decision of Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother to wear a provocative T-shirt
Mainoo, who’s struggled for minutes this season, was absent from Villa Park with injury
If Mainoo wants to get in to the United team, he should probably tell his family to sit down and then concentrate on working hard to get in the team. If Ferdinand thinks Mainoo should leave, let’s see if any of 12 clubs reportedly interested actually put any money on the table.
Against the background of all this noise, Amorim’s team lost against Aston Villa yesterday but did so while playing quite well in the absence of key players.
Afterwards, the United boss spoke sensibly about the need to resist panic buys in the January window.
There is much that Amorim does that he should reconsider. He needs to be tactically more flexible, for a start. Given United are only playing a once a week this season – they are not in Europe or indeed the Carabao Cup – he has the time on the training field that he needs to make things work and if he doesn’t get there, then it’s on him.
Meanwhile I worry about the ongoing troubles of his big centre forward signing Benjamin Sesko.
But in terms of his messaging, Amorim is spot on.
‘Let’s stay and fight and overcome,’ was his line before yesterday’s game.
Why would any young United player not wish to agree with that?
Who is the greatest bargain of all?
Villa Park is a wonderful place to be when the home team are playing well and although Unai Emery’s team actually looked a bit leggy at times against United, the roof almost came off as Morgan Rogers caressed the second of two marvellous goals into the net at the Holte End.
It’s incredible to think that Morgan Rogers cost only £8m when Villa took him from Middlesbrough at the end of the January 2024 transfer window
The Englishman’s the star for Villa at the moment and bagged another two against Man United on Sunday
Rogers is the star of the show at Villa at the moment and may yet be the player to light up the World Cup for England next summer. Incredible to think that he cost only £8m when Villa took him from Middlesbrough at the end of the January 2024 transfer window.
In terms of value for money signings, the 23-year-old is up there with the likes of Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson who also cost just £8m when he moved to Anfield from Hull in July 2017. Six major honours later, the 31-year-old is still going.
A poll of Daily Mail football writers this morning threw up some other classics over time such as Jamie Vardy (£1m from Fleetwood to Leicester), Dele Alli (£5m from MK Dons to Spurs), Vincent Kompany (£6m from Hamburg to Man City), Moises Caicedo (£4m to Brighton from Independiente del Valle) and Rogers’ team-mate John McGinn (£3m from Hibs).
Going further back, Tim Cahill once cost Everton just £1.5m from Millwall, Man United stole an unknown defender called Patrice Evra from Monaco for £5.5m and a striker who won them the Champions League – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – for three times less than that. Liverpool, meanwhile, didn’t pay anything at all when James Milner joined them from City just over ten years ago.
But it’s still hard to beat the greatest steal of all time.
Did Eric Cantona really win a title with Leeds in 1992 and then join United for just £1.2m the very next season? He really did.
To think United could have bought 62 Cantonas for one Anthony…
An opening for Mo?
Dreadful luck that a classic striker’s goal by Alexander Isak for Liverpool at Tottenham was followed by news of what sounds like serious injury for the Swede. Fingers crossed that he hasn’t broken his leg as is feared.
Alexander Isak is set for another spell on the sidelines after picking up a leg injury at Spurs
Could Mo Salah not deputise in the No 9 role when he returns from the AFON in January?
In terms of what Liverpool do now in Isak’s absence, they will obviously lean heavily on the excellent Hugo Ekitike. If the Frenchman needs a day off, meanwhile, then the gradually improving Florian Wirtz could feasibly operate as a false nine while Cody Gakpo can also play through the middle.
But what about the bloke currently away with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations?
I have often wondered why Mo Salah has spent all of his Liverpool career on the right hand side of the field. Last season’s Player of the Year would be a devilish proposition playing through the middle.
It would represent a new way for Salah to get back in Arne Slot’s starting eleven, certainly.
Come on Mo, drag yourself out from under that bus. Your club will need you in January.
No short cut for Wirtz
I see that Wirtz has been working on his physical condition to make himself more suited to life in the Premier League. The German has been hard at it in the gym to find the extra half a stone he feels he needs. Most us can put that on over the course of a heavy Christmas weekend.
Florian Wirtz looks to have bulked up since his move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer
Mum’s the F-word
Tottenham were competitive as they lost narrowly to the defending champions. Some may say over-competitive. A team will never get anywhere with only nine men on the field. Both red cards were correct.
Tensions were also running high in the posh seats behind the press box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.
That area is usually church quiet as it’s inhabited largely by invited guests, agents and friends and family of the home team’s players.
But one lady was getting very worked up as the clock counted down and things got fractious on the pitch. Shouting at the referee, booing the Liverpool players and raging at what she saw as time wasting by the visiting team.
‘She was going absolutely mental,’ reveals our source.
‘Just screaming the place down.’
We won’t embarrass him here but let’s just say that one of the Tottenham players does not want for passionate support from his parents….
Dom jumps the queue
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s two goals at home to a worn out Crystal Palace on Saturday enlivened Elland Road
Dominic Calvert-Lewin credits loan spells from Sheffield United at Stalybridge Celtic and Northampton for introducing him to the realities of life as a footballer. So those expecting him to have felt sorry for himself during what must feel like endless injury problems will probably be waiting a while.
The 28-year-old’s quality has never really been in doubt. He leads the line beautifully for teams prepared to use him properly and it’s uplifting to see him doing so well at Leeds now.
His two goals at home to a worn out Crystal Palace on Saturday enlivened Elland Road and this is the beauty of competition for places in a World Cup season. Players can come from anywhere to compete for a place in then squad.
With Danny Welbeck currently injured and Ollie Watkins drained of confidence, Calvert-Lewin is now firmly in the contest for that place on the England plane as understudy to Harry Kane.
We are not children
How Everton must rue the form of a player that only left the club last summer. If only David Moyes had a functioning centre forward to be serviced by one of the most creative midfields Everton have ever assembled.
Meanwhile talkSPORT duo Sam Matterface and Charlie Adam felt compelled to apologise for some bad language picked up by the mics at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday as they discussed a Calvert Lewin goal during their commentary of Arsenal’s win at Everton.
Why do broadcasters feel compelled to do this? We are all grown-ups. Nobody is going to feel traumatised by hearing a muffled F-word on the radio.
If it’s too much, turn the radio off and go to a panto instead.
Sam makes the top five
Matterface, incidentally, continues to mark himself out as one of the best commentators of the modern generation.
The 47-year-old will never be accepted by some simply because he inherited the ITV mic from Clive Tyldesley for England games. Some of the abuse he has had to wear on social media on the back of that has been shameful.
But anyone who puts such ridiculous prejudice to one side will realise that Matterface is superb at what he does. Sadly there are too many listeners out there who will never be happy until Tyldesley, Martin Tyler and Barry Davies are brought back.
For what it’s worth my top five these days are – in no particular order – Matterface, John Murray, Darren Fletcher, Guy Mowbray and Ian Dennis.
Sam Matterface, incidentally, continues to mark himself out as one of the best commentators of the modern generation
Sky could learn from the Beeb
Sticking with punditry, Match of the Day broke what may have been new ground when they paired two goalkeepers in the studio on Saturday night. Joe Hart’s new haircut is taking some getting used to but he and Shay Given – who once fought for the same spot at Manchester City – did a fine job opposite Kelly Cates.
Where is the goalkeeper on SKY’s line-up by the way? Does it HAVE to be Gary Neville and Roy Keane every single time Manchester United play?
Maresca setting the wrong tone
Hard not to feel pleased for Nick Woltemade as the Newcastle striker bounced back from his horror own goal in the Tyne-Wear derby with two lovely goals against Chelsea. The German has seven in 14 Premier League games for Eddie Howe’s team and that’s a fabulous return playing in a team that has struggled for identity and consistency this season.
Great comeback for Chelsea to draw 2-2 but there remains much about Enzo Maresca’s team that is so very unlikeable.
Hard not to feel pleased for Nick Woltemade as the Newcastle striker bounced back from his horror own goal in the Tyne-Wear derby with two lovely goals against Chelsea
Alejandro Garnacho meanwhile should have been sent off for his challenge on Jacob Ramsey
Alejandro Garnacho should have been sent off for his challenge on Jacob Ramsey while the Trevoh Chalobah barge on Anthony Gordon in the penalty box was clear and crude and should have been penalised.
Meanwhile in the first half Malo Gusto went down as though struck by lightning after penalty box contact with Gordon. Watch the replay again and you will see that Gusto deliberately initiates the incident!
There is no suggestion this is all pre-meditated but at times it doesn’t half look like it.
Maresca’s team need to clean up their act in lots of ways and the Spaniard must start to set the example. He was booked yet again on Saturday and will serve his second touchline ban of the season against Villa this weekend at Stamford Bridge.
Broja is back – at last!
Armanda Broja finally scored his first Burnley goal on the weekend away at Bournemouth
Burnley’s late goal at Bournemouth grabbed them a 1-1 draw and broke a run of seven Premier League defeats. They have home games over Christmas against Everton and Newcastle and it feels as though they must win one of them if they are not to find themselves in terminal decline.
There was, at least, a first Burnley goal for Armanda Broja, a striker who has featured in this column before.
Signed for £20m in the summer, this was Broja’s first league goal for anybody since one he scored for Chelsea in October 2023.
Scott Parker could do with the next one arriving rather more quickly.
