Manchester United will host city rivals Manchester City on Sunday as Eric Ten Hag’s men look to continue their recent good run. The Red Devils have won three consecutive matches in all competitions with victories over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen. However, defending champions Manchester City will pose a tough challenge and United will need to be at their best to win.
United received a pre-match shot in the arm as Aaron Wan-Bissaka returned to training ahead of the derby, while Ten Hag revealed Casemiro is in a race against time to be fit for Sunday’s game. Here’s the latest news from Old Trafford:
Guardiola praises Onana
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has praised Andrea Onana, a goalkeeper he still holds in high regard despite the difficulties the goalkeeper has faced since joining United from Inter Milan in the summer.
“I remember we have a mutual friend who speaks highly of Onana.” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference, “He is outstanding player, now at Manchester United.”
“Everyone needs time to adapt to the Premier League, not only the coaches, but also the players and the goalkeepers. Everyone. Sometimes people are faster, but I rate his ability as a goalkeeper very highly.”
Carragher criticizes Ten Hagar
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes United’s style of play under Ten Hagar is “outdated” and says they are currently in a state of “unsatisfactory stagnation”.
“United are like a team at the end of a cycle rather than a team still rebuilding under a new manager.” In an op-ed in The Telegraph, Carragher wrote, “Despite winning their last three games, the style of play is dated and signs of regression are evident; there is a lack of style and dynamism, with few of the players brought in by Ten Hagar performing consistently, and players such as Maguire and McTominay returning to the line-up.
“United are at an unsatisfactory standstill, trying to get results and eke out a pass before making the next update. Watching United against Copenhagen in the middle of last week, the game reminded me of Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez’s final year at Liverpool, when we felt like we were trying to find a way to win, despite our general lack of quality and reliance on ‘moments’ rather than a well-designed team model.”
Berbatov talks about Casemiro
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has urged Ten Hag to start planning for his future after Casemiro, following reports that the midfielder is regretting his decision to join United.
“I hope it’s just a bad rumor because it will put unnecessary pressure on him, especially if he’s not in good form.” Berbatov told Betfair, “So I hope it’s just a rumor and there’s no basis for it.
“Time passes and he is getting older, so he needs to get smarter in terms of how he plays, how he sees the game, how he reads the game. If United want a young midfielder, as his replacement, that’s fine. You can buy a 21-year-old, bring him into the team and slowly acclimatize him to English soccer as you you need to do because Casemiro is 31.”
+ There are no comments
Add yours