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Erik Ten Hag: Will he inspire Man United or flop like Mourinho?

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It has been nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson bid farewell to Manchester United.

The Scottsman had built an empire at Old Trafford during his 27-year reign. He brought 13 league titles and two Champions League trophies to the club’s cabinet, establishing them as eternal behemoths in the landscape of English football.

But, life after Sir Alex Ferguson had been difficult for the Red Devils.

Five managers had to throw in the towel as Man United only managed to win an FA Cup, a League Cup, and a Europa League title since Ferguson left. Accomplished names like José Mourinho and Louis van Gaal failed to fulfil expectations and restore Manchester United’s credential as a genuine Premier League title contender.

United did finish runner-ups twice over the last nine years. But in reality, Manchester United never posed a real challenge for the title in those two campaigns.

In 17/18, United finished 19 points behind champions Manchester City. In 20/21, they finished behind Manchester City once again. This time the point gap was 12 points.

Former United star Ole Gunnar Solskjær had seemingly steadied the ship with back-to-back top-four finishes. But he ultimately lost the plot as he failed to omit some big names from the first XI for the betterment of his team. Ralf Rangnick inherited a mess and made it even worse as United limped to a sixth-place finish in 21/22.

Erik ten Hag had the worst possible start to his Manchester United career.

The Dutch tactician arrived at Old Trafford with quite an impressive CV. He worked as Pep Guardiola’s second man at Bayern Munich and inherited many of his tactical views.

He then went on to have a successful stint at Ajax Amsterdam, winning two Eredivisie titles and a KNVB Cup. But the highlight of his Ajax spell is the 2018/19 Champions League semifinal run. De Godenzonen were on the verge of making it to the final, but a remarkable Tottenham comeback denied them in the end.

But, Ten Hag was not the first high-profile manager to take charge of Manchester United in the post-Ferguson era.

With successive defeats in his first two matches in charge, bookmakers started offering odds for Ten Hag becoming the first permanent Manchester United manager since David Moyes to get the sack before the end of his first season.

However, Ten Hag managed to recover from his early struggles as he started to lay down the foundations of his team. Manchester United have won 14 of their last 17 matches across all competitions and sit fourth in the league table. They are two points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.

Ten Hag made it clear that he would not compromise his principles for anybody in the team. He did not hesitate to drop a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo for disciplinary reasons and eventually drove him out of the club. He also benched the likes of Ronaldo and Harry Maguire as he did not see them fit for his playing style.

Certain players have had substantial dressing room influence over the past few years, negatively impacting the team. Ten Hag laid down the law from the start, calling for one hundred per cent commitment from every single player in the squad.

The signings he brought in have been instrumental in picking up United’s form.

Anthony has not scored a lot of goals himself yet, but his ball progression qualities have been vital in United’s attacking build-up.

Casemiro had a difficult start, but he has left that behind to replicate his Real Madrid form and take control of Man United’s midfield. Lisandro Martínez has silenced his doubters by becoming one of the best centre-backs in the league so far.

But Ten Hag’s most impressive feat so far is inspiring Marcus Rashford to rediscover his form. The 25-year-old has been phenomenal under the new manager, scoring 14 goals across all competitions this season.

Ten Hag’s Manchester United rebuild is still in its infancy. But the brand of football United are playing, and Ten Hag’s no-nonsense grip on the squad has made United fans hopeful of something special.

United face some stern test of their abilities as they prepare to welcome Manchester City at home before taking a trip to Arsenal. United can even sneak into the title conversation this season if they come out on top in these two matches.

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WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

 

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

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Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card
Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

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PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

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MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11

Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.

MCFC vs MUFC – Likely XI

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Akanji, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Alvarez, Haaland, Foden

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Amrabat, Casemiro, Manioo, McTominay, Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho

MCFC vs MUFC – Fantasy XI

Grand League Team

Goal Keeper – E Moraes

Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, H Maguire

Mid Fielders – Kevin De Bruyne, B Fernandes, R Hernandez, Casemiro

Forwards – E Haaland (VC), J Alvarez, M Rashford (C)

MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Grand League

MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Grand League (Source: X)

Head-to-Head Team

Goal Keeper – S Ortega

Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, R Varane

Mid Fielders – K De Bruyne (C), B Fernandes (VC), B Silva, Casemiro

Forwards – E Haaland, J Alvarez, M Rashford

MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Head to Head

MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Head to Head (Source: X)

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