Journalist Steve Bates believes striker Wout Weghorst is simply ‘not a Manchester United player’, following the 0-0 draw at home to Southampton.
The Lowdown: United held at home
The Red Devils hosted Saints in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, as they looked to bounce back from last weekend’s 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
It proved to be a frustrating day for United, however, as they were held by their relegation-threatened opponents, not helped by Casemiro’s first-half red card.
Weghorst again led the line for Erik ten Hag’s side but he was unable to have a major say on proceedings, as his influence continues to flatter to deceive.
The Latest: Criticism for Weghorst
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Bates brutally admitted that the Dutchman simply isn’t up to the level required for United currently, following the Liverpool and Southampton games:
“I think Weghorst looked exactly what he is at times at Manchester United – and that’s not a Manchester United player, if I’m being honest.
“Collectively, it was just a horror show and I’m sure ten Hag ruminated on what he saw. But maybe he will give those players another chance.”
The Verdict: Needs to go this summer
Weghorst’s attitude at United cannot be questioned and he appears to be a popular figure – his teammates were delighted for him when he scored against Real Betis last week – but he is not good enough to be starting regular games for them.
The 19-cap Netherlands international has failed to score in his eight Premier League appearances for the Reds and he is too one-dimensional because of his lack of legs, blunting the attack at times.
Weghorst was only signed until the end of the season, and while the option is there for Ten Hag to extend his stay, it makes complete sense not to retain his services, despite being hailed for his ‘great personality and character’ by his manager recently.
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Liverpool will face Sparta Prague in the last 16 of the Europa League, while USMNT star Christian Pulisic and AC Milan take on Slavia Prague.
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Klopp chasing down more silverwareRossoneri must overcome Czech foesScottish giants Rangers take on BenficaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Jurgen Klopp has never won the Europa League during his rein at Anfield and will want to right that wrong, following a final defeat in 2016, before bringing his time with the Reds to a close this summer. Liverpool will not have things all their own way against Czech opposition, but are fancied by many to land another piece of major silverware in 2024.
AdvertisementEUROPA LEAGUE LAST-16 DRAW IN FULL
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Marseille vs Villarreal
Roma vs Brighton
Benfica vs Rangers
Freiburg vs West Ham
Sporting vs Atalanta
AC Milan vs Slavia Prague
Qarabag vs Bayer Leverkusen
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AC Milan – with United States internationals Pulisic and Yunus Musah within their ranks – edged their way past Rennes in the knockout round play-offs, but boast impressive continental pedigree and should never be ruled out.
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Elsewhere, Scottish giants Rangers face a tough trip to Lisbon for a meeting with Benfica, Brighton’s Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi will return to his homeland to take on Roma, while West Ham – last season’s Europa Conference League winners – tackle Freiburg. Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen have been paired with Azerbaijani history makers Qarabag and Marseille will be hoping to overcome Villarreal.
Everything that could have gone wrong for Manchester United has done so far this season in the Premier League, with injuries to the likes of Luke Shaw, an off-pitch dispute between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag, and disappointing results on the pitch.
In four games, the Red Devils have lost twice, with both defeats coming in North London against Tottenham Hotspur and then Arsenal. Meanwhile, the two wins that they have picked up were far from convincing, as they edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day before being forced to come from two goals down to defeat Nottingham Forest.
United's current predicament has forced Ten Hag to turn his attention towards the January transfer window, and one particular star is interested in making what would be a record departure from his current club.
What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?
United ticked plenty of boxes over the summer. They welcomed a modern day goalkeeper in the form of Andre Onana, whilst also adding midfield depth with the arrivals of Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat. And to complete their transfer window, they signed forward Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. Yet, with four games gone, it has been calamitous for the Red Devils.
With that said, it's clear that more reinforcements are needed, and that could come in the form of Brentford's Rico Henry. According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Brentford could accept a £35m-plus offer for their left-back in what could be a club-record sale.
The defender is also said to be interested in a big move, and a transfer to United would be exactly that. The Red Devils were also reportedly interested in Henry during the summer transfer window, but were not able to afford a permanent deal. When January comes around, it will certainly be interesting to see if United test Brentford's resolve, and if Henry pushes for a move away from the Bees.
How has Rico Henry performed this season?
Brentford'sRicoHenryin action with Manchester City's Kyle Walker
Brentford have got off to a strong start in the Premier League once again this season, remaining unbeaten in four games, drawing against Spurs, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth, as well as defeating Fulham. And Henry has played a large part in that run, starting in every game.
The left-back has earned plenty of deserved praise during his time with the Bees, including from Thomas Frank, who told the BBC: "On the defensive side, one-on-one actions, I actually haven’t seen a player or winger in the last two years in the Premier League that got the better of him.
"Maybe they got a cross in, but in general in these one-v-one duels he is so strong. He is so quick and he is in a fantastic place. If he can just get a tiny bit more output with assists and goals, that would be the next step for him. But he is another good example of a good character working very hard that will run through a brick wall for the team."
Given Henry's talent, United's interest comes as little surprise, making January an interesting month to keep an eye on when it comes to potential arrivals at Old Trafford.
170466 10 6.66 235202 4 5.77 3 352145 6.11The crippling blow was the ineffectiveness of Sri Lanka’s key players. Before this series, Sanath Jayasuriya averaged 40.26 against India but he could only manage a paltry 14.16 this time around. Chaminda Vaas normally averages 26.03 while playing India at 4.45 per over but in seven matches Vaas could only eke out four wickets at 76.25 apiece while leaking runs at 6.03 per over. Even the wily Muttiah Muralitharan was below his high standard, taking just six wickets in five games. Sri Lanka’s spinners, who are experts at administering the slow death at home, were countered effectively, and after their fast bowlers were carted everywhere, this was the killer punch.
Fast bowlers comparison
Country
Overs
Runs
Wickets
Econ. rate
Sri Lanka 169.3 1084 226.39 India 188 984 375.23
Spinners comparison
Country
Overs
Runs
Wickets
Econ. rate
Sri Lanka 117 656 115.60 India 123.4 594 164.80Throughout the series, India have built their innings beautifully. In almost all the matches the top three batsmen got off to quick starts and the middle order set the innings up perfectly for the slog where India drove home the advantage. In Sri Lanka’s case, the top order failed repeatedly and it was left to the middle order to salvage the innings. India’s flexible batting order worked marvellously and their No. 3 contributed 342 runs at an average of 57 while his Sri Lankan counterpart could only manage a meagre 140 runs at 20 per innings.
West Ham's Emerson scored an outrageous long-range goal in a 4-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League.
Emerson bags stunning strikeWest Ham cruise to victoryJarrod Bowen hits first career hat-trickWHAT HAPPENED?
West Ham enjoyed a comfortable victory over Brentford, with Bowen impressing with a hat-trick for David Moyes's side. However, Emerson also caught the eye with a stunning strike from long range that flew into the top corner to seal the victory in some style for the Hammers.
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Monday's win will ease the pressure on Moyes as West Ham bounced back from an awful 6-0 defeat to Arsenal and a loss to Nottingham Forest by picking up their first victory of 2024. The defeat means Brentford stay in 16th place in the table and are just five points off the relegation places.
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West Ham head to Goodison Park next to take on Everton. The Toffees have been boosted ahead of the game after an appeal saw their 10-point deduction reduced to six.
Tottenham Hotspur, under the frugal chairmanship of Daniel Levy, have often been an outfit ridiculed for failing to secure transfer targets due to their adversity towards spending big.
So often this has held them back, but even when success seemed right around the corner, they proved that huge investments do not guarantee silverware and sustainable progress.
In fact, arguably the darkest years in the club's recent history have come within the last few campaigns, as the end of Mauricio Pochettino's reign saw some questionable signings, before Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte were then handed huge fees to throw around too.
Naturally, to compete at the pinnacle of the modern game such astronomical figures seemingly must be spent. However, there was a time when the £63m they spent to buy Tanguy Ndombele, or the £60m unloaded on Richarlison, would have funded an entire squad overhaul.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
For example, as Gareth Bale continued to outgrow north London, with his performances meriting a greater stage with which to showcase his quality, Real Madrid were the willing recipients of his services.
Breaking the world-record fee at the time, offering a mouth-watering £85m, it is ludicrous to view the current market and see that such a figure would be the equivalent of signing someone of Manchester United's Antony, for example.
However, at the time this was a huge sum, which manager Andre Villas-Boas was tasked with reinvesting.
How did Spurs spend the Gareth Bale money?
With those funds, the Portuguese boss clearly felt like bolstering the entire playing squad was a far wiser move than seeking to spend it all as a direct replacement for the unimitable Welshman.
Had he spent with some intelligence, perhaps it might have been a strategy that earned success.
However, as it turned out, this was a disastrous use of precious funds, with arguably only one of the seven employed to offset such a huge absence earning any long-term success.
Immediately, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue and Vlad Chiriches were all found out to be far from the required level, although admittedly they were all the cheapest of the bunch aside from the Brazilian.
The peaks of their respective careers were hardly lofty, but they were definitely reached outside of north London.
Paulinho (Corinthians)
£17m
Christian Eriksen (Ajax)
£11m
Roberto Soldado (Valencia)
£26m
Nacer Chadli (FC Twente)
£7m
Etienne Capoue (Toulouse)
£9.3m
Vlad Chiriches (Steaua Bucharest)
£8.5m
Erik Lamela (AS Roma)
£25.8m
Information via GIVEMESPORT
Then came the big acquisitions, with Erik Lamela proving to be the largest investment, seen as a key successor to the Southampton academy graduate. Just 37 goals in a whopping 256 games showcased his failure to live up to such billing, and his exit was sealed when the Lilywhites had to pay Sevilla to take him, receiving the equally disappointing Byran Gil in his place.
Christian Eriksen, many would agree, marked a sole incredible investment given how important he became despite costing just £11.5m – scoring 69 goals and registering 90 assists in 405 games in all competitions.
And then there was Roberto Soldado.
Joining from Valencia, the Spanish striker had scored 17 goals in La Liga the season before moving and offered great promise as the man to reignite their strike force for the foreseeable future. In fact, across all competitions, the clinical marksman had recorded an impressive 33 goal contributions that year.
However, what occurred was nothing short of diabolical, as his profligacy led to him scoring just 13 goals before departing after only two years.
Journalist Keith Andrew would claim after just one year in England: "Soldado has to be one of the worst buys of the season."
If anything, it could actually be argued that the 5 foot 10 flop is still one of the worst pound-for-pound signings in the club's history.
How much did Spurs pay for Roberto Soldado?
Admittedly, at the time of signing the experienced marksman, the fee paid marked a fair price for someone who had proven so prolific in his homeland. It was only once he tried translating his form elsewhere that it became a waste.
After all, he had only cost £26m, and for what his form for Los Ches suggested, that arguably marked a bargain.
However, with his aforementioned goal record simply terrible, and the former Real Madrid dud offering even less in terms of general hold-up play, his departure in 2015 was a welcome one to compound their failure to reinvest the Bale money wisely.
What was Roberto Soldado's salary at Spurs?
Given the faith Villas-Boas had in Soldado to uphold his strike force for the foreseeable future, an equally mouth-watering salary was handed to the failure to go alongside the huge initial outlay used to even tempt his club to sell.
The £106k-per-week he was awarded marked a huge figure at the time, and allowed him to amass a further £5.53m per year.
Therefore, across the two short years he spent in north London, the 12-cap former international would pluck £11.06m in added fees, taking the total sum of his cost to the club up to £37.06m. This meant that for every goal the club paid £2.85m.
Did Roberto Soldado deserve to earn £106k-per-week?
It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that Soldado was not worth the salary he was graced with, given the high expectations placed upon him that were never imagined.
After all, those beliefs were only intensified when he scored on his league debut to hand them a win over Crystal Palace, leading to more hype from his manager: "Roberto's a real out and out striker. He's not been here a lot because of the Confederations Cup but he'll get fitter and sharper and will be even better."
Everyone is well aware of how the story went after that clash, with it being only downhill from there as these words rang empty.
How much has Roberto Soldado earned in his career?
Despite his torrid tenure in England, Soldado actually remained largely a consistent and threatening striker for the bulk of his career. Perhaps that tough period with Spurs could even be chalked down to homesickness, as seven of the other eight clubs he played for were all based in Spain.
The 38-year-old would score an admirable 82 in 141 Valencia appearances, and later on notched 33 in 66 for Getafe, and 12 in 55 for Villarreal, via Transfermarkt.
Football – Fiorentina v Tottenham Hotspur – UEFA Europa League Second Round Second Leg – Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence, Italy – 26/2/15Tottenham’s Roberto SoldadoAction Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Therefore, it is hard to argue that he was not good value for his total career earnings, which reached a mouth-watering £25.1m after his most recent contract with Levante ended.
The August just gone marked the month where the enigmatic Soldado called time on a career buoyed by goals scored wherever he went. However, for fans of English football, he will likely go down as one of the worst signings ever, despite how desperate he was to succeed, and how he still holds an affiliation with the club years after his exit.
Glasgow Rangers enter the international break having suffered confidence-draining defeats to both Celtic and PSV Eindhoven over the previous week which has threatened to derail their season before it really starts.
Michael Beale should have taken advantage of the recent poor form displayed by the Parkhead outfit and claimed a victory which would have allowed the Gers to leapfrog their Old Firm rivals and submit the first major blow of the season.
Out of his nine summer arrivals, Jack Butland is the only one who has really stood out as someone who will make a difference and although it is still early in the season, it speaks volumes for how Beale approached the transfer window.
How much did Rangers spend in the transfer market?
The Gers spent £14m during the summer while they managed to bring in £11.4m in from selling Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala, and Antonio Colak.
While this may sound like an impressive figure to bring in during one window, the club failed to generate a major fee for just one player, something which looked like it was becoming a recurring theme, especially considering there have been three players who have departed the club for big money since January 2022.
First Nathan Patterson left the Gers for Everton for a deal which could reach up to £16m before Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £10m and Calvin Bassey secured a move to Ajax for a club record fee of just under £23m last summer.
Although it’s disappointing to lose excellent players, the player trading model allows the club to generate a major profit from either academy graduates or those who arrived for a modest fee and gives the manager funds to strengthen the team.
This didn’t happen in the summer transfer window and Beale may regret this as time goes on.
What is Nathan Patterson doing now?
On the surface, receiving a fee of £16m for a player who had made a grand total of 27 appearances for the club, which included just 15 starts is a sensational piece of business, yet there is a lingering thought of what might have been had Patterson remained at Rangers.
The youngster made his debut aged just 18 back in January 2020 against Stranraer in the Scottish Cup and reflected on his maiden appearance, saying: “It was surreal, walking out in front of 40,000 fans for the club I love, it was just a great feeling. I’ve been here for 10 years, I’ve now made my debut and want to keep pushing on.”
He went on to claim a Premiership winners medal during the 2020/21 season while even making his Scotland debut during his spell at Rangers, but the lure of the Premier League, along with the significant transfer fee, proved too much to turn down.
Everton defender Nathan Patterson.
The 21-year-old has since made 27 appearances for the Toffees and has started all five of their matches under Sean Dyche this term.
He has grabbed one assist during his four league matches while currently ranking fourth across the squad for accurate passes per game and ranking first for tackles and sixth for interceptions per match, clearly suggesting that he is finally showcasing the form that saw Rafa Benitez splash out the money to sign him nearly two years ago.
Seeing Patterson really hit his stride in the Premier League will give Beale hope that he can produce players who may follow in his footsteps, generating the Ibrox side a major profit in the process.
Young full-back Adam Devine could be the next one cherry-picked by an English side in the coming years, thus becoming Beale's very own version of Patterson.
How good is Adam Devine?
The 20-year-old is a right-back who is also able to deputise on the left side of defence if required, offering versatility to Beale across his first-team squad which could become crucial as the season progresses.
After spending loan spells at Partick Thistle and Brechin City, Devine made just nine appearances for the B team before Giovanni van Bronckhorst handed him his Rangers debut against Dundee United in May 2022.
He impressed enough to secure his maiden start for the club just two games later during the final match of the 2021/22 season against Hearts and impressed during his 90 minutes on the pitch.
Adam Devine
The youngster made one successful dribble attempt while also making six clearances, two tackles and one interception, proving that he wasn’t afraid of getting stuck in against players of a higher quality than he was used to.
Following these performances, he was lauded as “powerful” by Craig Vickers, and went on to sign a long new term contract in October 2022, taking him up to 2025.
It took a while for him to make his first appearance of the 2022/23 campaign, as he was forced to wait until Beale’s first game against Hibs in December, but after that then started the first three matches of his reign.
Beale evidently rated the defender highly, saying: “He’s a young player who has come into the team unexpectedly and is playing out of position. Physically and mentally he’s been challenged but he’s come up trumps."
He also added: "I think he will jump up 25% in his natural position, certainly in attacking areas of the pitch. The captain also needs to look over his shoulder and that’s what I want."
High praise indeed and across six appearances last term, Devine created two big chances, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 100% of his attempted dribbles, clearly demonstrating that he is an attacking full-back who looks to create chances whenever possible.
He also made 0.7 tackles per game and won one ground duel per match – a success rate of 67% – which underlines his defensive quality and that he is an all round player who could contribute effectively at both ends of the pitch.
Of course, he isn’t quite at the same level of Patterson, yet the more game time he gets, the better he will become and given the club will be playing twice a week until Christmas due to European commitments, Devine may just be about to secure more minutes in the coming months.
After recent stutters against Luton Town and Toulouse, Liverpool got back to their ruthless best against Brentford in the Premier League to cap off an impressive start just before the third international break of the season. Sitting second and just one point away from league leaders Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp's side have the opportunity to go above last season's treble winners when they square off at The Etihad in the first game back after the international break.
If the Reds are to mount a serious title challenge, however, then they may need to look towards the January transfer window to complete Klopp's midfield rebuild. And reports suggest that FSG could be about to do exactly that.
Liverpool transfer news
Liverpool's summer overhaul, despite how many changes were made, has been fairly seamless. Those who arrived have slotted straight in and have impressed where the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho began to fail. Dominik Szoboszlai has been particularly impressive, offering the Reds mobility in the middle of the park once again. Ryan Gravenberch, meanwhile, has shown signs of becoming yet another bargain under Klopp, as he bounces back from Bayern Munich failure.
One struggle that has remained is the defensive midfield role, however. So far, Alexis Mac Allister has been shoehorned into the role and has, therefore, been exposed at times. Reports suggest that FSG could solve that problem in January though. According to Sport, Liverpool have taken the lead in the race for Andre Trindade. The Fluminense man is reportedly worth €35m (£30m) and has attracted the interest of the Premier League giants, alongside Barcelona.
Andre Trindade
Previous Liverpool transfer news suggested that the Reds had pulled out of the race to sign Andre, but now it seems as though they are leading the way in the chase for his signature in a major twist ahead of January. When the winter window opens, the Brazilian is certainly one to keep an eye on.
Liverpool leading the way for "monster" Andre
When looking at Klopp's newest version of his Liverpool side, there's a sense that the only player missing is an out-and-out defensive midfielder capable of replicating Fabinho's role when at his best. It has become clear fairly quickly that Mac Allister is not the man to do that and would be better used in a more advanced role similar to his Brighton & Hove Albion days. Andre, however, could be that player for the Reds. Andre's stats, compared to Mac Allister's, certainly suggest as much.
Player
Progressive Passes Per 90
Interceptions Per 90
Tackles Won Per 90
Andre Trindade
6.43
1.09
1.40
Alexis Mac Allister
5.42
0.69
1.21
It comes as little surprise that the Fluminense man has been at the centre of praise over the last year or so, including from ESPN's Fernando Campos, who posted on X: "Pressing and playing with the confidence of someone who knows he's different. Get out of the hush and make the team work. André Trindade is the best defensive midfielder in the country and is a monster of a player."