17/08/2025

theSun on Sunday AUG 17, 2025

SPORTS 13

The only way is up

BY RICHARD JOLLY After Manchester United hit rock bottom, are the good times finally coming?

to come. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee look like being demoted. Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony formed four of the bomb squad. A recurring theme at Old Trafford is that deciding to sell players is easier than actually cashing in on them and so far only Rashford is gone, and even then only on loan. United probably needed to bring more money in, and not merely because, as they often seem to, they arguably required more players: in particular a goalkeeper better than Andre Onana and a high-class No. 6 which, in both cases, is an indictment of past signings. If Cunha and Mbeumo suc ceed, it implies that Amad Diallo will spend more time at right wing-back and Bruno Fernandes deep in midfield. The captain’s decision to reject a lucrative move to Al Hilal because he wanted to play at the highest level prompted a few quips at United’s expense but also provided an invaluable boost: how would the one-man team have fared without the one man? The hope is that Fernandes will receive more support and not merely because United now have a six-man leadership group. Without European football, they may need fewer players: perhaps United’s past failures will work to their advantage in a division where nine others have continental commitments. Yet it will not be easy. United’s first eight games include all the four title favourites. A team who got a mere 42 points last season probably required at least about 25. Every element, from the number of goals scored to the home record, needs to improve. Ludicrously, United did not win two consecutive League games once last season. The disaster season at least suggested United have finally hit rock bottom. But even if that is true, it does not guarantee the return of the good times. – The Independent

than any other in more than three decades. It contained a run to the Europa League final, some hints of the spirit of old and the potential for the future, but also stunningly bad League form. A 15th place finish may have flattered Amorim: under him, United got only 27 points from as many games, better only than the relegated trio and their Europa League final conquer ors, Tottenham, and they were flattered by some of the better results they achieved. A capacity to look the worse side in virtually any league game boded badly. The counter argument was that United merely had to adjust to Amorim’s increasingly infa mous tactical demands. It certainly took longer than they envisaged – sacking Ten Hag came with the hope of sal vaging a top-four finish – but pre-season has offered some belated signs of players adjust ing more to the 3-4-3 formation that suited too few. It helps that two transfer windows have yielded a special ist left wing-back, even if Patrick Dorgu’s displays have been mixed, and now two No. 10s, even if United seem to have a surfeit, given that Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Amad Diallo are alternatives to Cunha and Mbeumo. Yet Amorim, who has said he is now happy with the squad he has, cannot be accused of ignor ing United’s greatest shortcom ings. He has bought inside-for wards and a centre-forward after they mustered a mere 44 League goals last sea son.

That was May. In Amorim’s own timescale, therefore, the good days are arriving, begin ning now. There is a sense they have to: not merely for Amorim, who was probably guilty of smiling exaggeration when he said on the pre-season tour of the United States that he wanted to stay for 20 years but is actually in the last two of his contract, but for the club. Comparisons with the past are neither invariably accurate nor helpful, but the immediate precedent is of Erik ten Hag, retained after a disappointing season with the prospect the next could be better and sacked in October after some £200 million (RM1.16 billion) of summer spending. Now Sir Jim Ratcliffe has dis posed of some 450 members of staff but not Amorim. Furnished with new attackers, in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, his summer outlay is up to around £200 mil lion. History is not doomed to for ever repeat itself; but United know that from bitter experience because last season was so much w o r s e

cisms of a campaign where United had fared worse than had seemed possi ble, few were as pithy as Amorim’s description.

IF nothing else, Ruben Amorim does not try to sugarcoat things. The manager who had said he had perhaps the worst team in

The rest of his message marked a real shift in tone. “I want to tell you the good days are coming,” he added.

Manchester United’s history stood in the middle of the Old Trafford pitch and said: “Today, after this disas ter season.” The disaster sea son: piercing as some of the cr i t i -

Cunha and Mbeumo got 35 on their own for Wolves and Brentford respec tively. Sesko

Manchester United’s Mason Mount in action with Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic during their friendly match. – REUTERSPIC

scored 13 in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig. The attack ing overhaul has come at the

expense of men who were sup posed to form the basis of United’s forward line for years

Newcastle fans anymore. It would just be deja vu. ENDING AUGUST IN THE DROP ZONE When you’ve had a wretched summer and remain desperate for signings, you probably don’t want to be starting with a trip to Villa Park before facing champions Liverpool. Lose both, and fan discontent over transfers will become anger over results. That would leave Howe’s side facing a potentially crunch trip to newly promoted Leeds before the window closes. Getting last minute deals over the line will be hard enough for club chiefs, and yet, it will be even harder if you’re sat in the bottom three.

sign him rejected this summer, and remain clear favourites for his signature. And yet, as with Ekitike and Sesko, we’ve heard that script before this summer. It’s worth noting that Tottenham not only has Wissa’s former manager, Thomas Frank, on board but also considerable funds from the failed Morgan Gibbs-White deal.

on the books, picking up wages for nothing. Fans fear this scenario, but Newcastle cutting losses and renegotiating a lower fee than wanted with Liverpool could soon be inevitable. WISSA SNARED BY SPURS The news that Brentford have reached a deal to sign winger Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth has

SIDENETTING

ISAK GETS HIS RM685M MOVE Liverpool’s initial bid for Swedish star Isak, worth a potential £120m (RM685m), was turned down by Newcastle. The club have insisted they want a massive £150m (RM857m) for their key man, which would make him the third most expensive footballer in history. Now the North East club are between a rock and a hard place. Isak’s behaviour has made a potential reintegration into the first-team squad almost inconceivable, and no sale could mean a disgruntled, unavailable star sitting

seemingly paved the way for Yoane Wissa (pic) to finally leave. Newcastle have already had one bid to

Spurs making a last ditch effort to scupper Newcastle wouldn’t even be devastating for