Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Scholes and Neville slam side after Wolves loss, Cristiano Ronaldo LATEST, £100m Rice chase
MANCHESTER UNITED are under fire AGAIN this season after a poor loss at home to Wolves.
The home side were under par for most of the game and were made to rue Bruno Fernandes firing a sitter against the bar.
Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have taken to social media to air their displeasure at United's performance.
SunSport can exclusively reveal the club are confident of landing £100m Declan Rice from West Ham this summer.
We understand United are likely to seize their chance in the coming weeks to do the groundwork in putting together a big bid at the end of the season for the England star.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are rated realistic contenders to sign Barcelona's star defender Ronald Araujo.
The Uruguay hero reportedly has a £168million release clause.
Elsewhere, reports suggest that the new interim boss has blocked Dean Henderson's potential loan move away from Old Trafford this month.
Get all the latest Man Utd transfer news, updates and gossip on our live blog…
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
- Joshua Jones
Good morning Red Devils fans
Luke Shaw questioned the desire and commitment of United’s players following their 1-0 home defeat to Wolves.
Wanderers hit a late but deserved winner through Joao Moutinho to shock the lacklustre Red Devils at Old Trafford.
United left-back Shaw told Sky Sports: “It maybe looked like an easy game for them, and it was a disappointing performance and result.
“You look at the players we have and we have unbelievable quality – but sometimes quality is not enough.
“We need to bring the intensity and more motivation. Inside the dressing room, we know what we want but out on the pitch we need to give 100 per cent.”
United will be without Shaw and Scott McTominay when they face Aston Villa in the Premier League on January 15, after both picked up their fifth bookings of the season against Wanderers.
A lot of the pre-match talk was about United’s Phil Jones getting a shock start in the absence of injured Harry Maguire.
But the injury-blighted defender proved any doubters wrong as the hosts’ best player on the night.
The other big call for United’s caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick was who to make skipper in the absence of Maguire – and he went for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rangnick said: “The question was is it David [De Gea] or him, these are the players who’ve been playing for the longest period of time.
“And I wanted an outfield player as captain which is why I chose Cristiano.”
- [email protected]
Neves stars against suitors United
Manchester United supporters want them to hurry up and make a move for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.
The 24-year-old was one of many Wanderers' stars to shine in their shock 1-0 win at Old Trafford this evening.
And a number of Red Devils' fans took to Twitter after the match to call for the club to put in a bid for the Portugal star in the January transfer window.
- [email protected]
Shaw: We struggled against Wolves
Luke Shaw questioned the desire and commitment of United's players following their 1-0 home defeat to Wolves.
Wanderers hit a late and deserved winner through Joao Moutinho to shock the lackluster Red Devils at Old Trafford.
United left-back Shaw told Sky Sports: "It maybe looked like an easy game for them, and it was a disappointing performance and result.
"We didn't have many options on the ball and we weren't on the front foot.
"You look at the players we have and we have unbelievable quality – but sometimes quality is not enough.
"We need to bring the intensity and more motivation. Inside the dressing room, we know what we want but out on the pitch we need to give 100 percent.
"To win these types of games we all need to be 100 percent committed."
- [email protected]
Shaw and McTominay earn suspensions
Manchester United will be without Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay when they face Aston Villa in the Premier League on January 15.
Villa visit Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday, January 10, before the sides meet at Villa Park in the league five days later.
United must cope without Shaw and McTominay for the Prem clash due to suspension after both picked up their fifth bookings of the season in tonight's defeat to Wolves.
- [email protected]
Jones was United's best player
A few eyebrows were raised when Phil Jones was given a start for United against Wolves tonight but he proved any doubters wrong.
Despite a bitterly disappointing 1-0 home defeat, the former England defender was rated as the Red Devils' best player on the night.
The Manchester Evening News said that 'considering all he's been through and his lack of football that was an extremely gutsy performance'.
- [email protected]
Ince: McTominay should be skipper
Manchester United legend Paul Ince says believes Scott McTominay should have been named Manchester United captain instead of Cristiano Ronaldo against Wolves.
Ronaldo got the armband in the absence of injured Harry Maguire.
Sky Sports pundit Ince said: "I would give it to McTominay. I think the captain should be based on his performances of what he's done it on the pitch."
- [email protected]
Fergie's defensive dream is realised
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United dream was finally realised against Wolves this evening when Phil Jones started alongside Raphael Varane in defence.
Fergie wanted to sign Varane from Lens in 2011 but he went to Real Madrid.
That was just before he said Jones could be 'one of the best players United have ever had'.
And the great Scot got his wish tonight and the duo kept a clean sheet as the game entered the final ten minutes.
- [email protected]
United thrown to the Wolves
There has been a unanimous thumbs down for United's first-half display against Wolves.
After a goalless first-half, TalkSPORT's Jason Cundy and Dean Saunders agreed the hosts' display was 'embarrassing'.
The Manchester Evening News said: "The only difference to those disastrous displays under Solskjaer is that they haven’t conceded."
Big improvement needed from the Red Devils in this second half then…
- [email protected]
Ronaldo gets latest leading role
Ralf Rangnick said he made Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United captain against Wolves due to his experience.
The Portugal forward got the armband because Harry Maguire was ruled out through injury.
Boss Rangnick said the choice of stand-in skipper was between Ronaldo and keeper David De Gea.
He explained: "The question was is it David or him, these are the players who have been playing for the longest period of time.
"And I wanted an outfield player as captain which is why I chose Cristiano."
- [email protected]
Fans thrilled with Phil recall
The Old Trafford faithful were pleased to see Phil Jones back in United's starting line-up.
The Manchester Evening News (MEN) said the injury-blighted defender's name was cheered loudly in the Stretford End.
Jones came in for injured Harry Maguire, and the MEN humorously added: "He has started better than Maguire did against Newcastle and Leicester, at least."
- [email protected]
Donny has had his Phil
In the latest blow to Donny van de Beek's career he will be on the bench tonight with Phil Jones getting a shock start Wolves.
The Dutch star struggled for game time under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and that trend looks set to continue under new caretaker gaffer Ralf Rangnick.
Former England star Jones will start in the absence of Harry Maguire, who misses out through injury.
- Justin Lawrence
Man Utd line up against Wolves
Rangnick keeps his 4-2-2-2 formation with United unbeaten since he replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the Theatre of Dreams.
Arguably the club's player of the season, Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea is between the sticks.
Phil Jones comes in to replace the injured Maguire. He will join Varane at the heart of the defence.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka starts at right-back, with Luke Shaw at left-back.
Matic and McTominay, who was fantastic against Burnley, will sit in the defensive midfield positions.
Sancho and Greenwood will attack behind the very experienced duo up top of Cavani and captain Ronaldo.
1 De Gea; 29 Wan-Bissaka, 4 Jones, 19 Varane, 23 Shaw; 11 Greenwood, 31 Matic, 39 McTominay, 25 Sancho; 7 Ronaldo, 21 Cavani
- Justin Lawrence
Not Keane on Fergie
Man United fans were quick to react after Roy Keane revealed his mum Marie is 'the only boss I listen to'.
The notorious hardman often reveals his softer side on his famous Instagram page and his latest offering did not disappoint.
Keane, 50, shared a picture of himself and his mum Marie on Monday.
The midfielder-turned pundit had a petrified, wide-eyed look on his face while his mother gave the camera a stern look.
Keane captioned the post: "The only boss I listen to."
It received more then 230,000 likes and more than 1,200 comments.
Many of those in the replies were United fans and they wasted no time in mentioning legendary Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
- Justin Lawrence
‘City are the best ever’
Graeme Souness reckons the current Manchester City squad is the strongest EVER to grace the Premier League.
That includes the likes of Arsenal’s unbeaten Invincibles and the Treble-winners of Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola’s latest City outfit sit ten points clear of Chelsea in second and are favourites to defend their title.
Souness made the claim as the Blues were held to a 2-2 draw by third-place Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
He told Sky Sports: “City in my opinion have the strongest group of players ever in the history of English football.
“If some players go on a downward spiral in terms of form, they can chop and change it.
“There’s not a great difference to the XI that ends up starting games and that’s a tremendous strength.”
- Justin Lawrence
Neves' 'ready' for Ronaldo and Fernandes
Ruben Neves insists he has no fear facing Portuguese counterparts Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo when Wolves face Man United today.
Neves has gone up against several of his fellow countrymen including Man City stars Bernando Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo.
He's also faced Fernandes before and claims today will be no different.
Although Neves plans to keep a close eye on Ronaldo who he knows can score at any moment.
Neves said: "I've played against Bruno Fernandes many times before, alongside Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo. Fortunately the Premier League is not short of Portuguese players which is extremely good for our country because it's the best league in the world.
"We have excellent players here that get talked about every day about the job they have been doing. I've played against many of my friends and obviously with Cristiano Ronaldo, I will have to watch him very closely because he is able to score a goal at any moment."
- Justin Lawrence
O'Hara 'unconvinced' by United
Jamie O'Hara still has doubts over Man United despite their resurgence under new boss Ralf Rangnick.
United have had two consecutive wins in the Premier League but O'Hara reckons they'll come unstuck against a top team in the division.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m not convinced by Man United, I’ll be totally honest with you.
“I’m not convinced with Man United and this 4-2-2-2 system. They’ve played three really poor sides and I think when they come up against a really top side, I think they’ll get turned over.”
- Justin Lawrence
Jones' first United game in two years
Man United defender Phil Jones is set to play his first game in almost two years tonight.
The defender, 29, is in the squad to face Wolves at Old Trafford later and is expected to replace the injured Harry Maguire.
Jones' last appearance for the Red Devils was in a 6-0 FA Cup victory against Tranmere Rovers in January 2020.
Since then, the UK has entered three separate Covid-19 lockdowns and Liverpool have ended a 30-year wait for a league title.
And it has been all-changed at United as well with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being sacked and replaced by Ralf Rangnick.
Just one player from the starting XI has permanently left Man Utd: Back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who is now at Italian side Venezia.
And midfielder Andreas Pereira is not currently living in Manchester after joining Brazilian side Flamengo on a season-long loan.
But the other nine players are all still part of the Red Devils squad.
- Justin Lawrence
'Jobe's not Championship ready yet'
Lee Bowyer has revealed that Jobe Bellingham isn't ready to play in the Championship let alone the Premier League amid interest from Man United.
The 16-year-old brother of Borussia star Jude Bellingham has reportedly caught the eye of United following a series of blistering displays for the Blues U18 side.
But Blues boss Bowyer doesn't think Jobe's physically ready to handle the pressures of the Championship yet although he's showing signs of progress.
He said: "He’s not ready. He’s not ready for the Championship," Bowyer said in his recent press conference.
"Physically he’s not ready yet. But what I would say is in the last two weeks or however long it has been since the Blackburn game, he has been training with us every day, and he has improved loads in that short space of time.
"Obviously the lad is at school, but this last couple of weeks he’s been with us every day and he has grown."
"If I get the opportunity and he’s ready, like I’ve done with these two young lads today, I’ll give him a chance."
- Justin Lawrence
United vs Wolves likely line-up
Manchester United are set to be without Harry Maguire for Monday's clash against Wolves with Phil Jones set to play his first Premier League game in two years.
United boss Rangnick is likely to keep his 4-2-2-2 formation with United unbeaten since he replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the Theatre of Dreams.
But in a blow for United, skipper Maguire has picked up an injury, which could see Jones to take his place in the line-up.
Meanwhile Eric Bailly is a doubt after being forced off against Sean Dyche's side last week due to fatigue and Raphael Varane may replace him,
Rangnick was already expected to change up his team with playmaker Bruno Fernandes available for selection after he missed the fixture against Burnley due to suspension.
Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea will surely keep his place between the sticks.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is likely to slot in at right-back, with Luke Shaw to keep his place down the left.
- Justin Lawrence
Get Ron a pizza
Cristiano Ronaldo's guilty pleasure is a pizza shared with his son.
The football star is renowned for his impeccable condition that has seen him rule as one of the most physically dominant players in the world.
But Ronaldo has admitted in the past that even he is a sucker for a cheat meal, with the Portugal legend opting for a pizza to avoid a 'boring' life.
He told YouTube channel ChrisMD: "The key is to take care of your body, train, do your recovery and eat properly.
"Although sometimes I do eat pizza with my son, otherwise it would be boring."
- Justin Lawrence
Rangnick wants goals from United
Ralf Rangnick expects his Man United team to score plenty of goals against Wolves today.
The Red Devils hit the net three times against Burnley in their last Prem outing and Rangnick doesn't see why Wolves shouldn't get the same treatment from his stars.
But although the German wants goals, he would like United to keep a clean sheet in the Prem clash.
Rangnick told United's website: “Yes, it’s about winning games. That’s the next home game we have, and another game where we will try to get the three points.
"Against Burnley, they also didn’t concede that many goals so far [this season] and we scored three of them. So why shouldn’t we be able to score goals against Wolves?
"As long as we keep a clean sheet, or only concede one goal… as long as we score three, everything is okay.”
- Justin Lawrence
Webb wanted Ronaldo to miss penalty
Howard Webb wanted to see Cristiano Ronaldo miss a penalty for Manchester United – after realising he’d made his biggest-ever mistake.
In April 2009, a match between the Red Devils and Tottenham at Old Trafford turned in the home side’s favour after a controversial penalty call.
With United 2-0 down, Michael Carrick hit the deck after a challenge from Heurelho Gomes and the referee pointed to the spot, only for replays to show the goalkeeper clearly getting the ball.
And Webb admitted wanting to see Ronaldo fluff his lines before the forward drilled the ball home to start a dramatic 5-2 comeback win for United.
- Justin Lawrence
Maguire ‘OUT of Wolves clash'
Harry Maguire will miss Manchester United’s clash with Wolves on Monday night.
The Red Devils skipper has picked up a knock since playing the full 90 minutes against Burnley last week.
Maguire’s absence has sparked a defensive crisis at Old Trafford that could see Phil Jones called into action for his first senior game in TWO YEARS.
The 29-year-old has just two U23 games under his belt this season and last made a Premier League appearance in January 2020.
But United manager Ralf Rangnick may be left with nowhere else to turn as options look thin on the ground.
- Justin Lawrence
'Be wary of Wolves'
Rangnick has warned his United team to be wary of Wolves' counterattack when the sides meet in the Prem today.
The Red Devils go into the game on a high following back-to-back wins in the league but they'll have to avoid leaving themselves open for Wolves to exploit to keep up their victorious streak, Rangnick reckons.
He said ahead of the game: “Yes, another complicated team to play. In most cases they play with a back three or a back five. Very compact on the counterattack, very difficult to outplay.
"And again, it’s about finding the right spots, the right spaces, making the right decisions, playing the ball into the dangerous areas without being vulnerable on the counterattack.
This is, against Wolves, one of the most important things.”
- Justin Lawrence
Win money back on United game
Paddy Power are offering punters up to £20 back as cash if their bet on Manchester United vs Wolves loses.
That's right – new customers who sign up and stake £20 on the Premier League showdown will get their money straight back if they're not successful!
The bookmaker are also offering customers a boosted 181/1 bet builder on the all-important clash at Old Trafford.
So we're backing United to win 1-0 at odds of 9/2.
New Paddy Power customers can follow our tip and if we're successful – you'll win £110 from a £20 stake!
If we're wrong, you get your money straight back as cash. It's as simple as that.
But if you fancy going for something a little bit bigger (OK, a lot bigger), then you can back our four-fold bet builder that's been boosted to 181/1.
You can find out all you need to know right here.
Source: Read Full Article