ESPN\u2019s Mark Ogden <\/a>pointed to United\u2019s to thrive after letting go of superstar talent.<\/p>\n\u201cFernandes is United\u2019s best player and continues to perform at the highest level for the team — a point highlighted by his stunning free-kick goal in Monday\u2019s 4-4 Premier League draw against Bournemouth,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the 31-year-old might need a history lesson when it comes to the ability of clubs to move on, and often prosper, when they part company with their biggest stars. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt United alone, much more significant and successful players than Fernandes, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Eric Cantona have left the club and been succeeded by replacements who have helped deliver Premier League and Champions League titles.\u201d<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen if Fernandes will be sanctioned by the club for his comments.<\/p>\n
WILD KLOPP SOLUTION IN POST-ANGE FLOP <\/p>\n
Tottenham\u2019s season sunk to its lowest point on the weekend as Ange Postecoglou\u2019s former side slumped to an abject 3-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest. <\/p>\n
Spurs are now in the bottom-half of the table with 22 points from 16 games, but it\u2019s their most recent form that\u2019s ringing alarm bells. <\/p>\n
The North London side has won just once in the league since beating Everton 3-0 on October 27. Since then, they have lost to Chelsea, Arsenal, Fulham and Forest, while their only win was against Brentford last week. <\/p>\n
And it has sent the pressure soaring on new boss Thomas Frank, whose new style of play that ripped up Postecoglou\u2019s playbook hasn\u2019t delivered. <\/p>\n
There are growing calls for the Dane to be moved on, including from former club part-owner Alan Sugar, who took aim after the Forest defeat.<\/p>\n
Sugar, who was a part-owner between 1991 and 2001, even floated a shock replacement option. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith the massive fortune of the Lewis family, it would be a win-win situation if they hired Jurgen Klopp in January,\u201d he posted to X. <\/p>\n
\u201cLoads of money for players and a great manager. Who agrees?\u201d<\/p>\n
TalkSPORT\u2019s Abbi Summers unloaded after the match, saying that Spurs \u201caren\u2019t going anywhere with Thomas Frank\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m at a point where I think do we just sack him? I know I\u2019m contradicting myself because I say that I want to be proved wrong… but there\u2019s nothing for me here,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all of it. The club, the manager, the team, the whole thing. I can\u2019t keep watching this.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been told to give it time. What am I giving time? There\u2019s nothing to build on.\u201d <\/p>\n
Tottenham\u2019s season sunk to its lowest point on the weekend.Source: AP<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Frank was incensed by his team\u2019s latest showing in which Spurs repeatedly turned the ball over and were largely outduelled. <\/p>\n
The Spurs head coach said that there was \u201ca hurricane inside me\u201d while trying to explain his emotions after the loss.<\/p>\n
He added, in a plea to his bosses: \u201cIf no one gets the time, no one can turn this around. This is not a quick fix.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a step back today.\u201d <\/p>\n
The pressure on Frank by the end of the year may get even worse with his side hosting Liverpool on December 21, before closing out the year with a visit to fifth-placed Crystal Palace. <\/p>\n
\u2018LOOKED LIKE THE END\u2019 <\/p>\n
It is difficult to read the Salah situation after he reappeared as a first-half substitute for Liverpool in Saturday\u2019s 2-0 win against Brighton. <\/p>\n
The 33-year-old Egypt forward last week accused the faltering Premier League champions of throwing him \u201cunder the bus\u201d after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds — the third match in a row he had not started. <\/p>\n
He was omitted from Liverpool\u2019s squad that travelled to Inter Milan in midweek, and it was a surprise to see him back in the fold against Brighton. <\/p>\n
After the match, manager Arne Slot said there was \u201cno issue to resolve\u201d with the forward, whose corner was headed in by Hugo Ekitike for his second goal. <\/p>\n
But there has been no apology from Salah, at least in public, and it seems unlikely that the saga is over, with the winger now heading to the Africa Cup of Nations. <\/p>\n
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said the situation had not been fully resolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that short-term resolution was a surprise to everyone,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it makes sense the more you think about it, because the club\u2019s the most important and now it\u2019s going to stop for a while.\u201d <\/p>\n
Adding fuel to the speculation is that Salah reportedly did a one-man lap of Anfield at the end of the match, which could be viewed as an apology \u2014 or a farewell. <\/p>\n
As witnessed by The Telegraph\u2019s Sam Wallace, Salah was last off the pitch and patted the badge before heading down the Anfield tunnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis looked like the end for Mohamed Salah at Anfield which, after the week of tumult at Liverpool, might be best for all concerned,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n
Speaking on Fox Sports News on Monday, Socceroos legend Robbie Slater said: \u201cIt didn\u2019t look like he was saying goodbye for a month, did it?\u201d <\/p>\n
As such, it\u2019s unclear if Salah will play for Liverpool again, but club captain Virgil van Dijk is aiming to have talks with the superstar in the coming days in a bid to convince him to remain in Liverpool. <\/p>\n
\u201cI speak about everything with him. Of course I\u2019ve told him I want him to stay,\u201d van Dijk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish him all the best and come back hopefully. I have no control over that. He is one of the leaders. I would love to have him around because he is one of the leaders. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut obviously the fact is he is going to Afcon. I wish him absolutely all the best. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks. And then let\u2019s see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salah returns in Liverpool win | 03:02<\/p>\n
ARSENAL: LUCK OF CHAMPIONS?<\/p>\n
Arsenal got away with it against bottom-club Wolves on Saturday — escaping with a 2-1 win after two own goals.<\/p>\n
The Gunners dominated possession but mustered just two shots on target in a toothless display that drew the ire of manager Mikel Arteta. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew it would not be an easy game, but we made it even harder and more difficult with what we did, and the manner that we conceded the goal, and that is unacceptable,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Arsenal remain favourites to end their two-decade wait for a Premier League title but dropping points at Wolves would have been disastrous, with Manchester City on the charge. <\/p>\n
Former Gunners defender Martin Keown said \u201clucky\u201d Arsenal were back. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to be champions, you have to be lucky,\u201d he told TNT Sports. \u201cAny team I\u2019ve been successful in has been lucky at some point, and Arsenal can breathe a sigh of relief.\u201d <\/p>\n
He added that it was difficult to underestimate the importance of the victory. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the whole title is on this game because the commotion around, the noise around, there\u2019s a lot of feeling.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018HE\u2019S THE REAL WORRY\u2019 <\/p>\n
Guardiola\u2019s touchline confrontation with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park laid bare his frustrations as his side struggled to kill off their enterprising opponents. <\/p>\n
City were leading after a header from arch-predator Erling Haaland but Glasner\u2019s astute tactics made it tough for his title-chasing opponents. <\/p>\n
Fortunately for Guardiola, his expensive and extensive City overhaul since January shows signs of revitalising a side that slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat in their previous meeting with Palace in the FA Cup final in May. <\/p>\n
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland celebrates with Manchester City’s Phil Foden after scoring his side’s opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Sunday, Dec.14, 2025. (AP Photo\/Kin Cheung)Source: AP<\/p>\n
City were forced to dig deep to keep Palace at bay on Sunday, displaying the character and tenacity that eluded them when they surrendered the title to Liverpool last season. <\/p>\n
Phil Foden scored a priceless second goal before Haaland struck again from the penalty spot in the closing minutes to make it 3-0 as City notched a fourth straight win in the Premier League. <\/p>\n
Haaland\u2019s latest act of dominance saw The Telegraph pen the headline: \u2018Scarily, cheat code Haaland has added a new dimension to his game\u2019. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s Foden whose up-turn in form has translated to City\u2019s big surge in recent weeks, and could take City to the title again, Jamie Carragher believes. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks back to his best,\u201d Carragher said on Sky Sports\u2019 Extra Time. <\/p>\n
\u201cBack to his best is one of the best players in the Premier League and I keep saying it, it\u2019s not Haaland, it\u2019s him who must be a real fear for Arsenal.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaaland is expected, he does it year in and year out, getting 30 or 40 goals, and he is doing it this season, but Phil Foden coming back to the party is a real worry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hectic Christmas period will provide further tests of City\u2019s new-found steel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An ugly Bruno Fernandes situation has emerged for Manchester United after the club\u2019s key star delivered a damning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352803,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[2620,193743,53035,64,63,689,193746,34681,193748,193756,193750,2057,193747,193761,3738,5330,50609,42099,791,1613,2022,193744,11999,193742,8316,48081,673,3583,677,48085,120755,92962,193760,1614,193749,193752,193762,193751,193759,2643,53077,85,7663,193755,2639,193745,193753,193754,3586,36454,193757,193758],"class_list":["post-352802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-alan-sugar","tag-arsenal-football-club","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-club-part-owner","tag-crystal-palace-football-club","tag-danny-murphy","tag-dropping-points","tag-enterprising-opponents","tag-europe","tag-familiar-chorus","tag-first-half-substitute","tag-fox-sports","tag-head-coach","tag-jamie-carragher","tag-jurgen-klopp","tag-lewis","tag-liverpool","tag-london","tag-lowest-point","tag-manchester-city-football-club","tag-martin-keown","tag-mikel-arteta","tag-mohamed-salah","tag-new-south-wales","tag-northern-europe","tag-oceania","tag-oliver-glasner","tag-opening-goal","tag-phil-foden","tag-post-ange-flop","tag-premier-league","tag-real-fear","tag-real-worry","tag-ringing-alarm-bells","tag-sam-wallace","tag-shock-replacement-option","tag-sky-sports","tag-soccer-match","tag-sports","tag-talking-points","tag-the-north-london","tag-thomas-h-frank","tag-title-chasing-opponents","tag-touchline-confrontation","tag-two-decade-wait","tag-united-kingdom","tag-virgil-van-dijk","tag-weekend-fixtures","tag-win-win-situation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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