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Michael Carrick Makes Man Utd Feelings on JJ Gabriel Clear at Carrington

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Just over a year ago Ruben Amorim infamously called his Manchester United team possibly “the worst” in the club’s 147-year history.

It was another naive mistake by the likeable Portuguese coach who, months later, followed up that startling admission with ill-timed, ill-conceived comments that put down both Kobbie Mainoo and Patrick Dorgu – two shining lights since his departure.

With Amorim consigned to a place among a sorry recent history of failed United managers, United now have their sights fixed on a Champions League place next season.

Die-hard United fans hope they can amass enough wins in their remaining 12 games to grab a taste of Champions League football for the first time since 2023, starting at Everton on Monday.

Given United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick’s interim leadership, it’s hard not to conclude that Amorim was the problem, not the players, though the truth of it lies somewhere in the middle.

What isn’t in doubt is that the feel-good factor is back at Old Trafford – big time. And Carrick has managed what Amorim couldn’t in that regard.

Carrick’s brought hope to a club that was treading water and the message has gone global.

Yet his methods haven’t had sorcery, magic or wizardry at their core. It’s not been a complex reinvention of the way United play.

It’s been based on a simpler tactical system that has utilised United’s strengths and brought the club back closer to its traditions in a matter of weeks.

Frank Ilett may not have his haircut yet as he awaits five wins in a row.

But United look to have turned a corner and are heading out of the cul-de-sac in which they’ve seemingly been stuck in for an age.

Whether it’s another false dawn it’s possibly too early to tell, but Monday’s trip to Everton will answer many of those doubts.

United go to the Hill Dickinson Stadium as a different team to the one who pitifully lost in the reverse fixture to a 10-man Everton team 1-0 in November.

That game opened up perfectly for United when Idrissa Gueye was sent off after only 13 minutes at Old Trafford for an altercation with Michael Keane.

But United ended up losing tamely to create another low point in Amorim’s tenure.

Despite a draw at West Ham last time out, United go to Everton still on the front foot with fans revelling in the new found optimism Carrick’s appointment has triggered.

United’s remaining games are far from an easy run-in, with trips to Newcastle and Chelsea as well as home games against Aston Villa and Liverpool.

Eddie Howe’s team apart, they are teams who are all fighting for a Champions League place.

To United’s advantage is that all four are either still in Europe, the FA Cup or both, while Carrick and his squad have nothing to distract them from a strong Premier League finish.

The key to that will be the experienced old heads in the team in Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw – four players that all looked on the way out last summer as United toiled under Amorim.

Now they’re the Fab Four – players Carrick can rely on to guide United through the most important 12 games in the last decade and more since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down.

Fernandes Ready to Stay – On One Condition

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates

Manchester United expect to fend off big Saudi interest in Bruno Fernandes again this summer – but it’s believed the Old Trafford captain has different plans.

Sources close to Fernandes say he’s certain to stay at the club if they clinch Champions League football next season.

Fernandes is said to be as “upbeat and positive” as he’s been for some time at United having formed a close working relationship with interim coach Michael Carrick.

The Portuguese star, who cost £47 million from Sporting Lisbon in 2020, is contracted to United until June 2027 with a further one-year option.

With United already losing Casemiro this summer, they can’t afford to see Fernandes leave as well.

United’s recruitment team are assessing potential targets to help replace Casemiro and have been impressed with Forest’s Ivory Coast star Ibrahim Sangare as a player who can bolster defensive midfield.

Carrick Considered Using JJ Gabriel

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks on vs West Ham

Although his focus is the first team and targeting Champions League football, it’s believed Michael Carrick has taken a personal interest in United’s Under-18 team.

Carrick made the journey to Oxford to see United reach the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals in style with a 4-1 win.

While JJ Gabriel caught Carrick’s eye with a fine goal, it’s believed Carrick has no immediate plans to promote the 15-year-old to the first team squad just yet.

So far Carrick has only played one current academy player in Tyler Fletcher, son of Darren Fletcher, although he has also included Tyler’s brother Jack on the bench, as well as young winger Shea Lacey.

Carrick is thought to have told staff at Carrington that if United had still been in the FA Cup he’d have thought hard about some involvement for Gabriel.

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Man Utd Dealt Huge Blow as Fabrizio Romano Drops Big Tchouameni Update

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Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni after he agreed a contract extension at the Bernabeu, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils have been pushing to upgrade their midfield options this summer after Casemiro departed at the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte has suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup, leaving Michael Carrick short of options in the middle of the park.

A deal for Ederson has already been agreed with Atalanta, while United also agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea for Andrey Santos on Wednesday afternoon, adding two new faces to the squad. But they now look set to miss out on another top target after Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.

Tchouameni Agrees Real Madrid Contract Extension

Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde

Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde

via Reuters

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Tottenham Ready to Go All Out to Sign Eli Junior Kroupi

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Tottenham Hotspur are having a dream summer transfer window so far, and they’re ready to go all in to get another deal over the line, according to reports in Spain.

The north London side have completed six deals already for manager Roberto De Zerbi as they plan a major overhaul following two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali all arriving.

But the club are not done there and are now looking to add a new forward to their squad, with one name in particular seen as the dream target.

Tottenham Ready to Go All Out for Kroupi

eli kroupi

It’s been reported that Spurs are looking to complete a deal to bolster their forward line with Bournemouth sensation Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, with a £75m bid being prepared to try and tempt the Cherries.

Bournemouth are adamant they will not sell the Frenchman, who has been described as ‘world-class’, but that has not deterred De Zerbi’s side, as they look to make a real splash in the market to get back towards the top end of the table.

Tottenham are not the only team showing an interest in the record-breaking 20-year-old, who managed 13 Premier League goals last season, with Barcelona and champions Arsenal also keen.

However, it’s reported that Tottenham are ready to go ‘all out’ to get a deal over the line, with De Zerbi understood to be thrilled at the prospect of having him as part of his squad for the upcoming campaign. The Italian is urging club bosses to accelerate their interest, as he looks to add a top striker to the project.

Bournemouth, however, have not budged on their stance, and with no release clause in his contract, it will take an astronomical offer to convince them to change their position.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

Kroupi Would Be Huge Statement for Spurs

AFC Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi celebrates
AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi celebrates
via Reuters

Kroupi’s performances in the Premier League last season have made him one of the most sought-after attacking talents in the market this summer, and it’s no surprise Bournemouth don’t want to lose him.

Double European champions PSG are also said to be in the running to get him in, with an £87m offer reportedly in the works. But Spurs would be willing to watch that, and if they can beat the French side to a signing for a top young forward, that would be a huge statement.

De Zerbi has made his demands clear, and the club have shown they are not afraid to splash the cash this summer, so this is one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

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English Referees Are Banned From Officiating Two World Cup Nations

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As with every World Cup, there has been plenty of controversy about the referees. Even before the tournament began, headlines were made as Somali official Omar Artan was controversially denied entry to the US, while more drama has since happened on the pitch.

Among the most notable events, Portugal just about beat Croatia when VAR intervened to rule out Josko Gvardiol’s late goal by the finest of margins, and Egypt were left furious after some key decisions went against them as they lost 3-2 to Argentina.

English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will be glad to have largely stayed out of headlines so far this summer. They have perhaps been helped by the fact that they are banned from officiating games for one World Cup national team.

Why Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Can’t Referee Two World Cup Teams

Michael Oliver reacts during FIFA match Michael Oliver via REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj

There are just two referees from England officiating games at the summer, Premier League duo Oliver and Taylor. The former actually had to pull out of his first appointment between Ivory Coast and Ecuador due to injury, but has since recovered and is set to take charge of Spain’s quarter-final against Belgium this week.

That game will see him take charge of his seventh World Cup match, more than any other Englishman but his options to oversee more games after that become quite limited. This is because all English referees, including Taylor, are not allowed to oversee games involving their own country, England (for obvious reasons), as well as Argentina matches.

As explained by The Athletic, Taylor was actually under consideration for the World Cup final at Qatar 2022 after an impressive tournament, but was unable to do so when Argentina advanced to meet France. This is due to political reasons, largely relating to the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

The conflict – which lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender as the islands were returned to British control – saw 649 members of the Argentine military, 255 members of the British military, and three Falkland Islanders all killed. Despite decades passing since the war, the subject is still contentious in Argentina, with current president Javier Milei strongly reaffirming his belief in Argentine sovereignty over the territories.

Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Unlikely to Referee 2026 World Cup Final

Referee Anthony Taylor

Due to the FIFA rules for referee selection, both Englishmen Oliver and Taylor are unlikely to be selected to cover the 2026 World Cup final. They will only be considered if Norway (who play England in Saturday’s last-eight tie) or Switzerland (who play Argentina) advance to the tournament decider.

As well as not being able to take charge of games involving Argentina or England, the duo – as is the case with all referees at the World Cup – are not to officiate matches in their own nation’s pathway. As such, it seems unlikely that Oliver and Taylor will be selected to oversee either semi-final if Argentina or England get that far.

This is because they can’t take charge of the semi-final involving either one or both Argentina and England, while the other semi-final would have a team on the path to potentially meet the Three Lions in the final, which would compromise their status as a neutral party.

As the rules mean they can’t work on games which have direct implications for their own nationalities, Oliver and Taylor were not considered to officiate other matches in England’s Group L earlier in the tournament, including games between Croatia, Ghana and Panama, their group opponents.

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