Glasgow Rangers kick off the New Year with their second Old Firm clash of the 2024/25 league campaign, welcoming rivals Celtic to Ibrox this afternoon.

The Gers play host to the Hoops in the 3 pm kick-off today and will be looking to cut down the gap between the two teams to 11 points in the Scottish Premiership table.

Philippe Clement’s side will be out for revenge after their Glasgow rivals beat them on penalties in the final of the League Cup at Hampden Park last month.

The Light Blues were also beaten 3-0 in their only Premiership meeting to date at Parkhead at the start of September, which should provide enough motivation for them to go out and fight for a positive result this time around.

Rangers also head into this match directly off the back of a 2-2 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park in the Scottish top-flight last time out, battling back from 2-0 down at half-time to secure a point.

Clement rested a number of stars from the team in that match and two of them – Hamza Igamane and Vaclav Cerny – should come straight back into the starting XI.

Why Cerny and Igamane should be unleashed

Celtic have only conceded four goals in 18 league matches so far this season and this means that Rangers will need to be at their very best from an attacking perspective.

With that in mind, the Belgian head coach must ensure that he has his best attacking options on the pitch from the start, which is why Cerny and Igamane should both be in the line-up.

The latter came off the bench with the score at 2-0 to Motherwell and scored twice, the second of which was a stunning finish into the far corner on the edge of the box.

Igamane has now racked up seven goals and two assists in his last nine appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions, which shows that he is in red-hot form and could cause Celtic plenty of problems in the final third, whether that is off the left or through the middle.

Meanwhile, Cerny, who joined on loan from Wolfsburg in the summer, came off the bench to provide three key passes and create one ‘big chance’ in the second half last time out.

24/25 Premiership

Vaclav Cerny

Appearances

14

Goals

7

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

2.5

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Czechia international has provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership throughout the season so far, with 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 14 starts.

The left-footed star has excelled at cutting in onto his favoured foot from the right flank to score goals and create ‘big chances’ for his teammates, although they have let him down with their wasteful finishing at times.

In order to bring these two back into the starting XI for this Old Firm clash, Clement has to instantly bin two players from the team and the first of those should be Kieran Dowell.

Why Kieran Dowell should be dropped

The English attacking midfielder was selected to start as part of the attacking midfield set-up in the clash with Motherwell and did not do enough to justify his continued inclusion.

Dowell was handed just his second start of the Premiership season and his first appearance since a cameo against Ross County on the 8th of December.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder only played the first 45 minutes of the match before being withdrawn for Cerny, who came in on the right side of the frontline.

Vs Motherwell

Kieran Dowell

Minutes

45

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Pass accuracy

58% (7/12)

Duels won

1/4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dowell struggled throughout those opening 45 minutes, with sloppy passing, weak play out of possession, and a lack of threat in the final third.

The £16k-per-week flop has only recorded two goals and two assists in 23 league games since his move to the club from Norwich in the summer of 2023, and this suggests that Cerny could come in to offer far more in front of goal.

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Dowell is not the only attacker who should be dropped from the starting line-up, though, as Clement must also take Cyriel Dessers out of the side to bring Igamane in.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be dropped

Firstly, the Nigeria international has a torrid record against Celtic since his move to Ibrox in 2023, with one goal, one draw, and six defeats in seven appearances against them in all competitions.

This shows that he has consistently struggled to find success against the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, and Auston Trusty in his clashes with the Hoops, which does not suggest that he is likely to be a good option to start against them today.

His overall form in front of goal for the Gers in all competitions this season adds further fuel to that fire, as Dessers has been incredibly wasteful at the top end of the pitch.

He has scored just six goals and missed eight ‘big chances’ in 17 appearances in the Premiership, and has one goal from 3.98 xG across six matches in the Europa League.

The Rangers number nine’s performance against Motherwell in the first-half last time out also suggests that he should be instantly ditched from the side.

Vs Motherwell

Cyriel Dessers

Minutes

45

Goals + assists

0

Big chances missed

2

Passes completed

5/7

Duels won

1/7

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the £27k-per-week dud barely got involved in the build-up play for Rangers, completing just five passes, and lost the majority of his physical battles.

Crucially, the experienced forward also missed both of the ‘big chances’ that came his way in the match, and was shown by Igamane, who came on to score twice from three shots in the second half.

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Therefore, overall, Clement must ditch the £43k-per-week duo, as they both struggled against Motherwell, and bring Cerny and Igamane back into the team.

MatériaMais Notícias

Justamente na partida que marcará a despedida de Andrés D’Alessandro dos gramados, dois nomes importantes do Internacional não poderão atuar. No confronto diante do Fortaleza, neste domingo (17), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro: o meio-campista Edenílson e o atacante Taison serão baixas na equipe colorada.

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>Confira dez jogadores brasileiros bem conhecidos que estão sem clube

No caso de Edi, o problema físico foi contraído no frustrante empate por 1 a 1, diante do Guaireña-PAR, pela Sul-Americana. Após uma dividida, o jogador teve um trauma no joelho esquerdo e precisou ser retirado de maca do gramado, o camisa 8 até aparentava certo grau de melhora, mas exames posteriores detectaram o edema ósseo na região.

Outra figura de liderança técnica e também dos vestiários, Taison não chegou a apresentar o edema muscular na coxa direita no confronto da Sul-Americana. Porém, o Colorado afirmou ter detectado o problema em exame posterior em situação que tira o jogador do confronto diante do Fortaleza.

Desta forma, a tendência é que o 11 inicial do Inter comandado à beira do gramado por Cauan de Almeida tenha como novidade o lateral-esquerdo Renê, contratação confirmada na reta final da janela de transferências no primeiro semestre do futebol brasileiro.

Apesar do caráter festivo pelo embate de despedida de D’Ale marcado para às 18h (de Brasília), vencer se tornou de suma importância para acalmar os ânimos no Beira-Rio após a sequência de apresentações decepcionantes, resultados negativos e a recente queda de Alexander Medina do comando técnico.

David Moyes spoke earnestly of his delight in returning to the Goodison Park helm, nearly 12 years after leaving to take the reins at Manchester United.

The 61-year-old had enjoyed an 11-year spell at Everton, reaching the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2005 and recording nine top-eight finishes in the Premier League.

Sean Dyche deserves credit for leading Everton through a tumultuous time, comfortably avoiding relegation last season despite the club being hit with an eight-point deduction for PSR breaches. But he took Everton as far as he could.

Moyes is back on a two-and-a-half-year deal and has been tasked with restoring integrity and focus, with dysfunction ruling supreme over the past however many interminable years.

It’s never quite been the same. For old – and, to be fair, new – time’s sake, let’s have a look a the lay of the land when he last led the Toffees out on the Premier League turf.

Moyes' best Everton XI from first spell

It’s been a long time since Moyes kept Everton solid and comparatively successful in the Premier League. Fans will be itching to see whether he can repeat the feat now that he has been anointed once more, but based on his previous squad-sculpting at the club, there’s just cause for optimism.

GK – Tim Howard

RB – Tony Hibbert

CB – Phil Jagielka

CB – Joleon Lescott

LB – Leighton Baines

CM – Marouane Fellaini

CM – Thomas Gravesen

RM – Mikel Arteta

AM – Tim Cahill

LM – Steven Pienaar

CF – Wayne Rooney

There are some iconic names in there. Tim Howard is one of the best goalkeepers in Everton’s modern history, and Leighton Baines is probably their finest left-back ever. Tony Hibbert just pips Seamus Coleman at right-back, though the Irishman is unquestionably one of Everton’s shrewdest signings at just £60k.

How could we exclude Marouane Fellaini? Tomas Soucek was something of a retelling over in east London, and Moyes will be keen on landing a monstrous new midfielder now that he’s back on Merseyside.

Wayne Rooney only scored 17 goals across 77 appearances for the Scotland tactician, but it was indeed Moyes who birthed one of England’s greatest-ever players onto the professional scene.

Tim Cahill and Steven Pienaar and many, many more besides who failed to quite make the 11-man cut. There are so many fond memories with Moyes at the helm – and perhaps the best is yet to come.

However, there’s no hiding from the fact that Moyes has a gigantic task on his hands, and must strengthen with haste if he is to be successful in his endeavour.

Everton transfer news

You’d think that Everton will be focused on bolstering up top this winter, for Moyes is sure to recognise Everton’s deficiencies in the final third.

Ernest Nuamah could be the man for the job at right wing, a position of concern for the outfit. Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom have both fallen flat and with their loan moves up at the end of the season it’s unlikely their stay will be extended under Moyes’ wing.

Defensively, Goodison Park is solid. Moyes knows his stuff at the rearguard and should be able to maintain the defensive authority that has seen them concede just 25 goals in the Premier League this season – the fewest across any side outside the top seven.

Foot Africa have also confirmed since the new year that Everton are looking at signing Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra, with the progressive midfielder exactly what Moyes needs to charge his engine room.

Let’s piece this together and have a look-see at how the Toffees might line up under Moyes.

Everton's dream XI under Moyes

Jordan Pickford will keep his place between the sticks, hailed as he is as “monster” of a goalkeeper by content creator Josh Wright.

The defence shouldn’t receive any work this winter, though Nathan Patterson could find himself going from strength to strength with Moyes in the dugout. As you were for Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski.

Transfer target Diarra’s progressiveness should see him make waves in midfield, perhaps even assuming the role that Declan Rice played under Moyes at West Ham.

Diarra has completed 87% of his passes in Ligue 1 this term while averaging 0.8 key passes and 3.7 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore. It’s also been recorded by FBref that the Senegal star ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, certainly in the same vein as the box-crashing Rice, who ranks among the top 9% himself.

We’ve already had a look at Nuamah, whose pace and potency make him the perfect electric option to add some dynamism and fizz to an Everton attack crying out for inspiration in that regard.

Iliman Ndiaye will keep his place on the left flank, to be sure, while Dwight McNeil’s playmaking expertise will come in handy in the new system – Lucas Paqueta Regen, anyone?

Then, last but not least, there’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign. Will Everton target a striker this month? Who knows. The funding might not be there given that Nuamah is being pursued.

However, with Armando Broja and Beto endowed with more athleticism than the England international, who has gone 15 straight Premier League fixtures without a single goal contribution, Moyes might be tempted to show some ruthlessness and throw him in the bin.

Moyes’ dream Everton XI after January – GK – Pickford; RB – Patterson, CB – Tarkowski, CB – Branthwaite, LB – Mykolenko; CM – Diarra, CM – Garner; RM – Nuamah, CAM – McNeil, LM – Ndiaye; ST – Broja

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Aston Villa have been fairly leaky in defence this season, and have not been able to stop regular goals going in against them. As per Sofascore, the Villans have conceded 32 goals this term in the top flight, better than only six teams in the entire division. It has certainly been a problem for Unai Emery’s side.

Yet, it is very surprising given they have a plethora of experience in defence. England internationals Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings are two options, although the latter has only come back from injury recently. The likes of Pau Torres and Diego Carlos are other options at Emery’s disposal.

It might not be a surprise that the Villans are eyeing up a new centre-back recruit this winter.

Aston Villa targeting new defender

The player in question here is 18-year-old Turkish centre-back Yasin Ozcan. The Kasimpasa number 58 has been really impressive since breaking into the first team and has now been linked with a move away from the club.

According to a report from The Athletic, the Villans are now believed to be ‘on the cusp of signing’ the 18-year-old defender, who is set to have his medical on Tuesday afternoon before making the deal official.

However, he will likely not play at Villa Park this season. The report suggests that Ozcan will return to Kasimpasa on loan for the rest of the season.

In terms of a price for the youngster, he will reportedly cost £5.8m up front, with a further £841k in add-ons, and will sign a contract until 2030.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Why Ozcan would be a good signing

Despite his inexperience, it has been a really important season in the development of Ozcan in 2024/25. At just 18 years of age, he has made 18 appearances in the Turkish top flight, starting all but one of Kasimpasa’s games this term. The one he did not start was their most recent game, a 5-0 loss to Gotzepe.

He is certainly a well-rated young player, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “highly talented” defender. Part of the reason for such high praise might partly be to do with his versatility. The 18-year-old is able to play both centre-back and left centre-back, making him an excellent option for Emery this term.

Indeed, he could be an excellent long-term replacement for Villans defender Carlos. The Brazilian is linked with a move away from the club, with Fenerbahce lodging a bid that was rejected by Villa, as per The Athletic.

The 31-year-old brings experience to the Villans’ defence but has not been a first choice under Emery this term. He has played 17 times across all competitions, with just ten of those games coming in the Premier League.

When looking at the statistical battle between the pair, it is easy to see why Ozcan could be a good long-term replacement and upgrade on Carlos when looking at the stats on Sofascore. The youngster trumps the Villa star in several key defensive metrics.

For example, when looking at Carlos’ duel stats from the Premier League on Sofascore, he wins an average of 1.1 ground duels and 1.1 aerial duels per game. Comparatively, Ozcan averages 2.2 ground duels won and 2.1 aerial duels won.

Stat (per 90)

Ozcan

Carlos

Interceptions

2.1

0.5

Tackles won

1.3

0.8

Ball recoveries

3.7

3.6

Clearances

3.6

3.5

Duels won

4.2

2.2

Duel win %

51%

47%

As the stats suggest, the young Turkish star would certainly be an upgrade on Villa’s ageing Brazilian defender. The fee for Carlos is not reported, but it would only have to be around £6m in order for the club to reinvest that money straight back into the signing of Ozcan.

Bringing in a talented, left-footed defender at the age of just 18 for such a cheap price seems to be a brilliant piece of business by the Villans, ahead of 2025/26 and future seasons.

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شهدت تدريبات نادي الزمالك، اليوم، مفاجأة بعودة أحمد سيد “زيزو”، نجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، للمشاركة في المران الجماعي لأول مرة بعد غياب استمر لأسابيع وسط أزمة حادة مع إدارة النادي.

وغادر زيزو، مقر الزمالك، مباشرة عقب انتهاء التدريبات الجماعية على ملعب عبد اللطيف أبو رجيلة.

عودة زيزو جاءت في ظل توتر شديد بين الطرفين، على خلفية اتهامات متبادلة بدأت بغياب اللاعب عن التدريبات دون إذن خلال شهر أبريل الماضي، وقرار إدارة الزمالك بخصم 25% من مستحقاته المالية، متهمة إياه بالتمرد والإدلاء بتصريحات مسيئة، فضلًا عن أنباء توقيعه للنادي الأهلي، ما فجر الموقف داخل القلعة البيضاء.

طالع.. مستند | زيزو يرفض عقوبات الزمالك في خطاب رسمي.. و3 مطالب

اللاعب، من جانبه، رفض تلك الاتهامات، مؤكدًا في تظلم رسمي تقدم به عبر محاميه، أنه لم يتغيب دون مبرر، بل كان يخشى على سلامته الجسدية، مطالبًا بتحقيق رسمي للبت في الواقعة، ومعلنًا استعداده الكامل للمثول أمام أي لجنة تحقيق سواء داخل النادي أو في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم.

كما شدد زيزو على التزامه بالقيم الاحترافية، نافياً قيامه بأي إساءة للنادي أو لمسؤوليه عبر الإعلام أو مواقع التواصل، ومؤكدًا رغبته في إنهاء الأزمة عبر الطرق القانونية والسلمية، بشرط تأمين حضوره للتدريبات والاجتماعات داخل النادي.

ورغم إصرار إدارة الزمالك على تطبيق اللائحة وفرض العقوبات، فإنها أبقت الباب مفتوحًا أمام اللاعب للعودة بشرط التزامه الكامل بالضوابط، وهو ما قد يكون تحقّق اليوم بظهوره المفاجئ في مقر النادي ودخوله غرفة الملابس، في إشارة إلى احتمال احتواء الأزمة.

Manchester United fan and social media presenter Mark Goldbridge has not taken well to the latest injury news coming out of Old Trafford, in what has emerged as the latest blow to Ruben Amorim.

Amorim's opening struggles at Old Trafford

After what appeared to be a promising start in charge of the club over the international break, Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth left Manchester United 13th in the Premier League over Christmas, the first time in their history that they had spent the festive period in the bottom half of the table.

Since Amorim’s arrival, the Red Devils have won just twice in the Premier League (beating Everton and Manchester City), losing three times, though they have been more successful in the Europa League, picking up six points from six.

Erik ten Hag vs Ruben Amorim in the Premier League 24/25
	Erik ten Hag	Ruben Amorim
Games	9	6
Wins	3	2
Losses	4	3
Win %	33%	33%
Goals scored per game	0.88	1.5
Goals conceded per game	1.22	1.67
Points per game	1.22	1.17

There are also off the pitch concerns, none more so than the future of top earner Marcus Rashford, who has been frozen out by Amorim and has publicly asked for a new challenge away from Old Trafford, which could lead to his January departure from the Theatre of Dreams.

One bright spark has been Amad Diallo, with the Ivorian forward stepping up into the first team and becoming a key figure either at wing-back or in attack for the Portuguese manager. But now, Amorim is set to be without another man he was hoping to count on.

Goldbridge left fuming after latest Man Utd injury

That comes as it has been revealed that midfield man Mason Mount is set to be sidelined until March with a serious hamstring injury. The former Chelsea man lasted just 12 minutes against Manchester City before having to be taken off, and was visibly upset with the situation.

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Upon his arrival, Amorim singled out Mount as a potential key figure in the club’s revival, explaining: “Mason Mount. I have to tell you I love that kid. You can look in his eyes that he wants this so bad, and this is the most important thing for me. He played in this system (before), so it’s perfect for him. I have two positions for Mason Mount, so he should be very happy!”

However, the latest update has confirmed he will miss “several weeks” through injury once more, with suggestions that he may not return until March.

This was clearly too much for United influencer Goldbridge, who took to X to vent his frustrations, simply saying “forget it” after relaying the news.

Mount still has almost four years left to run on his £250,000 a week deal at Old Trafford, but is yet to be able to string together a series of performances to justify either his hefty transfer fee or wages since his arrival from Chelsea. Now sidelined again, he could be left behind in the new regime.

In what could be a repeat of Michael Olise’s departure to Bayern Munich last summer, Barcelona have held talks to sign a Crystal Palace star who’s yet to sign a new deal at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace transfer news

It took a couple of months for the Eagles to adjust to life without Olise, but Oliver Glasner can now say with confidence that their season is well and truly underway, albeit with one cautious eye on the dropzone. The summer transfer window, in the face of such a departure, proved to be a difficult one even as the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Maxence Lacroix arrived.

Now, with the January transfer window approaching and a few too many question marks surrounding their ability to stay afloat in the Premier League, it will be interesting to see if Palace welcome a number of reinforcements. Already, they’ve been linked with the likes of James McAtee and Romain Esse – two midfielders who would add an injection of quality in Glasner’s side.

As reinforcements potentially arrive, however, the exit door could swing open once more to deal those at Selhurst Park another blow in 2025. According to Caught Offside, Barcelona are now plotting a move to sign Tyrick Mitchell alongside the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, having already held talks with the left-back.

With his contract set to come to an end in the summer and reports suggesting that he’s not keen to commit his long-term future in South London, Mitchell’s departure seems an inevitability – handing Palace quite the decision to make.

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If Palace decide to wait until the summer, then they will lose Mitchell for free unless anything changes on the contract front. So if clubs come calling as early as the January transfer window, then the Eagles may well be wise to cash in on their defender.

"Consistent" Mitchell would be a frustrating loss

For Mitchell to reach this point in his contract is a failure in itself for Crystal Palace, who simply did not commence talks early enough to avoid the panic that they now find themselves in. An important player under Glasner and a rising star who the Eagles would usually be guaranteed to at least cash in on, they’ll likely be left with no choice but to watch one of their prized assets leave as a free agent when the summer arrives.

Glasner will be among those most frustrated if that does prove to be the case, having praised Mitchell earlier this month. The Palace manager told reporters as relayed by BBC Sport: “The biggest potential he has is in possession.

“Entering the final third, I think he can be involved more and have quicker solutions. This is what we are working on daily with him. He is very consistent, he is always available and plays to a high level.”

It’s consistency that Barcelona have seemingly taken notice of too and as Mitchell’s contract continues to run down, he looks like a player to watch when 2025 arrives.

Manchester United have launched an investigation after a fan was manhandled by steward's at Old Trafford after derby against Manchester City.

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Fans forcibly removed from Old Trafford Organised sit-in protest after Manchester derby Red Devils launch investigation Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following United's drab goalless draw in the Manchester derby on Sunday, a fan group named The 1958 arranged for a sit-in protest, where hundreds of fans remained in their seats even after the full-time whistle. As anti-Glazers chants increased among the group, one fan was confronted by a steward, and he was soon forcibly removed from his seat. The Steward first pushed the fan before he was restrained by several attendants, and one of them had his arm wrapped around the fan's neck. The footage was collected by .

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The video was filmed by another Red Devils fan from the same group, who was first questioned on why he was recording the incident, to which he replied: "I'm recording you, that's for [another fan], for his safety, not yours. That's for him."

Once the altercation turned physical, the same was heard saying: "Hey, there we go,' says the fan with the camera. That was f***ing bang out of order. F***ing ****.'No need in that. It's all on f***ing tape. It's just protesting, it's a sit-in innit, against the Glazers. That's why I had it recording the whole time. We're just trying to f***ing protest. It's just a protest!"

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Daily Mail report added that United have confirmed that they are aware of the incident and have launched an investigation into the matter. The fans protested the rise in ticket prices as the season ticket holders are all set to see a five percent rise for a third year in a row, while matches will be categorised for non-season ticket holders.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Ruben Amorim's side will be back in action in the Europa League this Thursday as they take on Lyon in the first leg of their quarter-final fixture in France.

Gary Neville slammed 'robotic and micromanaged' players as Manchester derby ended in a drab stalemate at Old Trafford.

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• Neville slammed players in a passionate rant
• Manchester derby ended in a stalemate
• Neville labelled players of both clubs 'robotic'

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United legend did not hold back while slamming players from both clubs as the Manchester derby ended in a boring goalless draw on Sunday at Old Trafford. Neville questioned the players' attitude after the draw as he labelled them 'robotic and micromanaged'.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

  In a passionate rant on after the match, the pundit said: "I don’t think there was one player who walked off the pitch disappointed about drawing the game 0-0, from either side. I think they all sort of walked off thinking: ‘We’re okay here we got away without making a mistake’. It was really disappointing, I apologise for my co-commentary, I think I let it get to me, I was boring on there as well. That was drab.

  "I get what he [Ruben Amorim] is saying about it being that point in the season, with City and United being in a difficult moment. But this robotic nature of not leaving our positions, being micro-managed within an inch of our lives, not having any freedom to take a risk to go and try and win a football match is becoming an illness in the game, it’s becoming a disease in the game."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neville added: "Ultimately, when you think about Pep Guardiola and his teams over the last 10 years, that’s what his teams do but we are seeing poor imitations of that across the board now. United’s goalkeeper rolling his foot on the ball and waiting for things to happen. That’s not it. That’s not what this club is and not what we do here. Liverpool don’t do that. You’ve got to be a top team with tempo in your play, rhythm in your play."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Amorim's side will now shift their focus to Europe as they are scheduled to face Lyon next in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final fixture on Thursday in France.

How did India’s bowlers manage to avoid the blistering assault suffered by New Zealand during England’s 3-0 whitewash earlier this month? Thanks to their battery of 140kph/87mph-plus seamers, as well as a return to the same bowling plans that had delivered a 2-1 series lead in the first four Tests of the Pataudi Trophy last summer. That was the assessment of Mohammed Siraj, India’s leading wicket-taker in the match so far, whose four victims in England’s first innings included the prized scalp of Joe Root on Saturday.Using his ability to kick the ball off a good length at high speeds, Siraj forced an edge off Root on the second day to remove him for 31, then returned on Sunday afternoon to pick off England’s final three wickets in the space of his final four overs. Earlier, England’s captain Ben Stokes had paid the price for what Kumar Sangakkara on air described as “reckless batting” when he holed out to mid-off for 25, as India closed out an imposing lead of 132.They were made to work for their dominant position, however, with Jonny Bairstow once again blazing his way to a century, his third in successive Tests this summer. Siraj, however, said that the Indian bowlers had remained unruffled during his onslaught.”As bowlers, we had to just keep patience,” Siraj said at the close of play. “Bairstow is in form and he has been continuously playing attacking batting since the New Zealand series. So we were aware his confidence was high. Our simple plan was to stick to our basics and, no matter what he did for us, it was a matter of one ball – be it an inswinger or seaming in off the pitch.”In his spell immediately after lunch, Jasprit Bumrah – India’s stand-in captain – pegged Bairstow back with a mix of conventional Test bowling and some white-ball variations. He kept Bairstow rooted in his crease with good use of the yorker, and challenged him with slower balls alongside quicker deliveries pitched on a good length outside off stump. With the pressure cranked up, Bairstow duly nicked the first ball he faced when Shami entered the attack in Bumrah’s place, and departed for 106.”When we saw the New Zealand series, we realised that our every bowler is 140-plus and they [New Zealand bowlers] didn’t have that,” Siraj said. “We had that ability and also we also had played against England last year. So that was our plus point, as [we] were aware of their weak points and that is why we got the success.Related

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“In the first innings, the pitch was helpful to begin with, but after that it became flatter subsequently. So our only plan was to hit consistently in one area. Also, the more effort balls we could deliver, then it would be effective for the bowlers. If we took it easy, then we would end up leaking runs.”In successive Tests against New Zealand, the attacking approach of England’s batters helped them chase down three imposing 270-plus targets with ease. There’s little doubt that Stokes’ men will attempt the same when their latest fourth innings gets underway, probably sometime on Monday afternoon. Siraj, however, was undaunted, adding that he believes this pitch could favour India’s bowlers.”The ball is now keeping low,” he said, “so in the second innings it will definitely help us.”