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READING – There are 447 Barnsley supporters present in Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium, although that number likely includes those who bought a ticket and sacked off the idea. Which… fair enough. It’s raining, it’s pouring and Barnsley don’t look much like scoring. 

Outside the Premier League, away attendance is a pretty effective barometer of a club’s health. Only last season, Barnsley’s average was over 1,100. Now they are finding excuses not to bother and the principal one is that their club is breaking or maybe already broken. 

Nobody absent can be blamed and everyone in that corner of a sodden stadium wants their head checking, or so goes the dark humour in the wait for buses after the match. Barnsley have one point from their last seven games. They haven’t played in the fourth tier since 1978. On recent evidence, it is their only destiny.

Barnsley are notable this season: they have the youngest team in senior professional football in England. At Reading on Saturday, Daniel Stendel picks his oldest starting XI of the season by a distance and the average age is still only 23.5. He uses 10 different players aged 22 or under.

Ordinarily, that might be highly exciting: young players having fun, increasing their value and leading a team up the table. Here it is by design and it is not working. Whether through blind faith, misguided strategy or imposed austerity, youth is seemingly the only policy and it is taking Barnsley down.

In 2017, Barnsley were taken over by a consortium that included Moneyball pioneer Billy Beane. After relegation to the third tier in 2018, the new owners publicly stated their ambition to move towards a data-driven development model. Beane’s name was a handy headline, but he was rarely – if ever – involved in day-to-day decision-making.

After a restructure in 2022, the majority of the shares are owned by Neerav Parekh, an Indian businessman whose exact wealth is not known so let’s just say wealthy. At the time of the takeover, the consortium was heralded in the media as the fifth richest in English football. 

Parekh continues to put money in. He talks of himself as a custodian rather than an owner. He delegates responsibility, as a comparative non-expert, to others. And that has gone badly wrong. This week, supporters celebrated the departure of chief executive Jon Flatman but there is further uncertainty about what happens next. The communication has been unacceptable for some time. In that scenario, fans fill in the blank and conjecture is rarely upbeat.

A youth revolution is brave, but it looks deeply foolish now. There are definite bright sparks: Reyes Cleary up front, Patrick Kelly in midfield, teenage defender Arley Kay. But they are being sold short by a strategy that has become all or nothing and is producing results that tend towards the latter. Barnsley have given league starts to two players over the age of 25 this season and one of those left in August. 

Without experience, knowhow and physicality, League One is a tough assignment. Barnsley absolutely have moments of spark, attacking invention and counter-attacking promise, but they are overshadowed by predictable flaws. 

Against Reading they take a lead, but from the moment the home side equalises you can write the eventual final score in pen. Over the last two months, Barnsley have lost four league games after scoring first. Young heads go down when belief drops. Without multiple leaders on the pitch, that becomes self-fulfilling. 

Stendel is not without his critics within the fanbase, but is caught in the same storm. Appointed this summer after previously being in charge between 2018 and 2019, the board can hardly claim that they didn’t know the type of profile Stendel wanted for his squad. He has been sold badly short. Removing him from his post is unlikely to make every player age by at least three years.

The greatest frustration is that this was all so avoidable and that Barnsley have traded their identity for something intangible and half-baked. The original takeover of the club in 2017 was precipitated by the terminal cancer diagnosis of Patrick Cryne, who had continued a long tradition of local family ownership. The family retains a minority stake, but Cryne sadly passed away a month after the deal was done.

There was some reticence at the time. I remember speaking to a supporter who appreciated the potential impact of investment, but saw the billionaire takeover as an authentic, family South Yorkshire club being enveloped by the inevitable creep of modern football. The “local boy done good” model was disappearing into the ether.

But Barnsley have been left with the worst of both worlds. Even the least enthusiastic supporter would have accepted that access to vast wealth might allow the club to have ambitions of moving forward, even slowly. They lost one of their connections to the club and now they’re in danger of their lowest point in half a century. 

Which is just about the best way to alienate a fanbase and the population of a town. Towards the end of the Reading defeat, the chants begin: “We want our club back” and “Get out of our club”. There is a tennis ball protest planned by one fan group for the live Sky Sports game on 20 November. It is probably counterproductive but then mutiny is the only thing better than apathy. 

And apathy is quickly catching up. Oakwell is a magnificent ground, three newer stands and an old West Stand that acts as an active, working football museum. It excels under floodlights and on misty November evenings when the steam rises from your breath and hot drink and seems to hang in the air. This season, attendances have dropped below 11,000 for the first time in a decade. Every empty seat is easier to lose than refill. Each one is a mark of broken trust and spirit.

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Those who have left, and those who still go despite what they can see unfolding, were not asking for much really. A shot at something, maybe. Some decent recruitment, some smart decisions, some academy development. Or even just someone having a logical plan, communicating that plan and continuing to communicate at the same level during the rises and falls. 

Nine years ago, a group of people walked into a Championship club with vast amounts of money and a chance to do something good. “I think this is one of the best-run clubs in the country,” then co-chairman Paul Conway said. “We’re just trying to bring that little extra push that helps this club to be successful.”

What have they created? A team that is emphatically young but now suffering for its singularity. A supporter base that grew wary and then weary. A line of communication with them that only exacerbates off-field mistakes. And a club that is now veering towards a relegation to a level that would previously have been considered unthinkable. 

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Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United for their weekend trip to Chelsea, despite overseeing the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in 40 years.

The i Paper has been told that despite several alternatives being explored, Carrick is at United’s Carrington base taking training, as is normal for a Tuesday and is “preparing the team to face Chelsea on Saturday”.

Club sources insisted that “⁠⁠Michael and the players will have the opportunity to turn the situation around”, with everyone focused on “showing our response on the pitch.”

With United languishing just one point above the Premier League drop zone, Carrick was expected to be relieved of his duties on Monday, with Eddie Howe the frontrunner to take charge.

However, after senior executives held a crisis meeting on Monday, with co-owners Sir Ratcliffe and the Glazers kept in the loop, the decision has been made for Carrick to get a surprise reprieve.

What happened on Monday?

With the squad on a scheduled day off, Carrick was not expected to be at Carrington, as senior figures were sharpening their axe. News of yet another managerial sacking, the seventh permanent boss to be relieved of his duties in 13 years, was hotly anticipated.

Instead, there was no white smoke from the Carrington boardroom, and Carrick showed up, on his day off, to watch United’s Under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Hull City.

Rumours circled that United were waiting for the afternoon and the New York Stock Exchange to open before making an announcement, but club sources insisted no news would be coming out of the club and Carrick could return home an employed man.

Why has Carrick got another chance?

Either way, United needed to give supporters some clarity.

Several insiders have told The i Paper that CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox could not make a call on sacking Carrick yet until they believe a suitable successor is lined up.

Dismissing Carrick, and his coaching staff, will cost the club a considerable amount, on top of the millions and millions they have already wasted paying off previously sacked managers. So they must be certain the next coach is fully interested, and worth making a change for.

One source has claimed that there is a feeling that club need to stop the cycle of sacking managers – hence why Carrick could get a while longer yet.

It was also noted by senior figures that Carrick still retains the backing from a large majority of supporters. Fans’ applause for their beleaguered boss at the weekend did not go unnoticed.

Who do they want in next?

If there was a proper standout alternative, Carrick would be gone. Senior figures, however, cannot agree on who could come in as a replacement.

As The i Paper reported on Monday, Howe is the top pick for director of football Jason Wilcox, who believes Premier League experience is a must for the next coach.

One area of confusion that has prompted United to rethink is what compensation Newcastle will be due as part of the deal to bring Howe to Manchester. When exiting Newcastle in the summer, Howe and his advisors struck a deal on the remaining terms of his contract, ensuring Newcastle would be due compensation if Howe were to take another job before the course of that contract was completed.

The compensation due to prize Fabian Hurzeler and Unai Emery from Brighton or Aston Villa respectively would be more than five times higher, which when United are struggling for disposable funds, makes both almost off limits.

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Another out-of-work coach, Julian Nagelsmann, is the preferred candidate of head of recruitment Christopher Vivell, with the pair having worked together at RB Leipzig.

Several insiders said Nagelsmann appointment is unlikely, given his lack of Premier League experience.

He is understood to remain interested, if Carrick cannot oversee a dramatic turnaround at Old Trafford.

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When the word “genius” was uttered live on air at Villa Park, no one batted an eye. It’s a commendation that should be used sparingly. Yet, when it’s Unai Emery that praise is bestowed upon, no one can object.

The Basque coach is continuing to work miracles in the West Midlands, as evidenced by Saturday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, when Aston Villa inflicted the first domestic defeat of the Enzo Maresca era.

“He [Emery] is just a tactical genius. Especially against City at our place, I think over the last few years, we’ve been really good,” Matty Cash told TNT Sports, after Villa secured a fourth straight home win over City.

Even by the high standards Emery has set, this was a memorable occasion, as the wind and rain whipped Villa fans into a frenzy for the visit of the condemned league leaders.

With City flying high, and having earned a 3-0 win at Anfield on their last travels, there may have been a presumption this would be a straightforward away victory. After all, Villa, prior to Saturday, were yet to win a home league game in a season that started so haphazardly.

Tactical genius Unai Emery
Facing Jeremy Doku
Zion Suzuki impressing from day one

Matty Cash discusses some of the big talking points following Aston Villa’s victory over Man City

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But that ignores Emery’s transformative powers and the team’s recent resurgence. Sixty-two days had elapsed between the visit of City and Villa’s disastrous 4-0 opening-weekend loss at Brighton when the uncertain summer bled into the on-field performance.

Some even speculated that, under Emery, Villa had peaked. After losing so many key players it would be impossible to compete at the same level. Few think that now, of course.

What has changed?

Villa’s upturn all began with the closing of the transfer window. Finally, Emery knew which players he had at his disposal, without the threat of further outgoings.

In the immediate weeks that followed, the Villa boss relied on those more accustomed to his tactical demands. Only two of the 10 new signings started at Hull City after the window shut, but by the trip to Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, that number had increased to six.

Emery’s slow integration afforded the players time to absorb his complex instructions and demands. He also relied on those more versed in his ways to help guide the new arrivals. The experienced Tyrone Mings recently spoke of “acting as a bridge between old and new”, while the influence of the long-serving Cash, John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia and Boubacar Kamara has been heavily relied on.

“It feels like the group has been oxygenated,” added Mings. “Everybody is now looking forward and excited about what we can do with this group.”

Indeed, the refreshed squad has been a stimulant for Emery, who admitted earlier this month he feels re-energised by the new arrivals. The 54-year-old doesn’t fall back on excuses; he didn’t anticipate losing so many trusted squad members in the summer, but that has not dampened his spirits.

Throughout the tumultuous start to the season, Emery always cut a composed figure. Each press conference focused on the same theme: the progression of his new-look side.

That’s more than simply getting his summer signings up to speed. Emery has elicited improvements from Mings, Victor Lindelof and Ross Barkley, players who were on the margins last term, but have proved vitally important in this transitional time.

Simple as it may seem, extra hours and graft on the training ground have been crucial in Villa’s revival, with a three-week international break proving particularly useful.

The first win came at Club Brugge on 8th September. Six more against Coventry City, Tottenham, Fenerbahce, Newcastle, Viking and Manchester City have followed. With each, momentum has grown.

During that run, the attacking numbers, boosted by Nicolas Jackson’s swift acclimatisation, have steadily improved. After mustering just one shot on target in the first three league games, Villa have now managed 20 goals across the last seven in all competitions.

Likewise, the leaky defence has looked more solid of late, with just two goals conceded in the last four games, having shipped 14 in the first eight outings.

Tactical overhaul

Personnel changes have inevitably meant an alteration in Emery’s tactics. Given so many of the Europa League-winning side were signed during Dean Smith’s reign, there’s a feeling at Villa that this, more than ever, is a team shaped in Emery’s image.

He added more agile, penetrative wingers in Ibrahim Mbaye and Alejandro Garnacho, plus Alysson, who joined in January. All three are direct dribblers, providing Villa with a more clinical transitional threat.

That was underlined by the winning goal against City, as Mbaye surged down the right and cut the ball back for Jackson to finish.

Aligning a more vertical component with Emery’s staple approach of midfield control to bait the opposition press has made Villa’s system more multi-functional. The Premier League’s best strategist has greater room to adapt depending on the opposition.

“He [Emery] has always got a new plan for something. He’s always coming up with new ideas,” noted Cash after the City win.

Amid the game-specific alterations, there has been a clear shift towards more direct passing. Arsenal were the only side to play fewer long passes than Villa last season, but this campaign they have nudged up to 15th in that area.

Villa are typically performing better with less of the ball. They overcame City and Spurs with around a third of possession, but failed to beat Brentford and Forest after amassing over 50 percent of possession.

Zion Suzuki’s signing has been key in this deviation. The goalkeeper has quickly earned a reputation as the league’s most technically proficient with the ball, and his passing range is unmatched. This was epitomised in September’s win over Spurs, when Suzuki’s long ball to Jackson resulted in a goal.

The pair were Villa’s most important summer signings. There was no margin for error with a new goalkeeper and striker, and, unlike the other new recruits, neither Suzuki nor Jackson were afforded a bedding-in period.

The latter was derided at Chelsea, but is thriving once again under Emery’s guidance. He has now netted six in as many games.

Jackson offers more than just goals, though. His movement and physicality have revolutionised Villa’s attacking patterns. The forward’s penchant for drifting wide or into deeper areas allows midfielders to bypass him, creating a more fluid front line.

There’s a growing belief he is an upgrade on Villa’s record league scorer, Ollie Watkins, who lacked Jackson’s hold-up play and presence as a target man. With a greater reliance on man-to-man marking across the league, Jackson’s ability to win such a high proportion of his individual duels is imperative for Villa’s fortunes. On Saturday, a beleaguered Marc Guehi had to be withdrawn at half-time after being bullied by Jackson for 45 minutes.

A word of warning

Evidently, Villa have ironed out those early-season flaws and are on the right track. But assuming this young side have suddenly sussed the Premier League would be unwise.

Opponents will adjust and setbacks are inevitable, while it shouldn’t be overlooked that several of the recent wins have come against weaker opposition. As Emery himself noted before City, the season is less than a quarter of the way though. “We can speak about it in six months, and I can tell you [if] we are better.”

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He went on to produce a substantial list of areas Villa still need to work on, which included: positioning, pressing, defending their own box and winning individual duels. “This is a lot of things to improve. Still [there’s] more to do.”

But with Emery at the helm, don’t bet against Villa mastering those areas before the season’s conclusion. They have a genius coach, after all.

from Football - The i Paper https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/unai-emery-saved-aston-villa-4852390

Harry Kane is not a comfortable superstar nor would he consider red carpet and glitz as his natural habitat. The smiles beforehand were broad but deliberate, as if rehearsing lines in his head. But as he walked to the stage we got a glimpse of the real deal, a man struggling to believe he could ever be named as the best of them all. 

It was never supposed to be like this. Not for people like him. A boy who had a dream to be a professional, to get a break in the Premier League after those four loan spells, to stay in the Tottenham team, to maybe one day even play for England.

The dreams kept on growing and Kane kept on improving so quickly it expanded his horizons beyond comprehension. Back in London, holding this trophy? Ludicrous on every level. 

It is true that this was not a vintage year for individual performance. Had Lamine Yamal even been in Spain’s top five difference makers at the World Cup then he would have been a racing certainty. While he won the trophies but never quite held centre stage in the USA, Kylian Mbappe had the opposite issue – he won the World Cup Golden Boot but no major trophy at club or international level.

Kane therefore seemed like the middle-ground candidate, even if that appears a little like damnation through faint praise. He spearheaded a league title win. He scored in all five of the Champions League knockout matches in which he played. He scored six times at the World Cup. All of this has become routine for Kane and so too easy to overlook.

Yes, Kane ended up with the sour taste of semi-final syndrome on his lips. No, he may not have had as much of a chance in other years, certainly not during the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly years when finishing third was the best any normal superstar could hope for. 

But the principal reason to doubt Kane? He’s English. England had had one Ballon d’Or winner in 47 years and we were used to that never being repeated. Between 2018 and 2024, England didn’t even have a player in the top 10. We didn’t mind really – the British have an uncomfortable relationship with celebrating individualism. 

As a result of Kane’s move to Germany, he has become viewed more on these shores through the prism of England form and his international consistency has become normalised to the point of expectation. Hear this: Kane has scored more England goals since turning 28 than any other player did in their entire career.

Perhaps it merely reflects a general anger about the inability of the England team to win tournaments despite almost touching the trophy, but Kane is often judged for what he is perceived to be rather than what he clearly is. Well now he has been crowned, gloriously and definitively. Maybe we could cut him some slack for five minutes or so.

You can absolutely make Kane’s case as a lifetime achievement winner more than him being the best player in the world right now (he might not even be the best English player right now and Jude Bellingham finished 11th). But then so what? He had scored 146 club goals in three seasons and 308 league goals in 12.

This is an individual award and Kane’s individual numbers were superhuman. He played 51 times for Bayern Munich and scored 61 goals. Remember that freak goalscoring robot Erling Haaland? Kane scored nine more league goals than him in four fewer matches. He scored 73 goals in total for club and country, a total only ever beaten by Lionel Messi (and even he only did it once). And Messi is Messi.

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Why should we have individual awards? In a team sport, the results are achieved on the pitch and the medals handed out accordingly. The rise of the Messi-Ronaldo axis was unprecedented, two of the game’s greatest ever coexisting and on the same pitch and podium. Their rivalry, pantomime as it was, forged an individualism in football that has been hard to shake. 

To some it represents much that is wrong about player power and PR politicking. But if there is any due cause at all, this award should honour either alien natural talent or unrivalled work to turn potential into greater performance than we could ever have imagined. 

Kane has no real case on the former. He was never the most talented, never touched by god like so many of those potential winners before him. But for sheer will to maximise your lot, he is every bit worthy. The supposed one-season wonder, the boy who started scoring and simply never stopped, merits his place on top of the world. Believe in your dream, however silly it may seem.

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Harry Kane has become the first English winner of the Ballon d’Or in 25 years after being honoured at London Palladium on Monday night.

Michael Owen was the last player from England to receive the prestigious individual accolade in 2001, but Kane’s incredible 73-goal haul last season for club and country earned him the award from French magazine France Football.

Bayern Munich forward Kane was a popular winner in the capital and has followed in the footsteps of Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen as a Ballon d’Or winner from England.

Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal provided strong competition for Kane and the trio were bizarrely announced as winners on the official website hours before the ceremony in London.

Further chaos followed with the awards pushed back by 30 minutes to start at 8.30pm, but just over two hours later and Kane received the 70th Ballon d’Or to enormous cheers and chants of ‘Harry’ inside the London Palladium, minutes after London City midfielder Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s prize for a third time.

“Wow, I’m almost speechless,” an emotional Kane said on stage. “First of all, thanks again to France Football and the Ballon d’Or for this amazing event. Being in London, it is extra special, it felt like a good omen.

“Thank you to everyone for voting for me. I can imagine it was very tough. Thank you to everyone that voted for me.”

Kane, who thanked England, Bayern and former club Tottenham, said: “To my wife Kate, my best friend. We’ve been through ups and downs. You are my biggest support and I felt like you wanted this more than me.

“The anxious wait… Here it is, we done it and you always want the best for me. You sacrifice yourself to make me achieve my dreams. This wouldn’t be possible without you and it is something we can celebrate, not me. We’re a team. I can’t wait to celebrate tonight. I love you.

“My kids, sat home watching, it’s definitely past your bedtime! To Ivy, Vivienne, Louis and Henry, you are the reason I do it. This is a special one and I can’t wait to bring this home and celebrate with you. I love you very much.”

He added: “It’s just the journey. For any young boy or girl who wants to achieve their dream, anything is possible.

“I hope my journey, it wasn’t straightforward, I didn’t go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now. I hope that can give you inspiration and thank you very much.”

He said it had been the “best season of my career without a doubt”.

The evening got off to a chaotic start as, around 5pm, an article appeared on the Ballon d’Or’s official website which stated “a record-breaking welter of league and cup goals in 2025/26 has propelled Harry Kane to Ballon d’Or success” and a link along with a screenshot quickly ended up on social media.

Two separate articles also emerged, listing Yamal and Mbappe as winners, sparking confusion before the ceremony was pushed back by 30 minutes.

After a performance by English singer Jorja Smith, the awards finally got under way and Yamal was swiftly honoured with the Kopa Trophy for a third year in a row before Barcelona colleague Vicky Lopez claimed the female edition for a second successive year.

Pere Romeu made it a hat-trick for Barca when he clinched women’s coach of the year and Rafael Benitez handed over the men’s accolade to Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, ahead of Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery.

David Raya and Emi Martinez missed out on Yashin award to Spain number one Unai Simon, while Cata Coll beat Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton to the women’s version.

There was one Arsenal winner with Bukayo Saka recognised for his humanitarian work with BigShoe charity and able to take home the Socrates award.

Saka, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, said: “For me it’s an honour to be here and it’s an hour to receive this award on behalf of all the children we’ve been able to help.”

Barcelona and Paris St Germain were named women’s and men’s club of the year before a tribute to the late Kevin Keegan, a winner in 1978 and 1979, was played out on screens inside London Palladium.

Premier League record scorer Alan Shearer was on stage to present Kane with the Gerd Muller Trophy at 10.12pm for his 73-goal haul last season, with Mexico forward Charlyn Corral of Pachuca also recognised as the best women’s striker of the year.

It was then over to the main awards and, after Spain and London City midfielder Putellas received her third Ballon d’Or Feminin from ex-England forward Owen, all eyes were on Kane and England’s captain was confirmed to rapturous noise.

“I want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur as well. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Tottenham for sure. I was there from 11 years old, all the guidance and all the coaches, you allowed me to live my dream,” the 33-year-old said.

“To all my England team-mates. We had a special year. It wasn’t the perfect year but we had a lot of good moments. We built a great bond together, a lot of togetherness, the way we played and it is truly an honour to play and captain you.

“This one is for all of us, for sure.”

Press Association

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Pierre Sage’s Crystal Palace reign has been defined as much by politics off the pitch as problems on it. Around Selhurst Park there are conflicting views as to why the Frenchman’s time in charge has gone so wrong, so quickly.

Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United, – a result that eased the pressure on similarly beleaguered Matthias Jaissle – looks to have been the final nail in the coffin. The atmosphere was toxic, the fans had begun to turn – and the prevailing mood is that Sage has been badly let down by chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Matt Hobbs.

At the same time, others felt he was supported as much as possible. As one source pointed out, Palace tied down goalkeeper Dean Henderson to a new deal and crucially, managed to keep hold of Adam Wharton in a summer when he was widely expected to leave.

That was not entirely of the club’s own doing. The mega offers anticipated for Wharton did not materialise in a summer when he was a controversial omission from Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad. Liverpool cooled their interest, Manchester City prioritised Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi and Manchester United opted for Carlos Baleba.

A disastrous summer

Keeping Wharton was a coup – but little else went right. A long-term successor to Maxence Lacroix was never found after his move to Chelsea and Malick Fofana – who Sage desperately wanted after managing the winger at Lyon – ended up joining Sunderland in a last-minute U-turn on deadline day. In fact the void left by Marc Guehi’s January exit is still being felt – a gap Palace chose to plug with loan signings Axel Disasi, 18-year-old Honest Ahanor and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has only been fit enough to start two games.

Hobbs arrived from Wolves with a big reputation for scouring the South American markets and finding bargain deals with the potential for high sell-ons, bringing with him a wealth of experience leaning on data at Molineux.

That expertise has not translated. £73m was spent on Dwight McNeil, Anan Khalaili, Quinten Timber and Zavier Gozo; only Sunderland and Bournemouth spent less this summer. Palace were having to row back on January missteps, selling Brennan Johnson at a £20m loss after just six months. Jorgen Strand Larsen has just four goals since his arrival from Wolves.

Losing faith that Sage can fix defence

Then there is the chaos at the other end of the pitch. When animal rights charity Peta recently described bald eagle mascot Phoenix as looking “frightened, disoriented and panicked”, they could very well have been talking about Palace’s back line.  

The 5-0 humiliation at Brighton left them with statistically the worst defence in the Premier League. The calamity of three goals conceded in 10 minutes against their biggest rivals was not seen as a one-off, but a recurring symptom of a back three that has struggled when Chris Richards has been forced to play in the middle. Disasi too has had a difficult start.

There were more positive signs in Europe against Besiktas and still Palace could not hold onto a lead against 10 men.

An impressive attitude

There has been a degree of sympathy with Sage, not least because he inherited difficult circumstances.

He began the season without an injured Jean-Philippe Mateta, who tried to rip up his contract by claiming the final year was invalid. Ismaila Sarr’s move to Liverpool then collapsed, leaving the Senegal forward devastated.

The manager’s attitude to coping with those challenges was seen as impressive. He is well-liked and while predecessor Oliver Glasner was popular but volatile, Sage is viewed as a much more easygoing character. He even kept on several of Glasner’s backroom team so as to cause as little disruption as possible.

But even positive results came with major caveats – victory at Craven Cottage was helped by Fulham’s disastrous defending and there was a dose of good fortune in the win over Glasner’s Nottingham Forest when Jefferson Lerma’s goal was allowed to stand despite an apparent handball.

Crystal Palace next manager candidates

Sage was never the board’s first choice. Their interest in Andoni Iraola towards the end of last season was well-documented before he replaced Arne Slot at Liverpool. Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche were also considered.

Both are in the frame to take over this time around, with Dyche the early frontrunner. Dyche has been out of work since leaving Nottingham Forest earlier this year, while Frank was sacked by Tottenham in January.

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Kieran McKenna is also a candidate but left Ipswich in the summer with the aim of spending more time with his young family.

An approach for Victor Matos would mean paying Swansea considerable compensation for the remaining four years of his contract, just months after paying Lens around £4m to release Sage.

Just four months later, he is set to become one of the shortest-serving Palace managers in history after Frank de Boer and Sam Allardyce.

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Manchester United have identified Eddie Howe as their leading candidate to replace Michael Carrick.

The i Paper has been told that United executives were locked in discussions on Sunday night over whether to sack Carrick after the club’s worst Premier League start in 40 years.

Some in the hierarchy sympathise with Carrick, with several key figures feeling the rookie coach was not backed enough in the summer transfer window, and that sacking yet another manager would not solve United’s problems.

As of Sunday night, however, it remains most likely that Carrick will be sacked, with several other targets identified to become the club’s eighth permanent manager in the last 13 years.

Howe is the preferred pick of director of football Jason Wilcox, who believes a coach with Premier League experience is a “must” to get United back heading in the right direction, sources said.

The i Paper has also been told Howe is interested in taking the job despite initially looking to take a break from the game following his exit from Newcastle a few months ago.

While sorting out the mess United have become is not quite as appealing a prospect as it once was, for Howe, it is seen as an opportunity an English coach cannot pass up.

Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has always preferred to have an English manager at the helm, believing that the biggest club in the country should be represented by the best homegrown managerial talent. He had made a big play for Gareth Southgate before Rubem Amorim was appointed two years ago.

Head of recruitment Christopher Vivell would prefer Julian Nagelsmann, having worked with the German coach at RB Leipzig. Nagelsmann is also understood to be interested in taking the job, but Wilcox would have to be persuaded.

Despite reports to the contrary, some sources have suggested Unai Emery would in fact consider leaving Aston Villa for United, should he be given the opportunity. The i Paper has been told several executives see Emery as their top pick, with Villa again impressing this term.

Emery would be the most expensive option of all the possible candidates and after all the outlay United have spent hiring and firing managers over the past few years, some feel the Spaniard would not be a risk worth taking.

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Antonio Conte has made it abundantly clear in recent interviews he is itching to return to management and would welcome another shot at a Premier League club.

There are plenty of figures at United who would choose the fiery Italian, believing his combative nature is exactly what the ailing club needs right now.

However, senior figures have doubts that the former Chelsea boss would be able to work cohesively in the current footballing structure in place.

from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/s6xqYKo