Manchester

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League match away to Luton.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Ten Hag said Luke Shaw is "doubtful" for the weekend but "we are positive he can make it." He added that Aaron Wan Bissaka "will take some weeks because he picked up another injury in training" while Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia will "take some more weeks".

• On the continued absence of Malacia: "He had a setback during his recovery process. It takes too long - it's bad for him, bad for us. But now it's positive [and] he will return soon on the pitch. It won't take long before he's retuning to training."

• Ten Hag is pleased Jim Ratcliffe's deal for a 25% stake in the club has Premier League and FA approval: "You feel that ambition that brings a mood and spirit to this club. That belongs to this club. The players and staff are very aligned to the vision of Ineos. We want to win and achieve the highest."

• He was tight-lipped on potential interest in a new sporting director at Old Trafford: "I don’t know anything about changes. I talk with the new sporting organisation but it is not up to me. My focus point is on this team. We have a look and now we are working on the plans for the summer."

• He does not anticipate a unique challenge of playing at Kenilworth Road: "Every ambience is different. We have to deal with the circumstances. It's about playing football, XI v XI. We have to make it our game, it doesn't matter who you face. We respect every opponent."

• Ten Hag said United "are not in a position to underestimate any opponent", adding on the Hatters: "We have seen their performances across the season are very good. Especially in the last weeks, they have been really improving. I have a lot of respect for this team. We need to play our best football."

Follow the rest of Thursday's Premier League news conferences

Full commentary of Luton Town v Manchester United on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 16:30 GMT on Sunday

Image source, Getty Images

I was shocked this week with what a former international manager said to me.

"Manchester City are the most boring English team to watch - their playing style is tedious."

What? This is the Treble winners with the most explosive striker on the planet, Erling Haaland, who was back swatting the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite away to bag his double against Everton.

They also have arguably the world’s most creative and elegant player in Kevin de Bruyne bestriding the pitch and that is before you get to Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and the rest.

The thing is, there is just the smallest seed of truth in his point, it can get a little bit ‘predictable’ with City. They control most games, averaging 75% possession of the ball in the last seven league outings.

And admittedly they do just keep passing it around ad nauseam until their opponents are sick with exhaustion chasing those sky blue shadows. Eventually an opposition defender’s concentration lapses momentarily, usually between 50 and 70 minutes, City strike and it is all over, yet again.

I understand that seeing the same old story and style recur almost continuously would elicit the odd yawn from some people which is why I loved watching Jeremy Doku changing it this week. Whereas Jack Grealish has lost some of his electrifying directness against defences and become more City style, Doku is adding that unrestrained excitement to City’s play instead.

If you find Doku’s current play boring, you are watching the wrong sport. You should also check that you still have a pulse.

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Manchester City are favourites for the Premier League title, we know that because of the game in hand, but they also still have to go to Liverpool and play at home to Arsenal.

It is brilliant to see the title race like this though, and I think we know from City's record that Liverpool are going to have to really push all the way if they want to win the league. But, can they win it? Can Arsenal win it? Yes.

Question marks were asked last week at West Ham for the Gunners on whether they could continue in that process and they really put that to bed very, very quickly with a wonderful display. It's a fantastic title race and it really is anybody's to win.

City are on a good run and with Liverpool losing to Arsenal, how will that affect them? It was a bit of an unconvincing performance last week against Burnley, but they got through, they got the points.

It is really tight, anyone of those can win it and that's what we want to see right until the end.

Can Liverpool and Arsenal sustain this level of performance and wins? They're going to need to if they're going to beat this Manchester City side to the trophy and that will be the key factor in the last few weeks of the season.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Manchester United have approached Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth about joining them.

Ashworth has a long-standing relationship with Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford that dates back to Ashworth’s time at the Football Association.

Talks over compensation are yet to take place between the two clubs but it is understood Ashworth is keen to move to Old Trafford.

Providing a deal can be agreed, it would be another significant move by Ineos, whose 25% ownership of Manchester United is set to be confirmed early next week.

In addition to Brailsford and Jean Claude Blanc taking seats on the football club board, they have also come together with the Glazer family to bring Omar Berrada in from Manchester City as their new chief executive. Berrada is currently on gardening leave and is due to take up his role in the summer.

Ashworth is also likely to have to serve a period of gardening leaving, as was the case when he left Brighton before joining Newcastle in 2022.

The 52-year-old has a reputation for being one of the best football directors in the game and was credited with England’s phenomenal success at youth level in 2017, when they won both the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups.

Providing the deal goes through, Ashworth is likely to be given significant power at United.

Ashworth is also likely to have a major input into the club’s scouting systems.

Even with their current form, Manchester United are not yet favourites for a top-four spot.

Aston Villa were getting results and, yes, they're falling away, but they've done incredibly and they're still only just behind Tottenham. I feel Spurs are the favourites naturally to finish in the top four, but Manchester United are going extremely well. Their inconsistency has now turned to a positive again, but can they sustain it? Because that's what keeps happening, they get results and dip.

We've seen some movements in the ownership off the pitch which could create a little bit of positivity going forward. Players are coming back as well from injury, so they've got every chance of finishing fourth, but they're just not favourites yet.

From a player's point of view, there won't be any real interest in what's happening off the pitch, they are used to dealing with it good or bad. But, from a supporter's perspective, the positivity can help the players because the mentality could change now they see a future. Players just feed off that.

They have a really big game coming up in a couple of weeks with the Manchester derby and I think that's the one where people start to say 'what's going to happen with this Manchester United side?'

They are going to be judged on whether they can win their next three games and then going and getting a positive result against Manchester City.

We thought United were going to be challenging for the title this season when it all set off because they won a trophy last year, finished in a good position and the squad looked better. So the top four now is a bare minimum. If not, it's a complete failure for Manchester United. The FA Cup would be another positive, but they cannot finish lower than fourth.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Image source, Reuters

Manchester United "look like they are going to score goals when they go forward", says Fulham captain Tom Cairney.

United have won five and drawn one of their six games so far in 2024, scoring at least twice in each fixture.

Speaking to the Footballer's Football Podcast, Cairney said: "I feel like they're a bit of a threat at the minute, I enjoy watching them, the Wolves game was amazing.

"I want them to be a top team, just for the Premier League in general. I enjoy watching them again, I thought they were good against Villa.

"Going forward they're a threat and it's nice to see, it's refreshing to see Manchester United going forward and looking like they're going to score goals, even though their top [Premier League] goalscorer is a midfield player [Scott McTominay with seven]."

He added: "I'd expect Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes by the end of the season to both be in double figures."

Rashford has five Premier League goals so far this season, while captain Fernandes has scored three.

Fulham are scheduled to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on 24 February.

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Manchester City and Liverpool are among the clubs interested in Shakhtar Donetsk and Ukraine attacking midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, 21. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

West Ham and Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 26, is being tracked by Manchester City. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Manchester United expect to reach an agreement with Newcastle to appoint Dan Ashworth as director of football early next week. (Mail), external

Newcastle would be due more than £6m in compensation if Ashworth moves to the Red Devils. (The i - subscription required), external

Manchester United also want to sign Brazil defender Gleison Bremer, 26, from Juventus in the summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian) , external

Barcelona have placed an £85m price tag on 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who continues to be linked with Manchester United and Chelsea. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Manchester United are eyeing a move for Crystal Palace's 22-year-old French winger Michael Olise, 22. (90min), external

Wolves might sell Pedro Neto this summer to ensure they do not breach profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and give manager Gary O'Neil funds to spend elsewhere, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United admirers of the 23-year-old Portugal winger. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney believes Manchester United defender Harry Maguire's turnaround at the club is "testament to him as a person".

England centre-back Maguire was replaced as United captain last summer and he was also the subject of bids from West Ham. But he has since made regular first-team appearances for the Red Devils, with 21 in all competitions this season despite a recent spell out injured.

Speaking to the Footballer's Football Podcast, Cairney said: "I don't think he's getting the credit he deserves, for how mentally strong he's been. The stuff that was getting said is well documented.

"At international level and at Manchester United, the way he was sat on the bench, the captaincy taken off him, for him to come back and play the way he's playing at a club like that.

Cairney added: "I don't think people understand the pressure he's under, so to produce the performances he's producing and to have not gone into his shell is testament to him as a person. I feel like he deserves a lot more credit than he's getting."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

The Treble of league title, FA Cup and European Cup/Champions League had only been done once before in England prior to 2023 - once in 67 years of domestic and European competition running alongside each other.

But it does not feel beyond the realm of possibilities that it could happen three times in 69 years. That is if Manchester City completed the "double Treble".

It is now 11 wins in a row in all competitions. Win their game in hand and they are top of the Premier League, and they look set for the quarter-finals of the Champions League too.

"Never say never," defender John Stones told BBC Radio Manchester recently when talking of targets this season.

His team-mate Ruben Dias added: "To accomplish things you need to know they are there. And we know what's there."

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock strongly feels it is the Reds of Merseyside who are realistically the only side that can stop City doing it all over again.

"I think they can do it. I really do," Warnock told BBC Radio Manchester. "Liverpool and Arsenal will have a lot to say to make sure that doesn't happen.

"Have I seen anyone in the Champions League that makes you worry about them? Probably not. This City team, knowing how to win the Champions League, and winning the Premier League so often, there's a feeling they can go back-to-back."

It is a City side that under Pep Guardiola has smashed many competition records.

"When the bar has been set so high you've got to keep trying to reach that bar," Stones added. "I believe we can do. To believe and to have that goal, I don't think anything is impossible to do with this group. I'd love to do again."

But they will not get carried away. All through last season there was a heavy focus on only the next game. I do believe attitudes are more relaxed to an end goal this season.

As Dias said: "There's half an eye on the possibilities and the other eye-and-a-half on what we're doing the next game."