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Manchester United continued their lacklustre form with a 1-1 draw away to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce. Erik ten Hag’s side could only stumble to a point away from home against a well-drilled home side led by their former boss, the legendary Jose Mourinho.

It was United who took the lead despite reams of early pressure from the home side. A well-worked move, started by summer signing Manuel Ugarte who won the ball in midfield, saw Christian Eriksen fire home from just inside the penalty box.

Mourinho’s team continued to pile on the pressure, and United goalkeeper Andre Onana pulled off a fantastic double save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri.

However, the Morocco international managed to get on the scoresheet just moments into the second half.

He met a cross from former Newcastle United man Allan Saint-Maximin, rising higher than Victor Lindelof to head home and equalise. Neither side was able to find the decisive action which won the game, and it ultimately petered out into a draw.

It was another frustrating night for United and Ten Hag’s side have now failed to win in Europe for exactly one year. There were some interesting selections from the Dutchman on Thursday night, in particular with Noussair Mazraoui’s role against the Turkish side.

Mazraoui’s stats vs. Fenerbahce

In Bruno Fernandes’ absence following his suspension after two yellow cards against Porto, it was interesting to see who the Dutchman would turn to as his replacement. His selection of Mazraoui at number 10 certainly caused a few surprises.

All things considered, it was not a bad performance by someone who is, by trade, a full-back. The Moroccan is an incredibly technical player which showed in some of his actions against Fenerbahce. He had some bright moments and played a part in Eriksen’s goal.

Indeed, his performance in Turkey was enough to receive a 6/10 rating from The Manchester Evening News’ chief Manchester United writer Samuel Luckhurst. He praised the United number three for being “positionally disciplined”, although ultimately said the experiment was unsuccessful.

The former Ajax defender certainly worked hard in an unfamiliar role, and his Sofascore stats reflect that. The 26-year-old had 64 touches of the ball, completing 83% of his passes and three from four long balls. Out of possession, he won two duels and two tackles.

Given the circumstances, Mazraoui put in a solid performance, and there were certainly more disappointing players on the pitch in a United shirt, including striker Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee’s stats vs. Fenerbahce

It has been an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford for Netherlands international Zirkzee. After a debut goal against Fulham, the 23-year-old has not found the back of the net, although he did get his first assist in a United shirt against Fenerbahce.

The former Bologna striker teed the classy Danish midfielder up nicely, setting the ball perfectly for the United number 14 to rifle home and give his side the lead. Outside of that, however, the Red Devils striker struggled, and his usual fluid link-up play was not on display.

Indeed, his stats also suggest it was a tough night at the office. The United number 11 had just 21 touches, far fewer than Onana managed, with 49 to his name. Zirkzee managed to complete just 67% of his passes, lost the ball seven times and won two from eight duels.

Touches

21

Pass accuracy

67%

Passes completed

8/12

Ground duels won

1/4

Aerial duels won

1/4

Number of times possession lost

7

Assists

1

His performance earned him a 4/10 rating from the aforementioned Luckhurst following the game. The journalist gave the United striker a scathing review and explained that it was an ‘anaemic performance’ from the 23-year-old.

Ten Hag will no doubt be hoping Zirkzee can find his shooting boots soon. The games are coming thick and fast, and United need to pick up wins to get themselves out of this run of poor form.

Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?

2 ByStephan Georgiou Oct 28, 2024

Despite that chaotic 3-2 defeat to Brighton, Tottenham supporters must be feeling pretty happy at how the Ange Postecoglou era is going.

The style of football can be a bit disorganised but you’re always guaranteed one thing with Spurs; entertainment. They play high press, with a high line and want to attack. It’s a shame Gareth Southgate didn’t have that motto over the summer with England.

Alas, Spurs look good and finally appear like a team who are no longer missing Harry Kane. Dominic Solanke arrived for a £65m fee over the summer and has three goals to his name already despite an injury-hit first few weeks in London.

However, it’s Welshman Brennan Johnson who looks like the real Kane replacement right now, scoring six goals in his last half-a-dozen outings for the Lilywhites. It’s quite the revival for a man who received horrific abuse for his performance against Arsenal a month ago.

At long, long last, Spurs are no longer reliant on what their all-time record goalscorer brought to the club. They’ve been searching for someone since the days of Mauricio Pochettino.

Pochettino's best and worst signings at Spurs

A year prior to the Argentine’s arrival in the English capital, it was a big old summer for Spurs. Gareth Bale was sold for a mega £85m fee to Real Madrid and in walked the likes of Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen to name a few.

While Eriksen went on to become a Spurs icon, registering 88 assists and 69 goals across 305 outings, Soldado was sold just two years into Pochettino’s tenure, leaving for Villarreal after scoring just 16 goals in 76 matches. How the current USA manager replaced him was a strange one to say the least.

While club icons Heung-min Son and Toby Alderweireld both joined in 2015 – Poch’s second summer at the helm – it also saw Kevin Wimmer and Clinton N’Jie arrive.

In 2016 it was the turn of another club flop Vincent Janssen to arrive in the capital and he was joined by another notable dud Georges-Kevin N’Koudou. It’s safe to say that for every Son and Dele Alli that Pochettino acquired, there was a N’Jie or Serge Aurier.

So, where are some of those big-money duds now? Well, Janssen is actually having a happy time of it out in Belgium where the Dutch striker has scored 41 goals in 104 matches for Royal Antwerp after a spell in Mexico. But what about N’Jie? Things are far less successful for the Cameroon ace.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

What happened to Clinton N'Jie after leaving Spurs

In 2015, Soldado had just left and Emmanuel Adebayor wasn’t handed a squad number. Bleak times indeed which left Pochettino with a sole senior striker; Kane.

He tried to solve the lack of depth by bringing N’Jie to the club in a £12m transfer from Lyon. Upon his arrival, which also happened to be his birthday, the forward stated that he was “very happy to join Tottenham”, hailing them as “such a big club in England.”

Sadly, it never really worked out for the 44-cap Cameroon international who departed after just 14 goalless games for the club.

In that time, he played alongside the likes of Kane, Dele and Eriksen but even for three marvellous players, they could not get a tune out of N’Jie.

Marseille

83

16

10

Sivasspor

72

5

5

Dynamo Moscow

66

6

4

Lyon

43

8

9

Spurs

14

0

1

So, what’s he doing in the year 2024? Well, he’s struggling…again. After spells with Marseille, Dynamo Moscow and Sivasspor in Turkey, the 31-year-old is now playing in Romania for Rapid Bucuresti having signed for them a month ago.

Since arriving in the Romanian capital, his club side have played four games but N’Jie hasn’t appeared in a single one of them. French outlet Foot Mercato recently remarked that things have started ‘very badly’ for him.

Why hasn’t he played? Administrative reasons. The former Tottenham man has a work permit and is currently in training but all of the paperwork is yet to be accepted.

Even without taking to the field, the Cameroon international has been the subject of criticism. Writing for Gazeta Sporturilor, journalist Narcis Drejan stated: “Rapid is making a big mistake! N’Jie and Boupendza are two vagabonds, the kind of players who miss training. When they see what Bucharest has to offer… […] They know they have value, but they have no pressure, they come for the money, to have fun, they no longer come for football.” Harsh words indeed.

This is a player who has clearly had a successful career – you don’t earn 44 caps for your country without it being so – just he has failed to ever live up to the mass potential that Spurs hoped they had invested in nine years ago.

Imagine him & Van de Ven: Spurs could soon unleash their very own Gabriel

Tottenham have recruited excellently in recent times and are set to unleash their answer to Arsenal’s Gabriel.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 13, 2024

Eintracht Frankfurt have slapped a huge price tag on Manchester City target and in-demand striker Omar Marmoush.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Marmoush an in-demand striker
• Man City linked with forward
• Eintracht Frankfurt name their price

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Sky Germany reporter Patrick Berger, the 25-year-old wants to move to City and there is a 'complete' verbal agreement between him and the Premier League side. The report adds, however, that the Bundesliga team want €80 million (£67m/$82m) for his services in January.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City are having their worst season in many years and even with the prolific Erling Haaland up front, Pep Guardiola's team looks a shell of their former selves. Allowing Julian Alvarez to join Atletico Madrid may have been a mistake but reported Arsenal and Liverpool target Marmoush could be a good replacement. The report adds City are planning to lodge a bid this weekend but Eintracht would demand a lot less this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Egypt international, whose contract at Eintracht runs until 2027, has scored 18 goals and bagged 12 assists in 24 games in all competitions this season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  All eyes will be on whether or not City make an offer for Marmoush and if Eintracht will be willing to negotiate to get a deal done. A transfer, however, may be more likely in the summer.

Nottinghamshire 328 (Patterson-White 73, Slater 60, Clarke 48, Rushworth 4-75, Raine 3-63) and 125 for 5 (Hameed 58) lead Durham 165 (Evison 5-21, Broad 3-36) by 288 runsNottinghamshire brushed aside Durham’s attempt to manufacture a place in Division One of the Championship with artificially short boundaries as they took a stranglehold on the match at Emirates Riverside and, in the process, assured themselves of their own qualification for the September culmination to the season.It is quite a transformation for a county that had to wait until early May before ending a 1,043-day run without a victory.Those short boundaries were intended to propel Durham to maximum batting points, only for them to be dismissed for 165, not manage a single batting point, and concede a first-innings lead of 163. Notts extended that to a lead of 288 with five wickets remaining by the close as every ball resisted by Haseeb Hameed , before Scott Borthwick spun one past his defence, for 58, shortly before the close, communicated that he was in no mood to relax even though promotion was assured.Nottinghamshire now join Yorkshire, Lancashire and Somerset as claimants to Division One places in the end-of-season climax. Warwickshire are now strong favourites to join them, with Durham having to hope for an extraordinary victory plus a Warwickshire defeat on Wednesday to pull off a miracle.That leaves Gloucestershire desperately trying to stave off defeat against Hampshire at Cheltenham. A forecast of unbroken sunshine suggests only an overnight Covid alert, and immediate cancellation, can save them. Not that deliberately getting your phone to ‘ping’ would be a particularly moral way to pass the evening.Joey Evison, a 19-year-old medium pacer, England U-19 via Stamford School, destroyed Durham’s first innings with a post-lunch spell of 5 for 21 in eight overs. If Durham could fiddle the boundaries, they could do nothing about the weather and leaden skies hung over Emirates Riverside, as if in meteorological denunciation, until minutes before their innings was complete.Evison, who swings the ball, predominantly away from the right-hander, accepted his opportunity with growing excitement. It was a decent spell of swing bowling, a career-best that he can take pride in, but he will not find many batting line-ups as accommodating in the future.At close of play, he excitedly announced Notts’ qualification before the country’s cricket websites had worked out what was happening. And people fear that we are about to surrender to an automated society.”We’re going into that top conference of the County Championship,” he said. “That’s where we wanted to be looking at our targets for the season. We’re looking to push for that win tomorrow. Getting the five-wicket haul is one of those things I can tick off early in my career. I didn’t know what was going on. Getting four wickets in four overs has not happened to me before. It’s one of those moments that you have to embrace.”Two of his wickets, David Bedingham and Borthwick, required decent deliveries to remove batsmen of proven ability; Bedingham remains on course to be first to 1,000 runs, even if we did once imagine he might pull it off by the end of May, and it’s now July 13. Borthwick’s batting form has been much patchier but he carried a captain’s desire for success in his first season in the role. The other three wickets were gifts, inadequate responses to a high-pressure day.Durham’s openers fell to Stuart Broad – the presence of an England player, limbering up for the India Test series, being quite a bonus in mid-July. Both Cameron Bancroft and Rob Jones fell to big breakbacks. Notts’ loyalists would have watched the replays and judged them stone dead. Durham supporters would have been aghast. Both were probably umpire’s call.Related