11 December 2023 , 03:00
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It was a Saturday to forget for Erik ten Hag as his Manchester United side were humbled 3-0 at home to Bournemouth.
And things won't get any easier over the next seven days. On Tuesday, the Red Devils host Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and anything less than a win will ensure they suffer a humiliating exit from the competition in the group stages.
That will be followed by a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday, a venue where they were beaten 7-0 last season. In the background, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £1.3billion deal to purchase a 25 percent stake in the club is reportedly on the verge of completion, and can't come soon enough for the Dutch boss who is now targeting reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Here's a round-up of the latest news from Old Trafford....
Fernandes accused of deliberate booking
Richard Keys has sensationally suggested Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes deliberately got himself booked in their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday because he knew it meant he would miss their clash with rivals Liverpool next weekend.
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Speaking with Andy Gray on beIN Sports, Keys said: "I think he knows at 3-0 down, United stopped playing and it could have been four or five. I think he knows that next week could be a bad day out for the football club.
"If we're all agreed that if he knew he got booked he would miss the game, I can't think of any other scenario whereby I could allow him the room to manoeuvre on that and say 'it was a heated moment'. It wasn't."
Bruno Fernandes was needlessly booked against Bournemouth (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Who should Manchester United sign in January? Comment below.
Hojlund shown a "lack of respect"
Ian Wright believes Rasmus Hojlund should be "pulling up" Diogo Dalot over the lack of service he received in Manchester United 's 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Wright highlighted one chance involving Dalot and Hojlund, saying: “This is good play from them, He gets in (Dalot), he’s got to square this, he’s got to square it to him. I think there’s a total lack of respect for him, he doesn’t even acknowledge [him]… look at him he’s had a shot from the most ridiculous angle, he’s upset with himself.
“But he doesn’t even look for Hojlund, has a ridiculous shot and then Bournemouth scored a minute later. Hojlund has got to be pulling him up in the dressing room about that, he’s got to say ‘come on’.”
Rasmus Hojlund reacts after Diogo Dalot failed to find him in the box (AFP via Getty Images)United eye City outcast
Erik ten Hag is targeting a shock January move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
According to The Sun, Ten Hag views the 28-year-old as the 'perfect fit' for his struggling team, with Casemiro injured and summer signings Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat struggling to make an impact. And one club source was quoted as saying: “United are watching the situation with Phillips very carefully.
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"He is likely to go out on loan in January, but he will then be looking for a permanent switch in the summer, and Ten Hag wants to be right at the front of the queue. He is a fan of the way Phillips plays, and thinks his style is perfectly suited to United and to the philosophy he is trying to instil in the group."