LONDON: Erik ten Hag has reportedly lost the support of half of the players in the Manchester United dressing room due to his management style.

It comes after the Red Devils lost at the hands of Newcastle last Saturday, their 10th loss in all competitions this season.

As Ten Hag’s team sits in seventh place and five points behind the top four, the pressure is mounting for the head coach from the Netherlands.

United are also mired at the bottom of Group A of the Champions League with one game remaining and realize they must defeat Bayern Munich to have a chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.

It’s all gone from bad to worse for the Ten Hag, with Sky Sports reporting the Ten Hag’s management style has cost him the support of half the players in the dressing room at Old Trafford.

They claimed the players were unhappy with their playing style, felt they were training ‘too hard’ and they were running too much in training – with some senior players ‘not sure what they were doing.’

They added certain senior players spoke to Ten Hag about what happened – highlighting their experiences at previous clubs – and felt the management style could be improved.

ESPN also reported he is now “struggling to keep key players around him” ahead of a crucial few weeks.

The report stated that ‘a group of players in the first team were very disappointed’ after the defeat at the hands of Newcastle.

Despite some players ‘remaining supportive of Ten Hag and his staff, there are fears within the club that the atmosphere in the dressing room will worsen.’

MANCHESTER: Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville says Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is the best in the world compared to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

When asked who is the best manager in the world at the moment, Neville replied: “I think Jurgen Klopp. He has a lower budget than Pep Guardiola.

“Pep Guardiola is a smart man and he will be remembered more. But Jurgen Klopp is a great team manager.

“If you ask me which manager I would bring to Manchester United, it would definitely be Jurgen Klopp. But Liverpool will not let him go.”

United have struggled under Erik ten Hag at the start of the season but have bounced back to collect 12 of 15 on offer in the last five games.

After leading United to the League Cup last season, Ten Hag had a poor start to the season as they slipped to mid-table, were knocked out of the League Cup and risked an early exit from the Champions League.

ROME: Federico Dimarco’s long-range strike helped Inter Milan beat Frosinone 2-0 and return to the top of Serie A heading into the international break.

Among Inter’s title contenders, only Juventus recorded a win at the weekend. The two will clash in their next match in Turin.

The gap with the other two Italian giants, AC Milan and Napoli grew bigger when each failed to collect points.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter have won 10 of 12 games and collected 31 points, with Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus on 29 points.

AC Milan is third on 23 points after losing to Lecce while Napoli (21 points) was defeated by Empoli.

After Dimarco’s goal, Hakan Calhanoglu added a goal for Inter through a penalty kick.

LONDON: Manchester United need to win at FC Copenhagen in the Champions League action tomorrow (early Thursday morning) to avoid early elimination.

The three-time European champions beat the Danish squad 1-0 at Old Trafford last month and were saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana who saved a late penalty.

Humiliating defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Newcastle added to the pressure on Erik ten Hag, which was only eased slightly by a 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.

United are currently third in Group A, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich and one behind Galatasaray.

If they fail to win in Copenhagen, Galatasaray can eliminate United when the two meet in Istanbul on November 29.

United fans are starting to get tired of the team’s erratic performance, but Ten Hag still has the strong support of the club’s owners.

After excelling in his first season at Old Trafford, winning the League Cup and finishing third in the Premier League, Ten Hag’s men have had a poor start to the season.

United also lost their first two Champions League group stage games for the first time.

Among the criticisms of Ten Hag is that he is too focused on the player market in the Netherlands.

The eight players he signed were from the Dutch League and almost all of them struggled to adapt in the English Premier League.

Ten Hag was also criticized for failing to implement its own style of play, but it was also affected by injuries to key players.

Veteran centre-back Jonny Evans, who returned to the club to help United’s defence, believes the absence of several players has affected the squad.

“I think the manager finds it difficult to manage the team, tactically and having to change players frequently with only two days off between games,” Evans said.

Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes has also been inconsistent in a squad that has only scored 12 goals in 11 English Premier League games this season.

Ten Hag hopes that Fernandes’ winning goal against Fulham will help the new captain who was appointed last July.

DORTMUND, Germany: Bayern Munich were eliminated from the German Cup in the second round for the third time in four years after losing 2-1 at third division club Saarbruecken early this morning thanks to a last minute goal by Marcel Gaus.

With the score tied 1-1 and the match looking set to go into extra time, defender Gaus scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to seal his side’s stunning win.

“When a first division team like Bayern comes to Saarbruecken and loses, then we did something wrong,” veteran Thomas Mueller told ARD after the match.

Bayern lost to Holstein Kiel on penalties at the same stage three years ago, then were thrashed 5-0 by Borussia Moenchengladbach in the second round in 2021.

The 20-time champions also lost in the quarter-finals at home to Freiburg last season.

“Maybe there are 100 reasons or maybe none at all. We are facing an injury crisis but some say we deserve to win,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said.

An “extremely proud” home coach Ruediger Ziehl said he told his players today’s training session was now only “voluntary.”

“If we don’t celebrate it today, maybe we don’t have the chance to celebrate it.”

Bayern, who travel to Bundesliga arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, are without centre-back Matthijs de Ligt who is feared to have suffered a serious knee injury for the match, leaving them with just one fit midfielder.

Previously, Marco Reus’ goal helped Borussia Dortmund win 1-0 at home against Hoffenheim.

MANCHESTER: Graham Potter is waiting for Napoli to make an official offer, but at the same time is ready to listen if Manchester United are interested in his services.

The Serie A champions want Potter to be their new manager, with Antonio Conte also on the list.

Potter caught the attention of Napoli after the manager’s success at Brighton, although his career with Chelsea did not go well.

Napoli won the league title under Luciano Spaletti but their form has declined since Rudi Garcia took over.

Potter is also a candidate for United manager should Jim Ratcliffe become the team’s new owner and decide to sack Erik ten Hag.

Ratcliffe’s partner Dave Brailsford is a fan of Potter and once tried to sign the operator for French club Nice.

Ratcliffe, 70, has agreed to take a 25 per cent stake in United for £1.35bn (£7.84bn) and hopes to start his job at Old Trafford before the January transfer window.

Ten Hag endured a disappointing new season with United, losing four of their first seven games – the club’s worst record since 1989.

PARIS: Reigning champions Italy won easily 4-0 over Malta in the Euro 2024 qualifying action early this morning, while Denmark strengthened their position to qualify in addition to narrowing Kazakhstan’s chances.

Giacomo Bonaventura scored his first goal for Italy in the 22nd minute and Domenico Berardi produced a stunning goal to double Bari’s lead in first-half stoppage time.

Berardi scored again in the 63rd minute before Davide Frattesi completed a comfortable night for Luciano Spalletti’s men who remain second in Group C ahead of the meeting with England early this Wednesday morning.

“The match will really show the potential we have,” Spalletti told broadcaster RAI.

Italy, who have played a game less, are three points behind England ahead of their meeting at Wembley.

“It was definitely an emotional game, I have wonderful memories in that stadium,” said Berardi, who featured in Italy’s penalty shoot-out win over England in the Euro 2020 final.

“We’re going to go there trying to do what we did today, play our way and go for the win.”

Ukraine are tied with Italy after a 2-0 win over North Macedonia in Prague.

Georgiy Sudakov put Ukraine ahead after 30 minutes and substitute Oleksandr Karavaiev sealed victory in stoppage time, ahead of next week’s clash with Malta.

Denmark avenged their shock defeat at the hands of Kazakhstan last March when Robert Skov scored twice in a 3-1 win in Copenhagen.

Jonas Wind started Denmark’s dominance, which qualified for the semi-finals of Euro 2020, with the opener before Skov completed two quick goals in each half.

Kazakhstan hit back with a goal through Yan Vorogovskiy but they are four points behind their Group H challengers.

“First of all, we are of course happy with the victory in the European qualifiers at home. It is not an easy path in this group,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand told broadcaster TV2.

“It was a very important home game and we were forced to work hard to win. The pressure was on and we got the win we needed.”

Benjamin Sesko’s brace helped Slovenia win 3-0 over Finland in Ljubljana.

Sesko’s first goal came from the penalty spot and the RB Leipzig forward added another with a clinical finish, taking his tally to eight goals in his last 11 international appearances.

Defender Erik Janza grabbed a late third for Slovenia, who lead Denmark at the top on goal difference. The two countries will meet in Copenhagen next November 17.

Slovenia travel to Northern Ireland next week and Denmark are almost certain to beat San Marino – who have lost all 82 games except one in Euro qualifying.

Northern Ireland beat San Marino 3-0 for their second win in seven games.

Hungary dominated Group G after a 2-1 home win over Serbia.

LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino admits struggling Chelsea need to “grow up” after their troubled season was hit again with a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa late last night.

Pochettino’s men have won just once in six league games under his charge after Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal secured three points for Villa at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are stranded in 14th place, just four points above the relegation zone, after failing to score in their last three games.

Chelsea’s latest upset came when defender Malo Gusto was sent off after 58 minutes for a challenge on Lucas Digne.

After a VAR review on the sidelines, referee Jarred Gillett changed the initial yellow card to red following a dangerous play foul.

Adding to Pochettino’s woes, Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who has scored just one goal since his move from Villarreal, was shown his fifth yellow card in an effort to block Villa’s free-kick, serving a one-match ban.

Pochettino refused to criticize the match officials and instead said he and his players were to blame following Chelsea’s latest defeat.

“It’s our responsibility and the players’. We can’t blame VAR or the referee,” said Pochettino.

“That situation, we have to act differently. I will not blame or say anything against Malo Gusto.

“Incidents happen in football and they affect the game and the team in a negative way.

“We have to grow as a team, not just in an individual way. A player like Nico (Jackson) who is too young, goes through Premier League experience and he learns, he needs time.”

BARCELONA: Real Madrid recovered to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 to return to the top of La Liga, maintaining their perfect start to the season.

After Barcelona beat Real Betis last night, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad needs to overcome Basque opponents to get back ahead of the league.

Real Sociedad took the lead through Ander Barrenetxea, but Madrid equalized thanks to a Fede Valverde goal before Joselu sealed their fifth consecutive win of the season.

England’s Jude Bellingham missed the mark this time after starting well by scoring five goals in his first four games with the Spanish giants. He remains the top scorer so far.

Madrid will begin their Champions League campaign against Union Berlin at home this Wednesday, and despite missing Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema in the summer, and star player Vinicius Junior to injury, they are still one of the squad’s toughest.

Sociedad took the lead as early as the fifth minute at the new Santiago Bernabeu, when Takefusa Kubo made a pass to Barrenetxea.

Valverde equalized a minute into the second half and Joselu scored Madrid’s winner in the 60th minute.

Madrid currently lead the league by two points over Barcelona, ​​with both Spanish giants yet to lose this season.

GLASGOW: Harry Maguire was deemed ‘Scotland’s best striker’ after scoring his own goal at Hampden Park.

The England defender was met with ridicule every time he got the ball after being put in by the controller, Gareth Southgate.

Maguire replaced Marc Guehi during the break in the 3-1 win over Scotland in a historic friendly between the two teams.

The former Manchester United captain was even more unfortunate when Andrew Robertson’s ball was caught into his own net for Scotland’s only goal.

“Scotland don’t have any proper tries. Power Harry Maguire,” said one fan.

“Harry Maguire probably had more attempts on goal against England than Scotland,” said another.

“Scotland’s best striker is Harry Maguire,” said another fan.

Phil Foden opened the scoring followed by Jude Bellingham’s goal for England to lead 2-0 before the break.

Maguire’s own goal in the second half allowed Scotland to close the gap but Harry Kane ensured England’s victory late in the game.