It will be a make-or-break summer at Old Trafford with the contenders for the coaching job representing two current predominant schools of thought

If at the beginning of last week Ralf Rangnick held a flicker of hope he would be Manchester United manager next season, then defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League second round has surely extinguished it.

Man Utd enter the international break on a run of one win in five matches in all competitions and closer to West Ham in seventh than Arsenal in fourth.

They are also on track to win 66 points, which, strangely enough, would be the fourth time they’ve hit that total in the last seven years.

in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years.

It goes without saying they need to get the next appointment right but, .

By the end of next season, it will be 10 years since the club’s last league title, a significant milestone that will cause more soul-searching at Old Trafford.

By then, they need to have in place a long-term vision; a structure that has a league title in its sights but with an understanding that, realistically, it will take several years to get to the level that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are at.

As Liverpool supporters can attest to, the first 10 years without a title are rough, but not as rough as the next 10.

It gets tougher with every year that passes, and Man Utd must ready themselves for a long process that demands patience. There is no quick fix and no time to waste.

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Broadly speaking, there are two directions United can go. One route is towards hard pressing and verticality, the other a more patient possession approach: the Klopp way or the Guardiola way. 

GOAL sources say that Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are level-pegging in the eyes of the decision-makers at United, with Julen Lopetegui, Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique the others being considered.

Luis Enrique is surely out of the question as he is determined to lead Spain into the World Cup this winter. The other four neatly reflect that choice between the two dominant tactical systems in European football.

Pochettino or Tuchel represent Kloppites

The Argentine has been tracked by United for a very long time now and it is believed he would love the job.

Pochettino has struggled to handle the egotism that drives Paris Saint-Germain, finding player power too great for his tactical beliefs to take hold.

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But rather than see Pochettino’s time in Paris as a sign he is not capable of managing a difficult group, we should view him as someone with the lived experience to handle it.

and, right now, United are hovering alarmingly close to the same approach.

From the leaks to broadsheet newspapers about Rangnick’s methods to the whinging we see on the pitch, Man Utd could do with a manager who has seen this kind of behaviour at its worst and will work to stamp it out before things spiral out of control.

From a tactical perspective, he is the ideal fit. Pochettino’s desire to play hard-pressing football that focuses on verticality in the transition is in keeping with the Premier League’s tactical shift towards the Germanic way of playing.

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He is not hugely dissimilar from Thomas Tuchel – another manager GOAL understands United are assessing – although Pochettino teams press higher.

Pochettino’s focus on using overlapping full-backs to provide penetration from out wide means but, elsewhere, there are the foundations for a move towards direct football that makes use of the transitions.

Fred would be an ideal box-to-box midfielder for Pochettino or Tuchel, while Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga have the explosive pace that would suit the attacking attitudes of the two managers.

However, neither would be keen on Harry Maguire, requiring a more agile defender to cope with holding a high line, while more press-resistant and creative players are needed in central midfield. 

Then there is the Cristiano Ronaldo problem, as the Portuguese’s presence may inform which path United choose.

His unwillingness to press as part of a collective system and sacrifice himself makes the Kloppite option less appealing than the Guardiola style of suffocation and control, which, in theory, allows for a penalty-box poacher.

Ten Hag or Lopetegui represent Guardiola approach

Man Utd may wish to see themselves more as over-dogs, as football royalty who want to completely dominate matches as Manchester City do.

If that’s the case, then Ten Hag or Julen Lopetegui – the latter lower further down the list – make more sense due to their greater focus on possession.

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Ten Hag has been credited with reviving the classic Ajax teams of the past with his slower style of football, which requires constant circulation of possession; opponents are gradually worn down after being camped in their own third for long periods.

Lopetegui’s Sevilla are less successful – owing to their relative size compared with the superclubs in Spain- but they hold 60.8 per cent possession on average in La Liga. 

Their primary ambition is to keep the ball high up the pitch for long periods and while this works from a defensive standpoint – they have the best record in Spain – it does mean Sevilla struggle to break opponents down. They have drawn 12 times domestically this season.

Perhaps Lopetegui would have greater success with a more powerful team like Man Utd.

Certainly, with Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and (possibly) Paul Pogba in the starting XI, the territorial advantages of being managed by Lopetegui or Ten Hag should mean more meaningful possession in creative areas of the pitch for United’s stars.

Aside from the forward areas, there would be few differences in the transfer policies of the respective candidates. Lopetegui and Ten Hag also consider attacking full-backs to be crucial, and would want a right-back.

United are crying out for a defensive midfield destroyer who can play progressive forward passes, so no matter who comes in, Declan Rice ought to be a target.

Pochettino ticks all the non-tactical boxes

In choosing Guardiola or Klopp, possession or verticality, it is initially tempting to assume the slower and more dominant system is a better fit.

It is closer to the club’s self-image of global domination and more accommodating to the individualists in their rank.

But the main reason United are in this mess is their nostalgia, inability to move with the times, and indulgence of superstars. For that reason, and , Pochettino is the answer.

Many United fans are concerned about the lack of silverware in Pochettino’s history but, of all the available candidates, he possesses the best mix of attributes to build a long-term project with the support of the dressing room and supporters. 

That is the most important trait of all, far more so than pre-existing ideas of the candidates’ tactical philosophies.

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Because while crude distinctions can be made between the four names here, in reality, all are very talented coaches capable of some adaptation to the unique demands of the Premier League and the idiosyncrasies of the current squad.

The advantage of Pochettino is a hardened appreciation of what to expect from an egotistical dressing room; a tactical ideology built on self-sacrifice that has been proven to work in the Premier League; and a track record of nurturing young players.

United are forever trapped in a media circus, but with a known and likeable figure like Pochettino in charge, there would at least be space – emotionally as well as tactically – for the project to take baby steps over the first two years.

The Manchester United superstar is away on international duty as his country prepares to take part in the play-offs for Qatar 2022

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to “fight” for Portugal’s right to grace the 2022 World Cup, with the Manchester United superstar determined to figure at what could be his last major global showpiece.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now 37 years of age and, despite stating on a regular basis that he into his 40s, is .

He has graced four World Cup tournaments in the past, while savouring European Championship glory in 2016, and intends to reach a fifth as on Thursday.

What has been said?

Victory over Turkey would line up an all-or-nothing final showdown with either Italy or North Macedonia on March 29, with Ronaldo already setting his sights on a place in Qatar.

He posted on Instagram: “Total focus on the 2022 World Cup.

“Proud, as always, to represent Portugal.

“We know that the path will not be easy, we have the utmost respect for the opponents we will face and who share the same goals as us.

“But together, we will fight to put Portugal in its rightful place. Let’s do it!”

Portugal could not wish to have a more talismanic presence at their disposal when taking aim at another World Cup finals, with Ronaldo continuing to send records tumbling.

He is the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football with 115 efforts to his name and has won more caps, 184, than any other European player.

Ronaldo is the only player in history to have found the target at nine successive major tournaments – with that run stretching back to Euro 2004 – and is the leading scorer at European Championships with 14 goals on his resume.

Who else are Portugal relying on?

While Ronaldo, as national team captain, will be expected to lead by example for Portugal as they look to book tickets to Qatar, Fernando Santos has plenty of alternative match-winners in his ranks.

One of those also plies his club trade at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes echoing Ronaldo in a pre-match rallying call prior to lining up against Turkey.

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He has said on social media: “Now more than ever, we all need to be united.

“We will do everything to reach the World Cup.”

Portugal last failed to reach the World Cup in 1998 and are currently sat eighth in the FIFA world rankings.

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The striker tells GOAL about her return from an ACL injury, battling with Lea Schuller to start and why the Frauen-Bundesliga champions are so good

Jovana Damnjanovic wasn’t on the pitch when Bayern Munich were last in the knockout rounds of the Women’s Champions League, but she remembers it well.

It was last season’s semi-finals and the German giants travelled to London with a 2-1 advantage over Chelsea from the first leg.

At full-time, that had evaporated. .

Damnjanovic was nine months into her ACL recovery at that point and while her rehab would be setback-free, it was these moments that were difficult for the Bayern striker.

“I think the hardest thing actually, for me, was – especially at the end of the season – seeing the team struggling, especially, for example, against Chelsea or some games at the end and you’re not able to help them,” she tells GOAL.

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“You’re there, you’re screaming, you’re trying to be loud, to motivate them, but you cannot actually do anything on the field.

“I mean, the players said it was amazing, that they heard me the whole time, but still just not being there, not being able to tackle someone, to score the goal, to do whatever, I think that was actually the hardest moment for me.”

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Fast forward almost a year and Bayern are back in UWCL knockout action this week, .

This time, Damnjanovic can play the role she wants. She made her return from injury back in pre-season and says she feels “even better” now. “I feel like I was never injured.”

The Serbia international, Bayern’s main source of goals in the season before being sidelined, has returned to stern competition for her place, though, in the form of Lea Schuller.

Signed from Essen last summer, she took on the goalscoring burden in Damnjanovic’s absence, netting 16 times as the team won its first league title in five years.

The relationship between the pair is not like it is for most players fighting for the same shirt, though.

When Damnjanovic was substituted at half time against Cologne this month, Schuller took her place with the game goalless and went on to score a hat-trick. She ran straight to her fellow striker to celebrate.

“I came to her at half-time and said, ‘Come on, bro, you’re going to score twice today’ – and then she scored three,” Damnjanovic explains. “After the third goal, she ran to me and we celebrated together.

“It’s always great to have somebody who is pushing you to be even better. I think that is also great for her, and that’s also great for me.

“Sometimes, she’s playing; sometimes, I’m playing, but we are always supporting each other, 100 per cent.

“I’m super happy when she scores. She’s super happy when I score. For us, that’s just a normal thing.

“It’s funny that people are always surprised when they see that we understand each other that well.”

Damnjanovic knows where that unity can take a team.

Before she signed for Bayern, she was playing for Sand, a small club in the south of Germany with resources nowhere near what the German champions have. Yet, the team reached the DFB-Pokal final two years in a row.

“We didn’t have such a strong team in Sand, like other teams, or amazing players. But I realised when you have a good group of people and when everybody is investing 105 per cent, you are going to be able to reach amazing things,” she remembers.

“In those two years, we beat Bayern, we beat Wolfsburg, we beat everybody, literally.

“When people are believing in you and you believe in your team, I think everything is possible.”

There are a lot of exciting possibilities for Bayern in these coming weeks.

They are locked in an intense title race with Wolfsburg, the team they took the league crown from last year and also the team they will face in the semi-finals of the cup.

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It was with Wolfsburg that Damnjanovic got her first taste of German football and her first experience outside of Serbia, joining the club as a teenager.

She would leave to play regular football with Sand after two seasons, but what she learned from training alongside such great players was huge. The spell also brought her a Champions League winners’ medal, in 2014.

“I didn’t realise how big that was, at that time.” she admits. “I thought, ‘Okay, cool. I’m 19. It’s my first season in the Champions League. I won it’, you know? Then, you get a reality check and just realise, ‘Oh, it’s not that easy at all’.”

To get the chance to win it again with Bayern then, what would that mean?

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“I couldn’t even compare it with anything,” she says, after pausing to imagine it.

“With this team, with this group of girls and people, it sounds stupid but we are not just team-mates. We are way more than that.

“I couldn’t be happier than to win the Champions League with this group. Every single one of them is amazing in their special way. Not just like two of them – all of them.”

The former Chelsea and Juventus midfielder also stressed the importance of winning both their upcoming friendly games

France head coach Didier Deschamps has insisted that their upcoming friendly matches against South Africa and Ivory Coast have value.

The world champions are set to take on Ivory Coast’s Elephants at Stade Orange Velodrome in Marseille on Friday, before facing Bafana Bafana at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille next week Tuesday.

Nicknamed Le Bleus, France have included high profile players such as Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, N’Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe in their squad for the two games.

There have been critics who have slammed the two matches against the African sides, suggesting that they have little value for Les Bleus, but Deschamps has dismissed this suggestion.

“Some of you will say that these matches have no value but it is better to win them otherwise they will increase in value,” Deschamps said during a press conference according to .

“I prefer to be in my place, qualified for the World Cup with two friendly matches on the programme than that of my Italian or Portuguese counterparts who will face each other in the play-off.”

Les Bleus have already qualified for the World Cup finals which will be hosted by Qatar later this year after they dominated their qualifying group – recording five wins and three draws from eight matches.

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“Do not trivialise an international gathering. The pleasure of meeting up is there because the players have chained matches with disappointments and moments of happiness,” the retired defensive midfielder continued.

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“We haven’t been together for four months: it’s the return of the French team. Next, I am realistic. Many players are there, had very important matches before and will have very important ones after.”

“We are going to play in Lille, the stadium is full and in Marseille, the stadium will be.”

France will be looking to avenge their 2-1 defeat to Bafana at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in Bloemfontein.

The Bafana Bafana striker is set to miss forthcoming international friendlies owing to an injury sustained in recent club engagement

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos believes a six-month break would help Percy Tau fully recover from his consistent injury problems.

His latest setback was in Al Ahly’s recent Caf Champions League assignment away to Al Merrikh, where his team won 3-1 with the 27-year-old scoring the first goal. Taher Mohamed replaced Tau in the second half.

The forward has been experiencing muscle injuries while representing club and country, and Broos has suggested a solution for him.

“It is a problem, what I said, Percy is already eight months injured, maybe I am exaggerating but it’s not a surprise. In June with the transfer to Ahly he didn’t train so much, he didn’t play so much,” the 69-year-old said as quoted by .

“Then he played two games, Zimbabwe and Ghana, injury, then he started with Ahly, injury. So I think for Percy it will be good that he trains for six months and not play because his physical basics are not good.

“Every time he plays he’s overloaded and gets injuries, what we see with the players of [Mamelodi] Sundowns and [Orlando] Pirates because the program is so overloaded, they get injuries, this is something normal and this is what happened with Percy.

“His basics are not good, he’s playing too many games and doesn’t have the physical opportunities to do that and he’s falling from injury to injury.”

Tau will not be involved as Bafana Bafana play Guinea’s National Elephants in Belgium on Friday and world champions France in Lille on Tuesday in international friendlies.

He has since been replaced by Royal AM star Victor Letsoalo in the Broos’ squad.

The upcoming friendlies would be the first time Bafana return to action since their 2022 Fifa World Cup hopes were upset by Ghana in November 2021.

South Africa squad

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (SuperSport), Brandon Petersen (Kaizer Chiefs), Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs), and Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu).

Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Siyanda Xulu (unattached), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Golden Arrows), Veluyeke Zulu (Chippa), Rushine De Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lyle Lakay (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Rivaldo Coetzee (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bandile Shandu (Orlando Pirates), and Athenkosi Mcaba (Stellenbosch).

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Midfielders: Sbonelo Cele (Golden Arrows), Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy), Keagan Dolly (Kaizer Chiefs), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), and Thabang Monare (Orlando Pirates).

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Strikers: Evidence Makgopa (Baroka), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Mduduzi Mdantsane (Cape Town City), Fagrie Lakay (Pyramids), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Lyle Foster (Westerlo), and Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota).

The Reds moved quickly to land the Colombian forward during the winter window and have seen him make an immediate impact at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp admits that Luis Diaz is producing “miracles” at Liverpool, with the Reds seeing during the January transfer window deliver immediate returns.

Those at Anfield acted quickly over the winter once it became apparent that a player they had been monitoring for some time.

A big-money offer was presented to Porto and the Colombian forward was added to star-studded ranks on Merseyside alongside Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota – and the talented 25-year-old has not looked out of place.

What has been said?

Klopp told of the impact made in England by a player that is exceeding early expectations: “You don’t expect miracles immediately from these kind of players. But he is not far away from doing exactly that. Long may it continue.”

The German added on the reasons for Liverpool making their move in the middle of the 2021-22 campaign: “Every coach would say the same about a January signing. You do it, but if you could, you would do it in the summer.

“There is a reason why you sign a player. The reason is the quality that he has. The reason is the way that he is playing the game.

“With Luis, where it has been really special is that when we saw him we knew that he would fit in immediately.

“That is really difficult usually but because he did not have to change, that is why we have a really confident boy here.

“He was in a really good moment with Porto, playing good for Colombia, and so he came here full of confidence. But what we tried to make sure is that he does not lose that because of the playbook as we tell him that he has to do this and he has to do that.

“We want him to be natural.”

The bigger picture

Diaz has registered two goals for Liverpool through six Premier League appearances, while also catching the eye in FA Cup and Champions League competition.

A Carabao Cup winners’ medal has helped him to make a dream start to life with his new club, but Klopp believes there is “loads more to come” from the South American as he continues to break down language and sporting barriers.

Klopp added on a player that is quickly becoming a fan favourite at Anfield: “It was clear from the first moment that we saw him that he would be a player who could play immediately, on a specific level, if he could deal mentally with it. Because I cannot take the pressure he feels completely off him if he feels it.

“Nothing has happened yet.

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“Yes, the start has been really good. But he is a long-term project for us and we are a long-term project for him.

“There is loads more to come.”

Further reading

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The Parc des Princes outfit are unmatched in France when it comes to squad investment, particularly after a busy transfer window last summer

Neymar and Lionel Messi are leading the way in the top 10 list of highest Ligue 1 earners, which is populated entirely by Paris Saint-Germain players.

PSG have been one of the richest clubs in world football since Qatar Sports Investments’ successful takeover at Parc des Princes in 2011.

Marquee signings have become a regular occurrence over the past decade and, after the additions of several more household names last summer, including Messi, reports that the squad is now worth a total of €629 million (£525m/$692m).

PSG dominate Ligue 1 salary list

The French newspaper has also published a top 30 list of the highest salaries in Ligue 1 for 2021-22, with Brazilian forward Neymar out in front with gross monthly earnings of €4m.

Messi, who joined PSG on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, comes in second on €3.3m, over €1m ahead of third-place Kylian Mbappe.

Marquinhos and Marco Verratti are up next in fourth and fifth, while Achraf Hakimi, Keylor Navas, Angel Di Maria, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma fill the remaining spots in the top 10.

Top 10 earners in Ligue 1

Club

Player

Monthly earnings

PSG

Neymar

€4.083m

PSG

Lionel Messi

€3.375m

PSG

Kylian Mbappe

€2.220m

PSG

Marquinhos

€1.2m

PSG

Marco Verratti

€1.2m

PSG

Achraf Hakimi

€1.083m

PSG

Keylor Navas

€1m

PSG

Angel Di Maria

€950,000

PSG

Georginio Wijnaldum

€916,000

PSG

Gianluigi Donnarumma

€916,000

Who else on the list?

Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder is the first non-PSG player in the list at 15, with slots 11-14 occupied by Mauro Icardi, Sergio Ramos, Leandro Paredes and Juan Bernat.

Ramos joined PSG last summer, too, after seeing his contract at Real Madrid expire, but is only taking home €791,666 per month as the 12th highest-paid player at Parc des Princes.

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Ben Yedder’s Stade Louis II team-mate Cesc Fabregas is the only other non-PSG star to make the top 20, while Marseille duo Cedric Bakambu and Dimitri Payet come in at 23rd and 29th respectively.

Lyon have only grabbed two spots in the overall list, with Tanguy Ndombele, who is currently on loan from Tottenham, and Jerome Boateng landing at 27th and 28th. Meanwhile, Lille’s Renato Sanches is the sole representative from the reigning champions in 30th.

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The Argentine has been in charge at Parc des Princes since January 2021, but could find himself out of work in the not too distant future

Mauricio Pochettino is facing serious questions of his future at Paris Saint-Germain after despite having the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at his disposal.

With European glory eluding the Ligue 1 heavyweights once again, there has been plenty of talk to suggest that another change in the dugout will be made this summer.

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Pochettino is already being linked with prominent posts elsewhere, with of the former Tottenham coach, but parting with the Argentine will be an expensive business for PSG.

How much will it cost PSG to sack Pochettino?

The 50-year-old is tied to a contract at Parc des Princes through to 2023, so still has over 12 months left to run on that agreement.

With that taken into account, reports that it would cost PSG around €20 million (£17m/$22m) to part with their entire coaching team.

That redundancy package would include a €15m (£13m/$16m) compensation fee for Pochettino, while his four assistants would split €5m (£4m/$5m).

It is reported that Jesus Perez, who is Pochettino’s right-hand man, is working on a salary of €80,000 a month, while Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jimenez pull in €50,000 each and Sebastino Pochettino – Mauricio’s son – earns €20,000.

PSG are said to have regrets over offering extensions to their management team at the start of the current campaign, with initial deals thrashed out in January 2021 only set to run until the summer of 2022.

The Ligue 1 heavyweights have been in this position before, with some hefty severance payments made in the recent past.

Current Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, whose departure paved the way for Pochettino to be appointed, received between €7-8m (£7m/$9m) when seeing his contract ripped up, while Laurent Blanc departed with €22m (£18m/$24m) in June 2016.

Who is the highest-paid coach in world football?

Pochettino is far and away the best-paid coach in French football, with his base salary said to be three times higher than that of his closest rivals Jorge Sampaoli and Christophe Galtier – who earn around €330,000 a month at Marseille and Nice respectively.

The man in charge at PSG would also be the highest-paid coach in Germany when Bundesliga wage packets are taken into account, with Julian Nagelsmann pulling in €666,000 on a monthly basis at Bayern Munich.

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Pochettino does, however, sit some way down the global payment chart, with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp earning more than him at Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool.

It is, however, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone that boasts the most lucrative coaching contract, with Pochettino’s fellow countryman working on a deal that is reportedly worth €3.33m a month.

Further reading

A man who worked closely with the Portuguese during his first spell at Old Trafford details the work that was undertaken

Former Manchester United power development trainer Mick Clegg has offered an insight into Cristiano Ronaldo’s work on his physique and relentless march towards perfection in his younger years at the club.

Ronaldo initially arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting CP for £12 million in 2003 at the age of 18 and, over the next six years, he managed to make an indelible mark on English football.

The Portuguese scored over 100 goals for United while winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League, before departing for Real Madrid.

What’s been said?

Ronaldo went on to enjoy even greater success in Spain and also took in a trophy-laden spell at Juventus before completing his long-awaited return to Old Trafford last summer.

Clegg recalls how much the forward stood out from his peers during his first spell in Manchester, and has rejected the notion that he underwent a major physical transformation before reaching his prime.

“I never saw a scrawny kid,” Clegg, who worked with Ronaldo between 2003 and 2009, told . “That kid had a fantastic physique, a fantastic ability to move. All he needed was time. People sometimes ask for ‘Cristiano’s routine’, his chest routine or whatever, but what are they talking about? It’s five and a half years. It was five and a half years of the hardest work I’ve ever seen from any athlete ever.

“It was never scrawny, what he wanted to do was get the right amount of the strength, the power, the skill, the cognitive processes, and all these things then come together. But it’s also about confidence.”

Clegg added on how Ronaldo gradually improved his decision making and execution in the final third of the pitch: “You can see how it came together for him. Some players practice something and then take it into a game, and if it doesn’t work, they’ll never use it again.

“Cristiano practises something, then he’ll take it into training games, then take it into a game against teams at the bottom of the league, and he would hone his skills there.

“He wouldn’t use it in the big games against Chelsea or whoever until he was confident with it. And he never, ever lost confidence he could make whatever he’s working on work.

“That’s why he got so many people shouting at him. He’s this, he’s that – no. He was working on an apprenticeship. It was about working to get perfection.”

How is Ronaldo’s homecoming season going?

United supporters gave Ronaldo a rousing reception in his first game back at Old Trafford against Newcastle on September 11, 2021.

The 37-year-old marked the occasion by scoring twice, and has since continued to show that his instincts in front of goal remain as sharp as ever.

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Ronaldo has hit a total of 18 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions so far this season, including a stunning .

His form has done little to help United progress as a collective, though, as they are now guaranteed to extend their trophyless run to five seasons and have a real fight on their hands to secure Champions League qualification.

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The Indominable Lions stopper was en route to training before the accident happened on Tuesday

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Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has been involved in a serious car accident ahead of their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Algeria.

The Ajax shot-stopper was reportedly on his way to Doula from the capital city Yaounde on Tuesday morning when the incident happened.

However, he survived the accident that involved three vehicles without serious injury. So far, no casualties have been reported.

It means the custodian is still available for the Indomitable Lions who will host the former Africa Cup of Nations champions on Friday.

Voulant rejoindre les ce mardi matin pour le stage préparatoire aux barrages de la André Onana fait un accident grave sur l’axe lourd Douala-Yaoundé. Heureusement pour le portier camerounais, ses jours ne sont pas comptés.

— CRTVweb (@CRTV_web)

Meanwhile, the Indomitable Lions are set to be without Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for the aforementioned tie.

The 26-year-old was injured last weekend when turning out for his club against Udinese in Serie A, where they came from a goal down, scored by Gerard Deulofeu, to win 2-1 courtesy of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen’s double.

Zambo Anguissa played the entire game but suffered an injury as confirmed by the Indomitable Lions, who have now brought in Arnaud Djoum of Apollon Limassol to take his place.

Cameroon squad

Goalkeepers: Simon Omossola (AS Vita Club, DR Congo), Devis Epassy (OFI Crete, Greece), Andre Onana (Ajax, Netherlands).

Defenders: Collins Fai (Standard Liege, Belgium), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union, USA), Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (Gent, Belgium), JC Castelletto (Nantes, France), Harold Moukoudi (St Etienne, France), Tchamba Duplexe (Sonderjyske)

Midfielders: Jean Onana Junior (Bordeaux, France), Malong Kunde (Olympiakos, Greece), Arnaud Djoum (Apollon Limassol), Samuel Gouet Oum (Mechelen, Belgium), Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona, Italy), Ntcham Olivier (Swansea), Fuchs Jeando (Peterborough), Ondoa Gael (Hannover 96).

Forwards: Ignatius Ganago (Lens, France), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich, Germany), Karl Toko-Ekambi (Lyon, France), Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland), Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nasr, Saudi Arabia), Wassu Patient (Coton Sport), Soni Kevin (Asteras Tripoli), Tawamba Leandre (Al-Taawoun FC)