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Manchester United headed into the 2024/25 season with newfound optimism following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover, but there was still an Erik ten Hag-shaped elephant in the room.

The FA Cup win was not enough to salvage what was otherwise a disastrous season, but INEOS saw enough from this morale-boosting victory at Wembley to stick with the Dutchman in a decision which was presumably hastened by their failure to land several top targets.

Ratcliffe and Co. did not exactly give Ten Hag a glowing endorsement with the token gesture of a one-year contract extension and it was evident that the under-fire Dutchman headed into this season on the thinnest of ice.

Ten Hag’s ability to extract a single great performance from his side once in a blue moon served him well in cup competitions and certain all-Big Six clashes, but more often, Man Utd were too easy to cut through and were found wanting in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have hit a new low this season, winning just three of their opening nine Premier League games as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended after last month’s disappointing 2-1 loss at West Ham.

Before Ratcliffe’s arrival, Old Trafford – as Gary Neville insists on bringing up at any given opportunity – had become a graveyard for players post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

This is also the case with the managers. The bosses who came before Ten Hag failed to recover after leaving Man Utd as they were never again seen at a top-tier club.

Ten Hag will obviously intend to buck this trend and should be able to land a decent job – albeit while taking a step down – when he returns to management as he can hang his hat on his cup success at United. But where could he go? Here are six possible next moves for the Dutchman…

Ajax

Ten Hag has returned to home comforts after leaving Man Utd and was recently spotted in the stands as Ajax faced Eredivisie rivals FC Twente.

The 54-year-old left the Dutch giants on pretty good terms and Man Utd’s recent woes have paled in comparison to what Ajax have been through over the past two-and-a-half years as Jordan Henderson has had a torrid time.

From winning the Eredivisie title in back-to-back seasons before Ten Hag’s exit, Ajax finished third and fifth in their next two seasons and have had six (yes, SIX) managers.

New boss Francesco Farioli has fared better than his predecessors and third-placed Ajax will be just four points adrift of league leaders PSV Eindhoven if they win their game in hand. But Ten Hag was heavily linked with his former club earlier this year and they’d likely take him back in a heartbeat if everything goes Pete Tong again.

READ: Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

Netherlands

Ten Hag will also inevitably be linked with a move into international football if current boss Ronald Koeman loses his job.

Like England, the Netherlands largely flattered to deceive at Euro 2024 en route to succumbing to that Ollie Watkins goal in the semi-finals. Their Nations League campaign has been far less successful as Koeman’s side have just one win in four games.

As much as England’s 2-1 win over Greece was a positive advert for the Nations League, games in this competition are still glorified friendlies and a poor campaign in this tournament is unlikely to be enough on its own for a manager to get sacked.

But Koeman – who had his critics after he ditched his country to join Barcelona in 2020 before returning over two years later – was under scrutiny in the summer and Ten Hag would certainly be an upgrade.

AS Roma

Another of Europe’s crisis clubs, Serie A giants Roma were reportedly interested in Ten Hag and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter – who is the favourite to join Spurs – following Ivan Juric’s brief but sh*t spell in charge.

Not-so-Special One Jose Mourinho has set Roma on a downward trajectory, with the 12th-placed side currently closer to relegation than the European places.

In a desperate attempt to get fans back on side, Roma’s owners – the Everton-linked Friedkin Group – have tempted 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri out of retirement and he’s penned a contract until the summer.

The beloved manager’s third spell as Roma’s boss will surely be brief and the floundering side will probably return to the drawing board in the summer even if the veteran can halt their freefall. At that point, their interest in Ten Hag could step up.

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Borussia Dortmund

It was difficult to keep track of a particularly frantic managerial merry-go-around in the summer as several European giants were in the market for a new boss.

Dortmund were in the thick of the action following the surprising exit of Man Utd-linked Edin Terzic, who departed after guiding his side to last season’s Champions League final.

The Bundesliga side’s decision on his replacement was just as surprising as Terzic’s exit as the appointment of former Liverpool midfielder Nuri Sahin made us all feel old.

While Dortmund have sparkled in the Champions League (especially against Celtic), the same cannot be said for their Bundesliga exploits as they are seventh after ten matches. They may soon turn to Ten Hag to offer the former Man Utd boss a speedy return to management as a ‘bombshell’ move has been discussed.

Newcastle United

Ten Hag also has a couple of options in the Premier League for his next move and we start with Newcastle United.

The summer was pretty bleak for the Magpies, who had their hands tied behind their back amid their issues with Profit and Sustainability.

There have also been teething issues following their board overhaul as it’s been widely reported that new director of football Paul Mitchell has butted heads with Eddie Howe. Coinciding with the England job becoming available, it seemed like the manager was on borrowed time at St James’ Park.

But talk over an exit for Howe subsided before this international break as Newcastle finally hit their groove and won three straight matches across all competitions.

Still ,recent reports claiming Mourinho is ‘targeting the Newcastle job’ re-established the consensus that Howe is a transitionary boss who successfully kickstarted PIF’s reign at St James’ Park with a bang before being replaced by an ‘elite’ replacement.

As he likes to tell us, Ten Hag is a serial winner of cup competitions and he’d fancy himself to deliver some long-overdue silverware to St James’ Park.

READ: Man Utd top injury table with 57 Premier League games missed

Tottenham Hotspur

The upcoming festive period could be defining for Ange Postecoglou as his side’s infuriating inconsistency held them back before the international break.

He was initially a breath of fresh air following Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s dull spells in the dugout. Spurs are still way more fun than they once were, but results are also key and their 10th position needs to be improved sharpish if Postecoglou is to remain in charge for the long haul.

Daniel Levy is rightly more of a villain at Spurs than Postecoglou, but the Aussie – who is the latest head coach to be dragged down by the chairman – will be the first out of the door if the club’s failings worsen in the coming months.

Interestingly, Ten Hag came close to joining Spurs before he took over at Man Utd, but club reservations prevented a deal from going through.

With Levy quickly running out of options, the Dutchman could be re-assessed by the Tottenham hierarchy if Postecoglou is axed. If his spell at Man Utd is anything to go by, Spurs would be woeful in the Premier League but could win a trophy. So he’d perhaps be worth a punt…

According to reports, Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane ‘could return’ to the Premier League next year amid interest from Manchester United.

Kane left boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur during the 2023 summer transfer window. He was sold to Bayern Munich for around £86m after he entered the final year of his contract with the Premier League outfit.

The England international was linked with several Premier League clubs before he joined Bayern Munich, but Daniel Levy was reportedly unwilling to negotiate with rival clubs.

This made a move abroad more likely and he’s scored 61 goals in his 61 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions. Despite this, Bayer Leverkusen upstaged them as the Bundesliga giants failed to win a trophy last season.

Under new head coach Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich have made a strong start to the new campaign. They are unbeaten in ten Bundesliga games and five points clear at the top of the table.

READ: Man Utd top injury table with 57 Premier League games missed

Man Utd were among the clubs interested in Kane when he left Tottenham last year and they have been heavily linked with the experienced forward of late.

The Red Devils have struggled in front of goal this season, so new head coach Ruben Amorim could push the board to bring in a new forward in January or next summer.

A recent report claimed Man Utd and PSG have already submitted record ‘offers’ to Bayern Munich for Kane as Amorim wants ‘two resounding failures’ to leave.

A new report in Spain claims Kane ‘could leave Bayern Munich and return to the Premier League’ as Man Utd ‘want’ to sign him.

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The report claims Kane ‘could be tempted’ to sign for Man Utd by ‘the lure of a return to his homeland and the chance to lead a revival’ at Old Trafford.

‘Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane could be one of the most surprising moves of the transfer market if his return to England is confirmed.

‘Manchester United, under the direction of new arrival Ruben Amorim, have reportedly made the English international one of their priorities to strengthen their attack.

‘This operation, which would be a coup for the Red Devils, would mark the return of the striker to the Premier League after his departure from Tottenham.

‘Kane’s adaptation to German football has been swift and effective, establishing himself as a key player in Bayern’s attack.

‘However, Manchester United’s interest poses a dilemma for both the player and the Bavarian club. Although Bayern have no intention of parting ways with their top scorer, the possibility of an astronomical offer could make the Germans reconsider their stance.’

Premier League referee David Coote reportedly organised a “drugs party” just before, during and just after the Carabao Cup clash between Tottenham and Manchester City, where he was the fourth official.

Coote was suspended by PGMOL earlier this week after a video was released showing him calling Jurgen Klopp a “German c*nt”, in which he appeared to be inebriated, before later footage emerged of him sniffing white powder in a hotel at Euro 2024.

And now, another of his ‘pals’, or perhaps the same one, has told The Sun about a time when Coote was messaging him to arrange a “drugs party” at a Travelodge to take place immediately after the clash between Spurs and City on October 30.

Coote is reported to have booked the Travelodge room at 7.38pm, just 37 minutes before the game was due to start and sent a booking confirmation to one of the people invited at 8.04pm.

Coote then messaged his so-called friend at half-time, saying “hope you’re getting ready”.

The source told The Sun: “On the day of the game he was messaging me repeatedly and wanting a drugs party after he’d finished at Spurs.

“He didn’t book the Travelodge until just before kick-off, then sent a notification 11 minutes from the game starting. It was crazy.

“City striker Erling Haaland was on the bench, so I was watching them on TV pretty much side by side.

“And moments before and afterwards he sent me messages.

“When he messaged me at half-time I thought it was so surreal.

“Surely he should have been concentrating on the game, not arranging drugs parties.”

Coote was supposedly then angry when his friend cancelled on him at the last minute.

The friend added: “I didn’t feel like meeting up in the end so told him I couldn’t make it.

“He went mad and asked for the £73.99 total booking fee back.”

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UEFA opened an investigation into Coote on Thursday after they were made aware of the footage of him sniffing white powder, and the PGMOL were approached by The Sun for further comment after this new development.

It was revealed earlier this week, by another ‘friend’ that Coote doesn’t enjoy officiating at Everton because of “the young scousers screaming” and also had choice words to say about Liverpool star Andy Robertson.

The source The Sun: “I believe that the FA and the governing body of the referees have to make sure that the sport we all love is protected and being officiated by the right people. My message to David Coote is…there’s help out there.

“The video of him bad-mouthing Klopp didn’t surprise me at all.

“He said to me Liverpool would definitely not win the Premier League. It just makes me question the kind of people running the Prem. He also described Andy Robertson as a ‘Scottish prick’.

“He did say that the worst place to referee was Goodison Park due to the young Scousers screaming, shouting, swearing at him and calling every name under the sun before the games had even started. And he mentioned he hated going to Bournemouth because it was just such a long way away.

“He did mention about Coventry City versus Oxford United on a Friday night on Sky Sports. He couldn’t really be a**** with this game…the fact that he had to go and referee in front of an empty Ricoh Arena. He said ‘I’m a bit too big for this’.”

If recent results are anything to go by, Tottenham Hotspur need to bolster their defence having conceded five goals in two games last week.

What makes things worse for Ange Postecoglou’s side is the fact they have invested heavily across the backline, though have failed to see any real improvement in that department.

The Australian boss’s options of Cristian Romero, Micky Van De Ven and Radu Dragusin are set to be added to as he aims for his team to stop leaking goals.

Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah is out of contract at the end of the season, and Caught Offside are reporting it is unlikely the Germany international signs a new deal for the Bundesliga club.

TBR Football have also noted that the north London club have already held talks with the defender ahead of a potential move.

Tah was pivotal to Leverkusen’s success last season as they ended Bayern Munich’s eleven-year dynasty after winning Bundesliga while going unbeaten.

He played 48 games across three competitions, with his fine form catching the eye of Liverpool and Manchester Untied chiefs in the summer.

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Tah was also part of the Germany squad for the Euro’s in the summer, with many expecting him to join Bayern soon after, especially after the departure of Matthijs De Ligt who joined Manchester United, but no move materialised in the end.

At 28-year-old, Tah still has a lot more to offer, and could add some much needed experience to a youthful backline. The report though suggests Spurs would almost definitely need to qualify for the Champions League to stand any chance of bringing Tah to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Currently, they are three points adrift of arch-rivals Arsenal in fourth, but it doesn’t get much easier for them as they face Manchester City after the international break.

Postecoglou may argue though that there is no better time to face City, who are on a spell of four game winless streak; the first time it has ever happened to Pep Guardiola in his career.

Spurs will be free to agree a pre-contract agreement with Tah should his situation at Leverkusen remain the same come the January transfer window.

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is set to face a spell on the sidelines with the FA finally putting an end to an ongoing investigation.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side will be without the Uruguay midfielder, who has played an important part this season, with a report from The Daily Mail saying he could miss a lengthy amount of games, and as many as seven.

Bentancur allegedly made a racist remark towards South Koreans while on Uruguayan TV, with the FA confirming they had charged the midfielder for an ‘aggravated breach’ of their rules.

Bentancur will have been left feeling red faced with his actions considering Tottenham captain Heung Min-Son is South Korean. Son revealed his fellow teammate was close to tears when the South American apologised to him.

READ: Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

In September, Son said: “At the moment because of the FA process I can’t say much about it, but I love Rodrigo, I love him. We’ve a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.

“He knew and he apologised straight afterwards. We were on holiday. I was at home. I didn’t even realise what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.

“When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry, and almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”

Son continued: “He knows he made a mistake but I’ve no problem at all with him. We move on as a team-mate and friend and as a brother. We move on together.

“We have to wait for what the FA says in their process. I can’t say much but what I can say is I love Rodrigo, there’s nothing more to say.”

READ: Tottenham chiefs set ‘priority target’ for Postecoglou in potential ‘blow’ amid ‘losing patience’ claim

The report says Bentancur is ‘set to be hit with a huge ban for the racial slur’.

‘The Football Association are set to hit Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur with a lengthy ban for making an alleged racist remark about South Koreans while on Uruguayan TV.

‘Multiple sources have told Mail Sport the midfielder is likely to receive a seven match ban – but that figure is unconfirmed.

‘Nevertheless, Bentancur is set to miss a lengthy period for Ange Postecoglou’s side in what will arrive as a major blow to Spurs.’

As well as apologising in private, Bentancur also took to social media to say sorry to his teammate. Meanwhile Spurs also put out the following statement: “Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter.

“This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.

“We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.

“We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game or within wider society.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have set their ‘priority target’ for the 2024/25 season and it ‘would be a blow’ for Ange Postecoglou if he fails.

The former Celtic boss took over at Tottenham ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and he was lauded at the start of last season as he overhauled their style of play following Antonio Conte’s dour spell in the dugout.

Under Posteocoglou, Spurs struggled during the run-in as they missed out on the Champions League but it was still a successful debut season for the Aussie.

However, Tottenham have endured a frustrating start to the 2024/25 season as they have five wins, one draw and five losses in their eleven Premier League matches. Their run of results after the October international break was a mixed bag as they beat Man City and Aston Villa but lost against Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

This leaves Spurs tenth in the Premier League and Postecoglou is currently the fifth-favourite to be the next manager sacked.

READ: Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

A new report from Football Insider claims Spurs have set their ‘priority target’ for this season as they ‘expect to return to the Champions League’ this term.

Postecoglou is said to have ‘plenty of credit in the bank’, but it ‘would be a blow’ if Spurs miss out on the Champions League.

‘The Australian has plenty of credit in the bank with club chiefs after his first season in charge at Spurs, which saw the club finish fifth.

‘He has spoken publicly about his vision of winning a trophy with the Lilywhites, but it is believed Champions League qualification is the ‘priority for the club.

‘Sources say missing out on Europe’s premier club competition would be a “blow” for the manager’s long-term future – with his contract set to run until June 2027.’

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A former Chelsea boss is the current favourite to replace Postecoglou, but The Evening Standard correspondent Dan Kilpatrick has provided an insight into “what Daniel Levy and the board are thinking” and insists they are “committed to seeing this through”.

“So, I don’t know what Levy and the board are thinking. To be honest, I think all the noises from the club, that they sort of accept that this is a medium-term venture,” Kilpatrick said on the Tottenham Way podcast.

“I mean, they’ve talked about being successful in the here and now, but they’ve also talked about building a squad, that they want to be successful in four or five years’ time.

“And that’s been obvious in the age profile of the players they’ve signed, the three teenagers over the summer, two more coming next year.

“So, I think that there is a kind of commitment to see this through, or at least keep saying where it goes. But again, I can understand anyone associated with Spurs who’s losing a bit of patience or getting frustrated.”

It was obvious, wasn’t it?

When Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United in the summer to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant, it immediately felt inevitable that he would be named a variation of interim, caretaker or acting manager at Old Trafford this season.

This switch came sooner than expected as Man Utd‘s dire start to the 2024/25 campaign forced INEOS to make a decision they should have sanctioned in the summer as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended.

Wary of another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. moved quickly and decisively to appoint Ruben Amorim, who has a major job on his hands and is already reportedly looking to offload two ‘resounding failures’.

With Amorim’s start date delayed until the international break, temporary boss Van Nistelrooy was given the reins for four matches and won three. He was fortunate in that two of the games were against Leicester City, but he exuded calmness and his natural leadership skills came in handy as he managed to steady the ship.

Van Nistelrooy is adored at Man Utd and there is also affection for him in the squad. But Amorim was never likely to keep a man with clear managerial aspirations from the previous failed regime on board and the Dutchman’s departure was confirmed shortly after Ten Hag’s replacement got off the plane from Portugal on Monday.

The ex-Man Utd assistant came close to joining Burnley before his former club swiped him away in the summer, but he could land a Premier League job after passing his fleeting audition at Old Trafford and there are five potential next moves for the 48-year-old…

Wolves

Being prematurely linked with the Man Utd job has cursed Gary O’Neil, who rapidly plunged from being the next big thing to a mega-fraud as Wolves have picked up just 11 points from a possible 63.

Wolves fared better after the October international break as their unfortunate 2-1 loss against Manchester City preceded draws with Brighton and Crystal Palace. Then at the weekend, Wolves *finally* won their first Premier League game of the season, beating Southampton 2-0.

The infamous Michael Owen meme comes to mind when a Premier League side beats Southampton and O’Neil – who is among the favourites to be the next manager sacked – will do well to still be in a job by the end of the festive fixtures as 19th-placed Wolves are deep in trouble.

Wolves’ squad isn’t at the ‘too good to go down’ level, but their current ceiling is higher than 19th and Van Nistelrooy will surely be one of the frontrunners if/when O’Neil is axed.

READ: Amorim Man Utd honeymoon over with ‘concerns raised’ as Tuchel wastes ‘precious time’

Crystal Palace

A welcome visit of Dr Tottenham gave Palace a much-needed boost, but Oliver Glasner’s side immediately crashed down to earth as they were dominated in a 2-0 home loss to Fulham on Saturday.

Glasner headed into this campaign as one of the safest managers in the Premier League as his side had the dizzy heights of a top-half finish as a seemingly realistic target. But it seems that the end of last season came at the worst possible time for Palace, who have not been helped by a difficult summer transfer window.

Like O’Neil, Glasner has gone from being linked with a European giant – Bayern Munich – to being at risk of being sacked by relative minnows as Palace have reverted to type after their superb run-in efficiency exceeded all logic.

If Palace do not suddenly rise from the relegation picture to mid-table, Steve Parish could feel forced to push the panic button and seek another new manager. As is also the case with Wolves, appointing Van Nistelrooy would be a risk given the fear of relegation, but this bold call would be in keeping with the past decisions made by the ambitious board with Glasner and Patrick Vieira.

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Everton

A Man Utd-esque dreadful start to the season for Everton led to calls for a change as a ‘sensational return’ was on the cards, but Sean Dyche did Sean Dyche things against Palace and Ipswich Town as the pressure on him eased following these two huge victories.

But more misery is always just around the corner for Everton, who head into this international break on a three-game winless run.

You still have to fancy their final season at Goodison Park being full of extreme lows and the odd high, which ultimately results in the fortunate escape of a 17th-placed finish.

Ahead of the stadium move and further boost of an expected takeover, Everton need survival at the very minimum. As he often does, Dyche will likely save the Toffees before his pragmatic approach is ditched for a forward-thinking manager at the start of a new bright era for this long-suffering football club. Ruud would fit the bill…

West Ham United

The goalless draw between West Ham and Everton was a chore for all involved, but the outcome certainly suited Dyche more than Julen Lopetegui, who is surely edging ever closer to the sack.

His appointment in the summer following David Moyes’ exit was underwhelming. One negative manager replaced another and it was hard to foresee a scenario where Lopetegui would give frustrated West Ham supporters the excitement they were craving at the end of the Scotsman’s reign.

Lopetegui was backed in the summer as West Ham – on paper at least – made some positive signings. But this huge investment is not paying off as Lopetegui struggles to get a tune out of his talented but misfiring squad.

West Ham are sitting just five points above the bottom three in the Premier League table and assuming Lopetegui’s eventual replacement is not another like-minded manager, Van Nistelrooy or another successor could stumble on a great job given the calibre of squad at his disposal.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool strengthen grip as Dr Tottenham saves another patient

Tottenham Hotspur

Dr Tottenham has been particularly generous with his time at the start of this campaign as they handed Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the season.

It’s as hilarious as it is nonsensical that this spell has also included wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa as Tottenham have been held back by their infuriating inconsistency.

A once-lovable Aussie manager has become increasingly fed up as he’s been weighed down by Tottenham’s ineptitude. This fuelled speculation surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future, but the fan resentment should be reserved for Daniel Levy as his head coach is just the latest in a long list of victims to be dragged down by Spurs.

While Levy needs to be shown the door first, Postecoglou will be ousted long before the chairman, who must be running out of ideas as he searches for an end to Tottenham’s prolonged trophy drought.

How about a Manchester United legend from the long-heralded Sir Alex Ferguson era that’s reminisced about way too often on The Overlap? ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’, we know. But this is one of few remaining options for a failing and increasingly desperate Levy.

Remind yourself why Tottenham are like they are by reminiscing over Ange Postecoglou’s predecessors. How many of the 16 permanent Prem managers can you recall?

Spurs remain an unfathomable enigma, lurching from world-class one week to p*ss-poor the next.

Postecoglou has the same issue as so many who have gone before him. How do you solve the Spursy problem?

Sixteen have tried before Postecoglou since football was invented in 1992. Can you recall those poor souls? We’ve given you the year they took over and even their nationality, FFS, so you’ve no excuse really.

We haven’t included caretaker managers because no one wants to spend their Tuesday typing ‘Ryan Mason’ a dozen times.

If you enjoyed that and need more reasons to run down the clock to the weekend, we’ve got plenty more quizzes here. And our friends at Planet Football have even more.

If you’re quizzed out, don’t miss these…

Tottenham are looking to land Man City winger Jack Grealish over the next couple of transfer windows with the Citizens ready to let him leave, according to reports.

Man City had got off to a good start in the new Premier League season but recent form has been terrible with Pep Guardiola’s side losing their last four matches in all competitions.

Grealish has played a bit-part role, similar to last season, so far for Man City, with the England international starting just four Premier League matches and six games in all competitions.

And former Man Utd and Aston Villa scout Mick Brown – who is still well-connected in the Premier League – revealed a week ago that Man City could look into cash in on Grealish with the Citizens looking to “sign a big-name winger”.

Brown told Football Insider: “I’m not sure about Jack Grealish. He’s been in and out of the team again this season and he’s not a regular feature there.

“They’re happy with what Doku and Savinho bring to the side. I’ve heard City could look to sign a big-name winger as they feel the squad could be strengthened in that position – that would be for next summer.

“But then where does Grealish fit in the squad? He’d be facing even fewer starts. I think, if they do sign a new option, they could look to move him out to make space.

“They might want to make some money back on him. He’s on big wages as well so that would free up some of the budget.

“I’m sure it’s something he’d be open to as well because he wants to play football – I know Jack from his time at Villa and he’s always wanted to play regular games.”

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And now Football Insider are back with new information and claim Premier League rivals Tottenham have ‘sights on a sensational deal to sign’ Grealish in the summer transfer window.

The report adds:

‘There is a feeling at the club that they need to bring in a player capable of slowing down the game, with Grealish’s ability to draw fouls and drag the team forward a valuable asset.

‘However, it is unlikely a deal will be agreed in January as City are keen to keep their squad players on the books amid a growing injury crisis.’

Man City winger Grealish would apparently be ‘open’ to a transfer to Tottenham but Sputs must qualify for the Champions League.

The report continues:

‘Tottenham are planning to be ambitious in the transfer market and they are now lining up an move to land Grealish’s signature.

‘The England international has fallen out of the starting lineup under Guardiola and is said to be keen on a move to secure more regular playing time.

‘Tottenham are viewed as a potential destination, with both parties thought to be open to a potential deal if City allow him to leave.

‘A deal is also thought to hinge on whether Tottenham can qualify for the Champions League, with questions over whether Grealish would want to take the step down.’

Man Utd have made a record-breaking offer for Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as the Red Devils look to provide Ruben Amorim with increased firepower, according to reports.

The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag after a terrible start to the new Premier League season with the Dutchman leading them to just three wins in their opening nine matches.

Ruud van Nistelrooy put four more points on the board in the two Premier League matches since Ten Hag’s departure by beating Leicester City and drawing with Chelsea.

Man Utd moved quickly to bring in Ten Hag’s permanent successor in Amorim with the Portuguese coach arriving in Manchester yesterday after winning his final match as Sporting Lisbon manager 4-2 against Braga over the weekend.

And there are already plenty of rumours about which players could arrive in the next couple of transfer windows as the Red Devils look to give Amorim some support.

There are some doubts as to whether Amorim has the right players to suit his 3-4-3 formation, which he preferred to play at Sporting, while there are serious questions about the strikers at Man Utd.

The Red Devils spent a lot of money to bring Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to Old Trafford but the Man Utd duo, although still early days, have so far failed to live up to their exciting reputations.

And now reports in Spain claim both Man Utd and Paris Saint-Germain have made an ‘offer’ worth €130m (£107m) – which would be a record-breaking deal for the Red Devils – to sign former Tottenham striker Kane.

Kane has been in sensational form since swapping Spurs for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 with the England captain bagging 61 goals in 61 matches for the Bavarians.

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But ‘his adventure at the Allianz Arena could be really short’ as Man Utd and PSG ‘already have around 130 million euros ready to ensure that the former Norwich City or Leicester City player ends up leaving Germany’ next summer.

While PSG are looking for a goalscorer to replace Kylian Mbappe, new Man Utd boss Amorim has ‘ordered the purchase of a footballer who can lead the project’.

Amorim wants to replace ‘two resounding failures’ in Zirkzee and Hojlund after Ten Hag was ‘convinced’ the pair were ‘very interesting footballers’.

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has pinpointed three key failures of Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.

Petit told Instant Casino: “The results of Manchester United simply weren’t good enough under Erik Ten Hag. Players didn’t improve under him. That is a deadly combination if you’re a manager of a top club and you want to stay in the job.

“I also don’t think that Ten Hag’s communication was good enough. He was not good in the press conferences in terms of explaining what he wants to do on the pitch, and he was always trying to find excuses, while trying to put in the front of people’s minds what he won, what he did for Manchester United.

“Smile, joy, passion, communication. They weren’t there for Ten Hag.

“You have to also question his record in the transfer market. He was responsible for signing so many players that underperformed and failed. I think he signed far too many players that he knew from Holland too. So much money has been spent on the players that he’s been asking for.”