The Peoples Person

There was once a time that some United fans used to say they’d rather not play in Europe than compete in the second-rate Europa League. How things have changed. Next Wednesday’s final against Spurs arguably represents the club’s most defining moment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

A win will catapult the Red Devils straight back into Europe’s top tier, increasing their guaranteed income for 2025/26 by tens of millions, giving them a bigger transfer budget and providing a greater incentive for top players to sign for them. And, of course, there is the small matter of it being a trophy for head coach Ruben Amorim in his first season at the club and a reward for the loyal fans who have endured one of the most difficult seasons in the club’s history.

The decision Amorim makes as to his starting XI is therefore one of the biggest he will ever face. The Peoples Person are running a series in which each writer chooses their ideal starting XI for the game. It should be noted that these are dream teams, not predicted XI’s.

We have already heard from Alex Browne. Today, it’s Red Billy’s turn.

Goalkeeper – Andre Onana

To be honest, I have little faith in any goalkeeping option we have available. I want Amorim to select a team that doesn’t have too many mistakes in it, as it is mistakes that have blighted us all season. Andre Onana is one of the top culprits but aside from a masterclass against Arsenal in the FA Cup, backup Altay Bayindir has also looked shaky. It even crossed my mind to go for veteran Tom Heaton but at the end of the day, Onana is the best keeper we have and we just have to pray that he is focussed and at his best.

Back Three – Nouss Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro

I’m going to be optimistic that Yoro’s injury isn’t serious and that both he and De Ligt are back in time. Yoro has probably already become our best defender, especially in the absence of Licha Martinez, with De Ligt neck-and-neck with him.

Again, with the rationale of picking players who don’t have errors in them, I’m leaving out Harry Maguire. He has been much better in a back three under Amorim than he was under previous managers, but he is still slow, error-prone and haphazard positionally. The best argument for playing him is, ironically, if we need a late goal – so he’s going to be my substitute striker.

Mazraoui has also made a few errors lately but I trust him and he, for me, edges it over Harry and Victor Lindelof.

Wing Backs – Luke Shaw and Amad

Patrick Dorgu and Dio Dalot (if fit) will no doubt be Amorim’s starting wing backs but I would do something different. Whilst a great prospect, we don’t know how Dorgu will react to a big night like this and he has put in some mixed performances already. Shaw has the experience and big-game mentality so for me, he’s the one who should start the game, with Dorgu maybe replacing him later on if extra energy is needed.

United should take the game to Spurs. Attack is the best form of defence, so Amad should reprise that wing back role on the right he impressed with earlier in the season.

Central Midfield – Bruno Fernandes and Manu Ugarte

Casemiro will no doubt be selected for his experience but I would prefer the energy of Manu Ugarte. He plays really well with Fernandes (and badly when alongside Casemiro) and it would be good to have the Brazilian on the bench to bring on if Ugarte picks up a yellow at some point, which he probably will. It’s a close call though, with the Brazilian playing pretty well at the moment.

That’s another reason for not starting Casemiro – if he tries too hard and starts flinging himself into those horrific sliding tackles, there’s always a chance of a straight red.

Captain Bruno, of course, has to play, end of discussion.

Front Three – Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho

I love the idea of Mount and Amad down the right, as Mount has the energy to cover defensively when Amad bombs forward. We also know how well Shaw and Garnacho can play together on the left.

This leaves just the centre forward position and in the absence of Josh Zirkzee and Chido Obi, I’d go for Kobbie as a false nine. Quite honestly, at this point in time, Rasmus Hojlund is in such bad form that I would not even have him in the squad. Regroup in the summer, try to find a way to tap back into the potential he had shown before this horror season, but he should not be starting a European final at a time when he would be struggling to get into the starting XI of a League Two side.

Here then, is my selection for next week’s starting XI:

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The Basque city of Bilbao is preparing for an invasion of English fans ahead of the Europa League final next Wednesday.

The showpiece event will take place between Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Athletic Club dreamed of playing the final in their home city but the Red Devils quashed those hopes with a 7-1 aggregate victory in the semi-finals.

Spurs reached the final by easing to a 5-1 aggregate victory over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

Spanish newspaper El Correo report that there will be a record-breaking influx of British visitors in the city owing to the final.

It states that “the Europa League will attract 80,000 English people and skyrocket the price of rooms in the city.”

Athletic Club’s stadium San Mames has a capacity of 53,289 but a huge number of these seats won’t go to United or Spurs fans.

The Manchester Evening News reports that “just 29,000 tickets will go to supporters of United and Tottenham and the remaining tickets will be allocated elsewhere by UEFA.”

Therefore, according to El Correo, “it is estimated that more than half of the British fans will land in the Biscayan capital on Tuesday 20 without a ticket” as they look to “gamble” and negotiate with “sponsors, federations and specialised travel agencies”.

Héctor Sánchez, manager of the Association of Hoteliers of Bizkaia (AHB), has claimed that the city is preparing for the most hectic day in its history in regard to foreign visitors.

The city hosted the beginning of the Tour de France in 2023 and the MTV awards ceremony in 2018 but neither event attracted the sheer volume of fans that the final is expected to bring in.

What’s more, “the magnitude of this event has triggered a ‘tsunami’ in the local hotel industry as well. As of today, all establishments have sold out rooms for the 20th and 21st.”

Such has been the scramble for accommodation, many fans have looked for hotel rooms in the neighbouring cities of Vitoria, San Sebastián, Santander and even Biarritz in France.

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Manchester United are reportedly giving thought to hijacking Tottenham Hotspur’s deal for Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.

United are expected to dip into the market to bolster their options in the middle of the park and Gomes has been mentioned as someone they’re eyeing.

Ruben Amorim is believed to be an admirer of Gomes and is keen on adding him to the ranks at Old Trafford, five years after he departed. Gomes, of course, joined United at a young age and developed his game at Carrington before leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2020.

He has since gone on to cement his status as one of the best midfielders in France but his time with Lille is coming to an end. Gomes’ contract expires at the end of the season and he will be available on a free yet again.

The England international appears to have already played his final game for the Ligue 1 club, who froze him out as soon as it became clear he wouldn’t put pen to paper on fresh terms.

There has been no shortage of suitors for the 24-year-old’s signature. In addition to United, he has also been linked to Tottenham, Newcastle, West Ham, Manchester City and more recently, Marseille.

According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham are currently leading the race for Gomes but United are considering a swoop to derail the North London club’s deal.

It’s understood Tottenham are “really pushing” to land the player but a return to Old Trafford “can’t be ruled out” at this stage.

Gomes has previously admitted that he would love to return to United, the club where his journey began.

CaughtOffside add, “Gomes has four main suitors in England, as well as two from Serie A as we edge closer to the summer transfer window.”

“As well as Spurs and United, there is also interest from Everton and Crystal Palace, though those clubs have not yet had any contact over a deal.”

“Meanwhile, Napoli and Juventus could yet try to tempt the 24-year-old to Italy, though there’s also a chance of Marseille making a move to try to persuade the player to remain in France.”

Gomes has only made 20 appearances this term, contributing two goals and one assist.

Manchester United made their way into the Europa League final with a huge 4-1 win over Athletic Club at Old Trafford last night.

The Red Devils struggled initially but composed themselves after the hour mark and tore into the Basque side to give themselves a morale-boosting 7-1 win on aggregate.

United will face fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham Hotspur in the final in Bilbao on Wednesday 21st May.

Ruben Amorim will be desperate to win a trophy and also qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Here is the line-up that will fire him and United to glory.

Andre Onana has hardly been a pillar of consistency but he has improved his form lately after a horror show in France against Olympique Lyonnais last month. Therefore, he will take his place in nets for the final.

Leny Yoro has been outstanding lately and fully deserves to be the first defender on the team sheet. He not only defended with great skill last night but he also drove forward and got an assist for Mason Mount’s first goal.

Matthijs de Ligt will miss the game against West Ham United with a knock but it is suggested that he will be fit for the final. His big game experience and aerial ability will be vital to United’s chances of bringing home the silverware.

The last centre back position is less obvious but Harry Maguire should edge out Victor Lindelof. The Swede was solid enough in the two semi-finals but the England international has been a key member of the first team lately.

His penchant for erratic moments reared its ugly head in Athletic Club’s goal last night but he has certainly been more consistent lately and deserves the chance to play in the final.

Patrick Dorgu has been a constant in the side since his move from Lecce in January and his physicality down the left hand side has hurt numerous Europa League sides this season.

The Dane does need to improve his decision making skills in the final third but he has played a lot more football than Luke Shaw, who can add vital experience from the bench as a centre back or left wing back.

Noussair Mazraoui has been a rock this season for United, playing over 50 games in his debut season. Nonetheless, if Diogo Dalot is fit, he needs to play. The Portugal international has a wealth of big game experience and also has the energy to get up and down the wing all night.

With United needing to be more attacking in the final to get the victory, Dalot is a better option than Mazraoui at right wing back.

Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro will certainly make up the midfield duo providing they are fit to play. Casemiro has completely turned around his season under Ruben Amorim.

The legendary Brazilian was left out of the team and squad at times at the beginning of Amorim’s stint at the club. Nonetheless, hard work and skill have meant he is arguably the club’s most important midfielder and he was outstanding in the two legs versus Bilbao, scoring in both matches.

What’s more, Casemiro is a serial winner and United will lean heavily on his European experience in Spain.

Ugarte has also won over numerous fans with his all-action displays and will provide solidity in the middle of the park alongside the Brazilian. His pressing and ground covering will be essential if United are to match Spurs’ energy on the night.

Bruno Fernandes is the most obvious of choices as he has been by far and away United’s most valuable player over the course of the season. The Portuguese can conjure up a moment of magic at any time and his exemplary work rate will also be vital if United are to hoist up the trophy at the end of the night.

The next spot is more difficult to choose as Mason Mount was incredible in his appearance off the bench last night, scoring two wonderful goals. Nonetheless, Amad always takes United up a notch offensively and if anyone is going to break the deadlock in a red shirt in the final, the chances are the Ivorian will play a role.

He was great last night in the second half and set up Hojlund with a wonderful bit of skill and ball across the area.

Finally, Hojlund will start up front as he is the only fit senior striker. Despite poor form this season, the Dane did grab his tenth goal of the season and sixth of the Europa League campaign last night. Hopefully he can continue to increase his confidence in the next 12 days leading up to the final.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly weighing up a bid for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, even as he continues to be linked with a switch to Manchester United.

United are expected to dip into the market for attacking reinforcements, with the striker position especially in need of urgent strengthening. Rasmus Hojlund has failed to look the part this season and there are murmurs that the Dane’s days at Old Trafford are numbered.

In any case, it’s clear Ruben Amorim needs more firepower if he is to succeed in turning the Red Devils into a truly competitive outfit once again.

Several strikers have been mentioned to be on United’s radar but Delap appears to be the club’s top choice. Despite Ipswich’s struggles, the England youth international has still managed an impressive 12 goals and two assists in 34 top-flight appearances.

But it’s not just his goal-scoring ability. Delap has consistently posed problems for defenders, making him a strong fit for the profile United are targeting. At just 22, he also offers significant potential for development.

In addition to United, the likes of Chelsea, West Ham, Everton, Newcastle and Liverpool are all believed to be eyeing Delap, who will be available for £30m when the transfer window opens, thanks to his relegation clause becoming active after Ipswich’s relegation.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are keen on winning the race for Delap and are prepared to table a bid to secure his signature.

It’s understood that the North London outfit are “preparing to enter discussions” for Delap, despite forking out £65m just a year ago for Dominic Solanke.

GIVEMESPORT add that “there is confidence behind the scenes” that “there is a serious possibility” Tottenham will land Delap, ahead of United and other suitors.

“Delap’s top flight experience, age profile and the fact he is homegrown are all assets that have led to him finding himself near the top of Tottenham’s shortlist of targets, GMS sources have learned, while uncertainty over Richarlison’s long-term future has resulted in there being determination to hand Solanke fresh competition for a regular starting berth.”

However, Ange Postecoglou’s side are not putting all their eggs in the Delap basket.

If they fail to acquire him, they will turn their attention to players such as Dusan Vlahovic, Victor Boniface, Jonathan David and Randal Kolo Muani.

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Manchester United kept their season alive with an impressive display against Athletic Club that has given them a three goal lead to protect in the second leg of the Europa League semi final this coming Thursday.

Ruben Amorim’s men are expected to progress to the showpiece occasion and are on course to meet Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Ange Postecoglou’s side take a two goal advantage to Norway and are favourites to get past the competition’s surprise package Bodo/Glimt to secure their ticket to Bilbao.

Both teams have suffered domestically this season, leaving them desperate for European glory to save wretched league campaigns.

Should both teams make it, preparations will be key and United appeared to hold an early advantage with their Premier League fixture prior to final scheduled for Friday 16th May with the final on the 21st.

Spurs were set to face Aston Villa on Sunday 18th, which would have given United over 48 hours more time to get set for the crunch game.

However, as reported by BBC Sport, the Premier League have announced Tottenham will now play Villa on the same day United welcome Chelsea, wiping out the extra prep time.

It was always unlikely that United or Spurs will field strong teams with the final on the horizon but both managers now have the same opportunity to fine tune their respective squads.

However, there is still a job to do for the Premier League duo with both Athletic Club and Bodo/Glimt harboring dreams of historic comebacks to pinch a pass to the final.

United have home advantage on Thursday night and would need a monumental collapse to give up their lead that they could have added to in the first leg.

Casemiro’s header and Bruno Fernandes double all came in the first half last week and with the Basque side down to ten men, United could have came back to Manchester with more than three.

Amorim’s side have been susceptible to giving up goals this season but will surely have enough about them to see off the La Liga side who are the lowest scorers in the top seven of Spain’s top flight.

A mouthwatering final awaits if both sides keep their head this week and Amorim will be desperate to end his first season at United with a trophy which will transform the confidence in his side and grant them a place in next years coveted Champions League.

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Manchester United took a huge step toward the Europa League final with an impressive 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in Spain, last night (Thursday).

Ruben Amorim’s men dismantled the La Liga side with three unanswered first half goals that ensured they will go back to Old Trafford with a huge lead to protect and firmly in the box seat to return to the Basque country for the final.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur also enjoyed a successful evening, beating Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt by three goals to one, putting them on a collision course with United for the showpiece occasion.

A mouth-watering English final now beckons should both sides avoid disaster in their respective second legs.

As reported by The Mirror, mind games could well be setting in even at this early stage with both sides desperate for the trophy after similarly wretched league campaigns.

Preparations for the clash will be crucial with both sides suffering from lengthy, high profile injuries throughout the season.

Should both the Premier League sides make it, United could hold a slight advantage over their North London rivals given the time between their penultimate league fixture and the May 21 final.

United face Chelsea on Friday May 16 which was brought forward due to the Women’s FA Cup final between the same clubs on Sunday, May 18.

Tottenham, on the other hand, face Champions League chasing Aston Villa on the Sunday at 14:15, giving them 42 hours less rest and preparation time than Amorim’s men.

However, due to the league positions of the pair, it would be a surprise to see either Amorim or Ange Postecoglou name their strongest sides with little to left to play for domestically.

After the whistle in Bilbao, Amorim hinted he will be rotating his squad in this weekends trip to Brentford with the second leg looming next week and the same will be expected should United finish the job.

Postecoglou will surely be doing likewise which should negate the advantage United appear to hold in this case.

Having said that, both clubs still have work to do with Amorim staunchly admitting United’s semi final is still not done despite the healthy lead and home advantage in the second leg.

Spurs also also famed to make things hard for themselves and a trip to Norway on the home sides artificial surface will bring its own challenges as it has done for Roma and Lazio amongst others this season.

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Marcus Rashford seems to have re-found his mojo since his January loan move to Aston Villa with the Manchester United loanee managing three goals and six assists from 16 appearances in all competitions.

The Mancunian had struggled for gametime under Ruben Amorim with the head coach far from happy with his application in training. This led to the Englishman giving an interview in which he claimed he wanted to leave his boyhood club.

There was no way back for the Carrington graduate after this and he ended up linking up with Unai Emery at Villa. The Birmingham-based outfit even have the option of making his loan move permanent for £40 million.

Despite having his new boss’ trust and making a comeback into the England national team, the 27-year-old remains keen to move out of Villa with Barcelona seen as his dream destination.

Rashford could leave Villa

However, the Catalan giants have financial troubles of their own and had failed to make a move in January and it remains to be seen if they can satisfy United’s demands while paying the England international his humongous wages.

There is no way back for the Englishman at United with INEOS keen to sell him to raise funds for Amorim to utilise during the summer window.

This could potentially allow other teams to try and hijack the deal and as per Football Transfers, Tottenham Hotspur could use this opportunity to enter the race.

They have earmarked Rashford as Heung-min Son’s successor and want to try their luck should Villa opt against signing him permanently.

Spurs want Rashford

“Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Marcus Rashford this summer if Aston Villa decide against purchasing him on a permanent deal, FootballTransfers understands.

“The England international is expected to leave Manchester United during the upcoming summer transfer window and we have been told that Spurs are eyeing a potential deal as they look to sign a replacement for Heung-min Son.”

Interestingly, Spurs were interested in a January deal as well but opted to pursue a loan deal for Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel instead.

United will have no problems with the interest Rashford is generating and a bidding war will suit them just fine given the versatile attacker’s homegrown status which means his fee will count as pure profit.

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Jadon Sancho continued his poor form for Chelsea in the club’s vital 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.

The England international has hit the headlines recently as the Blues were rumoured to be having doubts about signing the United winger at the end of the season due to his poor form.

Chelsea have an obligation to buy the player in the summer but it was reported that they could exit the deal by paying United compensation of £5 million.

Nonetheless, it appears that the club will buy him but they could also look to immediately sell him as Borussia Dortmund appear interested in his services once more.

Sancho played 68 minutes in Chelsea’s match yesterday and failed to score or assist for the 14th consecutive game.

He did complete 23 of his 26 passes and had 38 touches of the ball.

Sancho was involved in two major instances in the first half. He ran at the Spurs’ defence and played in Cole Palmer who fired the ball across goal in what almost ended up as a goal for the blues.

The winger also missed a golden chance to break his duck. He controlled a deep ball into the box and got a shot off quickly but it was well tipped away by Guglielmo Vicario.

He failed to complete any of his crossing attempts and was unsuccessful in his two dribbling attempts as he struggled to break down the Tottenham defence.

The 25 year old was also poor defensively as he only won one out of his six ground duels for a percentage of 17% and 0% of his aerial duels.

He also lost the ball nine times in the game.

Sancho will hope to have another chance from the start to break his goal and assist drought when Chelsea travel to face Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

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OGC Nice attacker Evann Guessand is reportedly at the center of a fierce transfer battle between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s well-known that United are on the hunt for a new and reliable striker as the summer transfer window nears. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have struggled to consistently come up with the goods in front of goal this season and Ruben Amorim is in dire need of a top-class talisman to lead the line for his side.

United continue to be linked to several goalscorers, including Victor Osimhen (currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP), Liam Delap (Ipswich Town), Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Jonathan David (Lille) and Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), just to mention a few names.

Now, Stretty News has revealed that Nice’s Guessand is another forward on United’s radar.

Following his breakthrough under Francesco Farioli last season, Guessand is enjoying another superb campaign with Nice.

The Ivory Coast international has plundered an impressive 11 goals and provided an additional seven assists in 27 Ligue 1 games. He has scored 12 and assisted eight times in 36 appearances across all competitions.

An excellent ball dribbler, Guessand is versatile and can also play on either wing or even behind the striker. He is a hard worker and is quick, which enables him to make sharp movements and get past defenders.

According to Stretty News, “Man United have been keeping a close eye on the player. The club’s scouts have been impressed by the player’s physical strength, his technical skills and his eye for goal.”

“However, the Red Devils aren’t the only Premier League side that is Guessand’s heels, as West Ham are also mentioned as a possible destination, and above all, Spurs, who are also seeking attacking reinforcement.”

The news outlet notes that the 23-year-old has yet to make a final decision on his future. However, Nice will find it very difficult to keep him beyond the summer transfer window.

The Ajaccio-born star is expected to cost anywhere between €35m and €40m.

Guessand’s current contract with Nice expires in 2028.

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