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Former Everton and Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson has sensationally been named as the new manager of Irish Premiership club Glentoran. The 54-year-old, who also played for Dundee United and Newcastle United and won seven caps for Scotland, will take up the reins at the east Belfast club on what the club say is a "multi-year contract". Ferguson's coaching career to date includes being assistant manager at Everton under renowned managers Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez, and also two spells as caretaker boss. In recent years, he has managed Forest Green Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ferguson's surprise appointment follows the departure of Declan Devine as manager of the Irish League outfit in September. His former Dundee United team-mate Gary Bollan, with whom he worked at Inverness, has been named as assistant manager. Glentoran have not won a league title since 2009 despite significant investment from owner Ali Pour and the adoption of a full-time professional model in recent years. "I am delighted to become manager of Glentoran," said Ferguson, whose first game as boss will be at home to Ballymena United on Saturday (15:00 BST). "This is a big club with a tremendous history, and it is a great opportunity for me. I understand the responsibility that comes with the job. "I want to win trophies here. Glentoran should be challenging for the title and every cup and shield we enter. I know that success here will be judged on what we win. "The more I spoke with Ali and Paul [Millar, sporting director], the more I wanted the job. Their ambition matches my own, and I am looking forward to getting onto the training pitch, working with the players and seeing what we can achieve together." What awaits Everton hero Ferguson in shock Glens role? Ferguson link has caused a 'real buzz' - McCann Glentoran net late to snatch win against Limavady Ferguson, who also worked under Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman at Everton, added that he has "signed for the long term". "I want to get to know the people at the Club and in the wider community and become part of life here. That is important to me," he said. "I have heard so much about the Glentoran supporters and what this Club means to them. We have a responsibility to win games and make them proud. Their support has to be earned, and I am looking forward to getting started." Glens owner Pour said Ferguson's appointment reflects the club's "ambition to win trophies". "We took the time this decision deserved. We conducted a rigorous recruitment process, interviewing candidates from across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavia," added Pour. "We carefully assessed their experience and proposals and completed our due diligence before making the appointment. "Paul and I met Duncan on several occasions in Liverpool. Those conversations gave us the opportunity to explore his approach to management, discuss the demands of the role and understand what he could contribute to Glentoran. "His football knowledge, experience and determination to take on this opportunity impressed us. Duncan demonstrated the qualities we were looking for in coaching, leadership, player development and recruitment, supported by strong relationships across the game." Former Glentoran captain Paul Leeman, who played 597 games for the club, is excited at the prospect of Ferguson in the Oval dugout. "I still can't believe it - it's a huge appointment and I'm interested to see his plans for Glentoran," Leeman told BBC Radio Ulster. "It is a risk and he's been known more as a number two. But he has bags of experience in football. He's worked at the top, top level and there's certainly something he can add to the team. "He doesn't know the league so I think he has to have people around him who do. "He's coming to the Irish League to probably try to resurrect his own managerial career. He will demand respect from the players straight away and it's certainly going to be interesting." The Glens had been linked with a move to appoint former Northern Ireland international Jim Magilton, but the ex-Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers opted to remain with their Irish Premiership rivals Cliftonville. Devine left by mutual consent after two and a half years at the helm. The former Derry City and Bohemians boss guided the club to a County Antrim Shield success in the 2024-25 season, their first trophy triumph since lifting the Irish Cup in 2020. Ferguson is now tasked with ending the long drought since the Glens' last league victory 17 years ago. Glentoran sit fourth in the Irish Premiership standings, having won five and lost four of their first 11 league outings this season.

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"If Wouter Vrancken was given the opportunity to play this game again, would he change anything?" The question was posed by bewildered former Heart of Midlothian midfielder Andy Halliday after the Tynecastle club were torn apart by Celtic on Sunday. His suspicion is that the Belgian coach would not. Vrancken's side were two down inside 10 minutes. Four adrift inside 40. A fifth was conceded before the break. Two more found their net after half-time on what was a wretched day in Hearts' nascent title challenge. The Celtic Park scenes offered echoes of what happened in the opening games of his tenure - heavy European qualification defeats by Sturm Graz and Benfica as a wide-open, attack-minded side were torn asunder. Latest Hearts news, analysis and fan views But it's how Hearts' new head coach plays - how the club want him to play - and a style which had underpinned a goal-laden run of 13 games with just one defeat. Afterwards, Vrancken spoke repeatedly of mistakes by players which cost his side goals. He did not, however, reflect on his own decisions. "We made a few individual mistakes," he told BBC Sport Scotland. "Two set-plays killed our game at the start. All of their goals were individual mistakes and then it's difficult to win a game. "In the set-play moments, you have to be on top of your toes, you have to be on front foot to attack the ball. Against individual mistakes, you can't do too much. "Only thing that cannot happen is that everybody starts doubting now in his own qualities. Also, when you are one of the guys that made a mistake, just learn from it. "After Monday, it has to be gone because there's another game to come." It is inarguable that Hearts players made bad decisions in big moments at a place where their title dreams crumbled last May. Indeed, former Tynecastle defender Ryan McGowan suggested "a lot of players went missing" and that whatever instructions Vrancken gave them "went completely out their ears". Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd, though, was more astonished by how Hearts approached the trip to a venue where they won last autumn. "I've never seen defending like that in all my life," he said on Sky Sports. "Hearts are still trying to go toe-to-toe with Celtic on 89 minutes. "You've got to pay respect to Celtic. If you go man-for-man, they will demolish you and that's exactly what happened there." Halliday picked up that theme and suggested that Vrancken might benefit from adapting his preferred approach in circumstances such as these. "There was no accountablity," he added on Sportsound. "He was talking about players' errors, rather than his own errors, which were pretty glaring for me. "Anyone who's watched Celtic this year will know they target the front post from set-pieces, but Hearts' set up didn't try to negate that. "I've praised Vrancken to the hilt - and I still think they'll finish in the top three - but my worry is if he had the opportunity to play that game again, I don't think he'd do anything differently and what he said just proved that." Steve: My concern is the Hearts manager never seems to change his formation when things are not working out. He needs to be flexible at times, or we'll see these scorelines a lot with bigger teams. Ted: Three minutes away from the title in May? Miles off it today. Bill: Relegation material. This result has been coming for a while now. Manager has no Plan B. Our defence is a shambles. Sorely missing Halkett, Spittal and Renaud. Ally: If the tactics were wrong, Hearts wouldn't have had more of the ball, more passes, more shots etc. Individual errors cannot be the manager's fault. David: That's an absolutely disgraceful result for Hearts. Celtic had 10 efforts on target and scored seven… Made an average Celtic team look like world beaters.

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Hearing about Tottenham 's team-bonding trip to Marbella last week made me think about the similar methods I used as a manager to build team morale. While some things have changed from my day, the idea behind taking your players away to a new environment where they will benefit from spending a lot of time together has not. I wrote a few weeks ago about how Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi needed time with his players on the training pitch after their poor start to the season, to bed them in and build a proper team. He will have used their warm-weather camp in southern Spain to do more of that, getting to know what is almost a new squad of players. With De Zerbi being cut from Italian cloth, I am sure the players will have been working mornings and afternoons to drill in the manager's principles in respect to team shape and direction. But that's not the only purpose of taking them away. De Zerbi will also have been able to monitor the different personalities within the group away from the grass. If the trip has worked then, as well as getting them ready to face Coventry on Monday night, I am sure he will now, for the first time, understand the strengths and weaknesses of each individual, on and off the field. A few eyebrows were raised about Spurs going away so early in the season but it makes perfect sense to me when you consider so many new players arrived there this summer, with several signings late in the transfer window. When I was Stoke manager, I often took my teams away to Austria in our pre-season for the same reasons De Zerbi and Spurs have gone to Spain. Those trips were set up not only to test the players' fitness, but also to see how the group worked together. I have always believed in building a family togetherness within the dressing room, with a commitment from every player to the benefit of the team. The extreme tests that we asked our players to do over that 10-day period brought out an inner determination to fulfil the tasks given them and, in my opinion, helped us through some tough times early on in our Premier League campaigns. Watching the lads slowly bond together on the training pitch and at meal times was great to see and I found out a lot about all of them, good and bad. Yes, I have to admit one or two players were short of the character we wanted and needed, but they didn't last long and left with no bad feelings on my side. Today, whether it's pre-season or a winter break, most Premier League clubs who take their players away go first-class and enjoy great hotels, great facilities and wonderful food. Wherever the team bus goes, it is followed by an even bigger bus with all the non-playing staff on it. It is very different to my experiences in my early years as a player, when we would be taken to Blackpool for three days' pre-season training. Again, the idea was to bring the lads closer together, but that happened in a different way than today's professionals are used to. We stayed in a guest house with three-quarter beds that we all shared - that certainly brought us closer together! - then trained on the beach each morning, doing our running sessions on the sand. Then we played seven-a-side games in the afternoon on a local park pitch, after clearing the dog muck off first. In the evenings, we were allowed out for a few beers, with no time stipulated for our return - apart from having to be downstairs and ready to hit the beach again at 8am the next morning. That is where things have changed most of all, right through football, during the past few years. In the 1970s and 80s, there was a massive drinking culture right through the leagues - just listen to the stories that came out of clubs as big as Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal, when they had teams who not only dominated English football but the European game too. In my early years of management, the bonding I've been talking about used to happen right through the season through the lads meeting in pubs after games and after training on week days as well. Winter breaks were rare and, rather than for a training camp, the only time most players I knew went to Spain was at the end of the season when more alcohol would be consumed. That was what British players classed as bonding sessions and, as I've written about before, even the ones at the top level were much more connected to normal society, rather than living in an eternal bubble. Now, while they are certainly more aware of the dangers of drinking to excess, as a manager you have to find other ways for them to connect when there are other distractions to contend with. One item I am very glad my generation was not brought up with is mobile phones. I used to go mad if I walked into a dining room at the training ground or a hotel to see a group of lads looking at their phone and not engaging with each other. I sometimes think that, as a young player, I had nothing compared to the players of today but, really, we had everything. The stories, the friendships and the memories of the togetherness I remember from every dressing room during that time still resonate with me and recreating them was always my aim as a manager. Some other things have changed too - I am not sure De Zerbi has ever considered taking his team away to an army camp like I did on many occasions early in my managerial career, where we worked on the players in different ways. One year, I took Stoke down to Exmouth, where the lads were put through their paces doing cross-country circuits. That probably doesn't sound too bad on the face of it, but it was freezing cold and chucking it down and the circuits incorporated climbing and swimming under water in a darkened tunnel - I did all of it too by the way - while trying to keep up with the Army PT Instructor. That was just the morning, the afternoon was spent indoors, where the boys were set different kinds of tasks, where their minds were tested with more practical team-building exercises where they had, say, 20 minutes to use some drums and planks to cross an area without touching the ground. At night, they slept in bunk beds with only plastic sheeting over the mattress, and one very thin blanket. Like my own trips to Blackpool as a player, it was spit and sawdust but everyone bought into it and attacked every challenge with great gusto and spirit. As I moved onwards and upwards as a manager I was allowed to take teams abroad, to locations that were a little more lavish. Irdning in Austria is my favourite destination, and somewhere I have taken many clubs over the years. It is a small town in the Alps that is ideal in every aspect of what I wanted as a manager, and not just because of the mountains I made my players run or cycle up! We have almost always stayed in the same place there, too - a 1,000-year-old building I call 'The Castle'. It has swimming pools, a large gym, saunas, steam rooms, a spa and a golf course - you get the picture. Real Madrid stayed there all the time too - it led to us playing them in a friendly in 2007 because we had already booked it and they said they would play us if we swapped hotel - yet my first time there could have turned out to be a disaster. It was in 2004, during my first spell as Stoke manager, when I was having a tough time under the Icelandic ownership who were at the club at that time - I liked them as people but we all tended to largely disagree when it came to football. My first-team then was made up of some really strong characters, but who were also great lads and old-school to the core, in the ways I've been talking about in this column. During our first three days in Irdning, they had worked their socks off. The fourth day was meant to be the rest day where, fishing, golf or shopping was on the agenda but the players had other ideas. Gerry Taggart, who was a fantastic lad, came and asked if the boys could borrow the team bus and go somewhere to have a few beers away from our hotel. Now, being a manager and not in the dressing room as a player, my responsibilities had changed. The group had been brilliant in responding to all the hard work I had thrown at them, so I agreed - well, kind of! Knowing what a 'fun-loving' group the lads were, and the fact they would be out of my sight, and control, the alarm bells were going off in my head, loud and clear. So, without the lads' knowledge, I paid the bus driver a few quid to make sure he didn't find any really exciting places, and they ended up coming back to the hotel. The players eventually worked out that I had instigated this under-cover plot but I know it didn't stop them having a great time because it was at our hotel, where I could keep an eye on them. That's probably not something De Zerbi had to worry about last week! I wanted to end this column by talking about a football match. Manchester City's Champions League game against Paris St-Germain last week was an absolute throwback, which provided so many crosses, shots and goalmouth action. PSG were fantastic in the first half but City really showed their teeth after the break and, in my humble opinion, were unlucky not to get anything out of the game. Both teams played football through the pitch, got the ball to the most talented players - the forwards - as quickly as possible and produced unbelievable excitement. There was no passing backwards or square, and hopefully any young coaches watching will have been influenced by both teams' urgency to play forward. You cannot mention City at the moment without referencing what is going on with them off the pitch. When news broke that they had been found guilty of breaking the Premier League's financial rules, I wrote tongue in cheek, asking City to send over the FA Cup and winners medals from 2011 to my old club Stoke. Surprisingly, they have not arrived... but as the fall-out continues from the verdict of the independent commission, I'd like to add some further thoughts on the whole saga and ask some questions of my own. But one thing I would like to ask people to explore is why, after the Premier League discovered that City first broke these rules, it has taken so long get to this point. Why were the Premier League top-brass still standing on the podiums, presenting City with the many trophies they have won in this time? The situation now has cast a shadow over the entire game.

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Shortly after England's disappointing defeat by Argentina at this summer's World Cup, boss Thomas Tuchel offered his view on why the Three Lions are struggling to win major tournaments. "I think ball possession plays a crucial role," he said. "It's maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or Argentinian or Brazilian DNA to take the ball, control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem." DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), in scientific terms, usually refers to the master blueprint for life - the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. In football, the DNA of a team starts out at grassroots level, where young players are shaped and developed. This season, the Football Association (FA) has implemented a change in youth football that could well result in a change of the DNA of the English game. For a long time, it was considered normal for children of all ages to play 11 versus 11 matches on full-sized pitches, but in 1999 the FA introduced "mini-soccer" for under-10s. The idea was that the small-sided variation of association football would provide youngsters with more opportunities to get a touch of the ball, and therefore be more involved than they were in large-sided games. Up until the end of last season, the smallest variation of the game that served as an introduction to football for children under the age of seven was 5v5. Last month, that was reduced further to 3v3. This variation of the small-sided game does away with goalkeepers and there are also no referees - the idea is that fewer players in a "team" means those three will get more touches of the ball, and score more goals. It is the result of two years of research by the FA in conjunction with Liverpool John Moores University, where over 400 games from under-6 to under-14 level were analysed. "All of the research done demonstrates that those players having more touches of the ball are more engaged in the game," John Folwell, the FA's head of grassroots coach development, told BBC Sport. "They are also making more decisions and are engaged in more physical activity, so that is the thinking behind it. "There are no goalkeeper and no substitutes, so everyone is active in the game. They are not sitting on the side watching their mates play, or they are not standing in goal watching their friends play. They are actually involved in the game." With the new format having only been introduced a few weeks ago, it will take some time before teams and coaches have been able to fully adapt. The smaller-sized format can pose logistical issues, with more games and more coaches and volunteers needed to oversee them. BBC Breakfast recently visited Collingham FC in Nottinghamshire to see how the coaches there were adapting to the new format. "We have three pitches going on at once and all it needs is one parent to be at work and you are trying to keep an eye on three games and nine children at once," said Michael Bland, coach of Collingham FC's under-7s. "It is the self-officiating, dangerous tackles flying in and trying to teach the kids what a safe tackle is." Mick Goodwin has been a youth football coach since the 1990s, so has seen it evolve from 11-a-side games to the small-sided format it is now. "My concern is you will get one dominant player in the 3v3 where the not-so-good players will not get a touch of the ball," he said. "What we've seen is the dominant player has been shooting from the halfway line. "We can absolutely see the concept, I just think it needs a bit of finessing and it will be fine." The guidelines for football for children under seven is that the sport should not be about tactics or competitiveness, but about enjoyment - that is what the FA believes the new format will provide. At Collingham FC, that was generally the consensus among those who played, and their parents. "They are open goals and you can score more," said one child, while another added: "There's less players so it is easier to dribble around them." One parent, Dean, said: "Before [my son] was just in goal but now he is learning to pass to other players, block stuff and be a better defender as well." Another parent, Hannah, added: "My son has an older brother so he is used to playing in the more traditional format, so for him it has taken a bit of adapting." One of the more criticised aspects of the new, smaller format is the lack of goalkeepers, with some concerns over how that might impact their development. The 3v3 format only lasts for 12 months, so goalkeepers do return from under-8 level when the game progresses to 5v5. "When you make decisions like this, there are obvious trade-offs but we don't believe it is going to be detrimental to the development of future goalkeepers," Folwell added. "Obviously playing 3v3, players can't use their hands but they are still going to be developing skills of blocking, sliding across, needing to get between the ball and the goal. "They will also improve their ability on the ball, which we know for goalkeepers now is an increasing technique they need to have. "We don't believe that goalkeeping is an early specialisation position. There are lots of examples of players who have come through and ended up being goalkeepers at a later age - England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, for example, first played outfield for a long time." Whether the new format improves the development of English footballers will not be clear for a few years yet. But England are far from alone in opting for 3v3 at under-7 level, with the format already part of the youth structure in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and other countries. Indeed, it is a format that is growing in popularity across the world. "It is the first year of adoption and obviously these things can take time to implement and for people to accept change," Folwell said. "What we have seen is that once people have experienced it they tend to be a convert and understand why we are doing it, because the children really love it." Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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With ongoing supporter discontent, a recent tennis ball protest against the major shareholder on a golf course and a veteran manager deciding now is not the time to "wrap things up", as Martin O'Neill put it, you'd be forgiven for scratching your head when examining Celtic's current domestic situation. They sit four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Five, really, if you factor in a goal difference at present 12 better than nearest challengers Rangers. All this off the back of a 7-1 demolition of last season's runners-up, Hearts, who - at least until they turned up at Celtic Park - were widely viewed as viable title contenders if there's to be another three-way fight for Scottish football's main prize. Has normal service been restored in the east end of Glasgow after the wobbles of four significant defeats in their past half-dozen? Not as far as their wily old manager is concerned. Keen to stress that the road is yet long to the division's ultimate destination, O'Neill was full of smiles after his side's biggest win since he returned last year, but he didn't even accept that such a thrashing of the third-placed side in the division was even a 'statement' victory. "I'm not really sure about that," O'Neill told BBC Scotland. "We're eight or nine games into the season or whatever it is. "It was nice to win and win in the manner we did as well. We scored some really great goals. We looked really good going forward and I thought, defensively, the back four did really well for us when we were under pressure. "But I think they were helped by the players in front of them as well too, so overall it was very, very pleasing." So, just how good a Celtic performance was this? As far as former Rangers striker Kris Boyd is concerned, it was a throwback to Parkhead's favourite Australian, whose fast-flowing, attacking football delivered a domestic double followed by a treble in his two seasons in charge, prior to Brendan Rodgers' return. "That is the closest I've seen to Ange Postecoglou's Celtic," Boyd told Sky Sports. "That first half was devastating." Former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan felt his old side simply ran into Celtic at the wrong time. "It's a really poor performance from Hearts," McGowan said on Sky Sports. "At the same time, you've got to give Celtic credit. It was probably their best performance of the season." Celtic showed more cohesion and spirit than in recent performances, according to former goalkeeper Pat Bonner, who feels two youngsters shone particularly brightly in the October sunshine. "Celtic's organisation was better," Bonner told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "They worked harder as a unit. Their attitude was better, everybody doing that little bit of hard graft that you have to do and then ability takes over. "Young Callum Osmand and Colby Donovan, they're the ones that set the tone." Former Celtic captain Scott Brown summed up his old side's performance in one word: "Fantastic." And he added: "The best thing about Celtic today was the pace in the forward line and how they got after Hearts. Camilo Duran through the middle is exciting me. "Callum Osmand did more in 45 minutes out wide than Sebastian Tounekti has done probably since he signed for the club. Haissem Hassan has got a few issues defensively but going forward he's a delight to watch." The front four of Osmand, Benjamin Nygren, Hassan and Duran caused Hearts no end of problems. A double for the young striker, a double for the Sweden international who's now on eight for the season from midfield well before Halloween, a goal and two assists from the consistently impressive Colombian, and one of the Egypt winger's best displays since signing after the World Cup. Is this then the template going forward? Not necessarily, according to their manager. "No, because we've got so many matches coming up in Europe and in the league," O'Neill explained. "We're going Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday. So, we will have to mix it up a little bit. It's also a squad game for us at this stage. Between now and the beginning of January we are at it constantly." As if to illustrate his point, Celtic's next fixture comes under the 'must-win' category as Celta Vigo come calling in Thursday's Europa League fixture, with both sides yet to register a point in the league phase after two defeats each. "We'll make a couple of adjustments on Thursday evening," O'Neill said. "We still want to try and win and I think other players coming on and getting little bits of games here and there helps immensely. It helps the whole squad and I think it helps the confidence of the team. "It will be a tough game for us. Celta Vigo are a team in a big league in Spain, they're very, very decent, but it's a game we probably have to win. "We have to win to give ourselves some momentum and do some catching up because we've lost two games, so we really need to win this game. We'll go all out to try and do it." Celtic score seven in humiliation of title rivals Hearts Hearts roll out red carpet... and Celtic walk all over it All the latest Celtic news, views and analysis O'Neill, fresh from the memory of two recent defeats by arch rivals Rangers, knows there is many a slip between cup and lip when it comes to the Premiership rollercoaster. "Four points at this stage of the season is absolutely nothing," he stressed. "I thought the team did really well. We got the goals, which seemed to match the performance, which was really nice. It's not too often you get a scoreline like that. So, we'll enjoy it this evening." It was all summed up rather nicely by one of O'Neill's favoured sons when he was manager first time around between 2000 and 2005 - Henrik Larsson's strike partner, Chris Sutton. "It's a strange old season for Celtic," Sutton told Sky Sports. "Domestically, they've been flying, but in Europe it just hasn't been there. Good to see Jota back. What a contribution Callum Osmand made. Will this result lead on to more confidence in Europe?" With Celta Vigo turning up in midweek, everyone associated with Celtic will certainly hope so.

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Sergio Ramos could make a surprise return to Madrid, Bournemouth put a high price tag on Alex Scott, and Florian Wirtz staying at Liverpool . Spain and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, 40, could be in line for a shock move to Madrid-based Getafe with the defender now a free agent. (Sport - in Spanish), external Bournemouth could ask for more than £100m for English midfielder Alex Scott, 23, who is attracting interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. (Football Insider), external Germany's Florian Wirtz, 23, has no intention of leaving Liverpool as reports suggest possible interest from Chelsea who are coached by his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso. (CaughtOffside), external Tottenham are continuing to monitor Eintracht Frankfurt 's German forward Younes Ebnoutalib, 23. (TeamTalk), external Newcastle United have been tracking Valencia's 19-year-old midfielder David Otorbi. (Marca - in Spanish), external Tottenham are interested in signing Japanese midfielder Yuito Suzuki, 24, from Freiburg as Roberto de Zerbi looks to strengthen his squad. (Fussball News via CaughtOffside), external Barcelona are monitoring Benfica defender Daniel Banjaqui, 18, but may face competition from Premier League sides Newcastle and Manchester United . (Ekrem Konur), external Barcelona are facing competition from Real Madrid for Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, 20, with Liverpool also showing interest in the German youngster. (Sport - in Spanish), external Arsenal and Tottenham are keeping an eye on Barcelona youngster Xavi Espart, 19, but they could be held back by the Spanish defender's significant release clause. (CaughtOffside), external Gyokeres pushing for Arsenal exit - Sunday's gossip Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Noni Madueke may not have the starting role he wants at Arsenal but his winning goal against Nottingham Forest showed why he is one of Mikel Arteta's valued "finishers". The England international scored a second-half winner to earn Arsenal a vital three points in their defence of the Premier League title. Madueke has started just one top-flight game this season, a 2-1 win over Leeds in the Gunners' last Premier League outing before they beat Oliver Glasner's side on Sunday. Arsenal's summer was dominated by talk of their search for an elite forward, with the left wing one of the positions identified. But after unsuccessful pursuits of world class players such as Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez, the only new addition in that position was Christos Tzolis, the winger brought in to replace the outgoing Leandro Trossard. Tzolis has started the season well and has been the first-choice winger for Arteta, meaning that Madueke and Eberechi Eze have had to be content with the majority of their minutes coming from the bench or in the Carabao Cup. However, Tzolis is now out with a hamstring injury picked up while playing for Greece, and that has presented a chance for Madueke to show Arteta why he should be considering the former Chelsea man as much more than a finisher - that's a term Arteta uses for his substitutes. Madueke did well when starting against Leeds, praised by Arteta for being the best player at the club during the international break. The Arsenal boss said the winger "grabbed it (the start) with both hands". The England international also started on the right wing, his more natural position, against Lille in a Champions League win on Tuesday, assisting the opening goal. Against Forest on Sunday, Madueke was introduced at half time by Arteta and said he took the manager's instructions with him onto the pitch. "Hang in there, stick to the game plan, go out there and try to attack the opposition, be dangerous, be yourself and be good defensively as well," Madueke said. He scored with a deflected shot in the 80th minute when he cut in on his weaker right foot. "I'd beaten him on the outside a couple of times so I thought I'll come inside and just let rip," Madueke said. It's fair to say that the Arsenal fans have not always taken to Madueke since his move from London rivals Chelsea. There was a 'No to Madueke' petition started when he joined the club and his performances have been criticised for being inconsistent. But since his £48.5m arrival, Madueke has helped the club lift their first title in 22 years and played a big part as Arsenal reached the Champions League final. Madueke scored eight goals and provided four assists in 43 appearances in all competitions last season, but questions over his end product remain. He is one of Arsenal's most direct players and England manager Thomas Tuchel and his staff also rate the winger as one of the best players in one-versus-one situations. "Noni, look at me, a smile on my face because he is a special character," Arteta said when he was asked about Madueke's character. "It's someone that's very much loved in and around the dressing room. The way he connects, talks with people. He is just a special guy. "I think I saw an interview where they were asking a few of our players 'who would you call if you had a problem?' And some of them said Noni, which I was surprised. "But I think it is a massive credit and describes the type of person he is." The 24-year-old has now put in three good performances in a row. "He is in a good moment," Arteta said. "After the break, he is showing something else, another level of anger, another level of conviction as well as in his actions and he is becoming decisive in matches, which is what we expect from a player like him. "He is a player that doesn't really mind left or right, but he has played many more minutes on the right side. The team needs him there at the moment and he is doing well." Madueke scores as Arsenal win tight game at Forest Arteta has made a big point of referring to his substitutes as "finishers" as he points to the importance of the squad. That mentality is seeming to have the desired effect. Since the start of last season, Arsenal substitutes have contributed to 26 Premier League goals, which is more than any other side in the league. Bruno Guimaraes scored the winner against Leeds from the bench last time out in the league while substitutes Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard played a major role in the last two goals in the win over Lille. But Arteta is not concerned the Gunners are overly reliant on players from the bench. "There have been other games as well that we have had to score in the first half," Arteta said. "We have played 11 competitive matches and we won 10. We are getting a variety of ways to win in many different contexts." Arteta said he expected few chances against a well organised Forest at the City Ground but added: "I had the belief that the moment the physical level was going to drop, the spaces would be a little bit bigger, the timing more and we would be more efficient there. "And the finishers delivered because the context of the game changed a little bit." Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

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Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage said he felt "shame" at the Eagles' performance during their 5-0 thrashing by Brighton and did not know whether he would be given time to save his job. Sage's side conceded three times in the opening 10 minutes as they suffered their worst loss to their rivals since January 1956. "It's my fault because I am the coach, I gave the motivation. I prepare the situations. We played so bad it's my fault," said Frenchman Sage, who was only appointed Palace manager in the summer. "It's difficult to summarise because there are a lot of negative points. "We started really bad. It's completely not normal to concede three goals in this kind of game after nine minutes. "I prepare the team, that is why I am responsible of what's happened on the pitch. I have a lot of work to do because I have to change this kind of thing." Asked if he will get time to turn Palace's poor form around, he said: "I don't know." Under his predecessor Oliver Glasner, Palace enjoyed the most successful phase in the club's history, lifting the FA Cup for the first time in 2025 and then winning the Conference League in May. But Sage has had a tough start at Selhurst Park since he arrived after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second in Ligue 1 last season. Palace are 14th in the Premier League with two wins from seven games but their 17 goals conceded are the most in the top flight. "I just want to apologise to the fans," added Sage. "We were not at the level we expected, and I'm really sorry for that because I know how important it is for them, but we didn't show today that it's really important for us too." Asked on his emotions after the game, he replied: "Only one feeling - shame. When you play this kind of game you have to show another face. It was our worst face." Palace, with one win and one loss from their two Europa League matches, play on Thursday with a trip to Turkey to take on Besiktas before returning to Premier League action on Sunday at home to Newcastle. Shades of Barca and Beckham - Brighton aim to maintain superb start Latest Crystal Palace news, analysis and fan views Ask about Crystal Palace - what do you want to know?

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"Arrogant" and "not good enough". Nordi Mukiele offered a brutally honest verdict about why Sunderland have struggled so far this season, following their impressive return to the Premier League last term. The Black Cats defender had his say after a 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth on Sunday. It was Sunderland's fourth Premier League loss in a row and leaves them second bottom in the table. Only those inside the club can answer Mukiele's "arrogant" claim after the Black Cats' drop-off in results and performance. They surprised everyone last season by qualifying for the Europa League at the first time of asking after eight years away from the top flight. But have Sunderland been found out by their rivals? Are they suffering the somewhat mythical second season syndrome? Or might they simply be struggling with the added demands of European football? "I think this game is just what we are looking [like] from the beginning of the season," Mukiele told Sky Sports. "We are not good enough. "Why? I don't know. Maybe because we became arrogant, this is what I think." Sunderland head coach Regis le Bris was not quite as damning but still disappointed. "We were below the level, it's really clear. It's hard to take, hard to digest," Le Bris told Sky Sports. "It's very painful because we were not Sunderland and it's not acceptable." After seven games last season, Sunderland had 11 points and were ninth in the table having won three, drawn two and lost two. At the same point this term, they have four points with one win, a draw and five defeats. "We won't find excuses," said Le Bris. "We have a busy schedule. We want to embrace the challenge, but the position at the minute is not good." Sunderland's league form so far points to a relegation battle, but in Europe they have a 100% record after wins over Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and second-tier Portuguese outfit Torreense. They have now lost both games in the immediate aftermath of their Europa League outings, although one of those was an eight-goal thriller against unbeaten league leaders Manchester City. Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given – who had a loan spell at Sunderland in 1996 while a Blackburn Rovers player – believes the Black Cats' squad may be not sufficiently set up to deal with the extra games after last season's seventh-placed finish. He does see a route out of relegation danger, though. "They overachieved last season, getting into European competition," said Given. "I don't know if the squad is ready for a challenge on all fronts. You need a bigger squad, a deeper squad, and it's going to be a big ask. I'm just looking at the table and they're second bottom at the minute. "I know it's only seven games played, but there are so many games coming up and in a short period of time. It's about the bread and butter in the Premier League - that's the most important thing. You like to think with Le Bris, they'll have enough to be safe." Sunderland spent £161m on 15 new players after gaining promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2025. In the transfer window this summer, they invested about £60m on five new recruits but their success was probably more in keeping key players such as captain Granit Xhaka and striker Brian Brobbey, who is currently out with a hamstring injury. Whether or not Sunderland's squad is deep enough, heading to Bournemouth to face a side who were without a league win before Sunday and had also just played in Europe on Thursday should have been one they were relishing. Yet Sunderland could not have made it easier for the hosts at Vitality Stadium. One of the recent summer recruits, Kevin Danso – a loan signing from Tottenham Hotspur - was bullied by Evanilson in the build-up to Marcus Tavernier's opener in just the sixth minute. Centre-back Danso was then sent off in the 17th minute for dragging down the Brazilian striker when he was clear through on goal. In the second half, Omar Alderete's weak backpass to goalkeeper Robin Roefs gifted Evanilson the chance to secure the three points for the Cherries. According to Opta, in the Premier League this season no side has committed more errors leading to goals than Sunderland with five. Alderete also became just the third player to commit multiple errors leading to goals this season, alongside team-mate Danso and Hull's Konstantinos Tzolakis. Sunderland have also conceded 14 goals - only Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town have shipped more - which is more than double their goals-against tally after seven games last season. They have only scored six, and their three attempted shots in Sunday's game – all off target - represented the lowest total for any team in a Premier League match this season. It should be noted they have faced Manchester City, champions Arsenal and in-form Brighton, so it has not been an easy start. "It's just the beginning. Football is like this," said Mukiele. "You can accept and just stand up and go back to work. If I believe we can go back to the top again, yeah, I believe about this. "It depends about what we really want and this starts in training because we don't do enough and after you can see it on the pitch. "You cannot lie about football and today I don't want to say we didn't want to win this game, but it didn't look like we want something. "We just have to work hard to be back where we were like last season because right now this is not us - this is not Sunderland." Pre-match, post-match and topical Black Cats content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Sunderland Latest Sunderland news, analysis and fan views Ask about Sunderland - what do you want to know?

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Not only are Brighton scoring more than everyone else in the Premier League, they are netting better goals too. Centre-half Lewis Dunk won the Premier League goal of the month for September with a 35-yard stunner against Coventry. Now, five weeks later, that has already been eclipsed. Step forward Seagulls team-mate Diego Gomez, who shot from the halfway line having seen Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line during Brighton's emphatic 5-0 win over their rivals on Sunday. Benitez made a rapid dash back to his goal and produced a desperate dive but could not stop the ball going in just under the crossbar. "As soon as he struck it, I knew it was in. He's taken the club goal of the season off me," joked Brighton skipper Dunk. "That's the goal of the season so far, what a hit," added former Premier League striker Efan Ekoku, part of the commentary team for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "[It was] superbly struck and right over the head of the keeper from the centre-circle." Gomez's seventh-minute goal at the Amex put Brighton 2-0 up and was from 51 metres, the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58m for Everton in their 4-0 win over West Ham in November 2017. "When I scored, I didn't know where to run, or what to do," admitted 23-year-old Paraguay midfielder Gomez. "When I got the ball, I knew the goalkeeper was a little bit ahead. I was very happy with the goal." Former Newcastle goalkeeper and Match of the Day pundit Shay Given said the goal was "reminiscent of David Beckham [for Manchester United versus Wimbledon in 1996]" and added: "I don't even blame Benitez the goalkeeper. "We're always talking about sweeper goalkeepers and you've got to be high up for the through ball and the defence playing a high line. I think his position was fine. "You've just got to take your hat off to Gomez. That is just a brilliant, brilliant goal." Brighton have never finished higher than sixth in English football's top flight, but now have 16 points from seven matches, with fan hopes rising that they could make a real push for Champions League qualification, or even a title challenge. Their tally of 23 top-flight goals is four more than league leaders Manchester City, and more than double the 11 of reigning champions Arsenal. Since the top flight was rebranded as the Premier League in 1992, only three sides have scored more goals across their first seven games of a season - Arsenal in 2009-10 (24), Manchester United in 2011-12 (24), and Manchester City in 2019-20 (27). In the top five European leagues, only Barcelona, with 39 goals from nine La Liga matches, have more domestic league goals than Brighton. With 10 different goalscorers, Brighton, third in the table, have also been the great entertainers of the season so far. They won their opening league game 4-0 against an Aston Villa side that came fourth in 2025-26 and Fabian Hurzeler's team have shown that was not a one-off. Results since have included winning 5-0 at Coventry, 3-0 against Arsenal, 2-0 at Sunderland despite having a man sent off, and now 5-0 against rivals Palace. In the Carabao Cup, they fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Old Trafford and eliminate Manchester United. In Europe, they have justified their position as Conference League favourites, putting four past both Norwegian side Tromso and Lithuanian champions Kauno Zalgiris. For Hurzeler, the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history when he was appointed in June 2024 at the age of 31, the atmosphere at the Amex could not have been any more different to their previous match with Palace. When the Eagles won 1-0 in February, Brighton were 14th, had only won one of 12 league games with the home fans chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" at their own boss. Therefore, it is no surprise that Hurzeler is not getting carried away at his side's good form. He was quick to shut down any talk that Brighton could be involved in the Premier League title race and said: "We have to stay very humble. The season will be long. "We have to keep going. We can't be satisfied. We have to keep pushing, stay humble and understand why we are successful at the moment to keep pushing at that level." The rapid rise of a former art dealer to Europe's hottest young manager Hurzeler was also keen to ensure Gomez remained grounded. "It's not simple to score a goal like this," added Hurzeler. "Everyone speaks about his goal, but to me the most important thing is the things we can improve, small easy passes we missed. "It's good to celebrate the win but understand there is still space for improvement especially for individual players. "We don't train shots from 50 metres. Overall, we know he has a really good finish. In these moments it's about being very precise with his long kick. The perception to recognise the keeper and be quick to go to the action was impressive." Brighton fans will have to savour the memories of this win and Gomez's goal as all of their next five matches are away from home. That run includes league games at Liverpool and Manchester City, another trip to Etihad Stadium in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, as well as Conference League matches in Czech Republic and Spain, against Jablonec and Getafe respectively. By the time Brighton return to the Amex on 8 November to face Brentford, we will have a better indication of just how optimistic the Seagulls fans can be about their season. "I know it's rare, but you look at Leicester in 2016 and Blackburn in 1995 when I was a kid," added Given. "At the minute, you'd say they could upset the apple cart, but obviously it's a long winter coming up. "Being in European competition as well, that will take its toll for sure. But they're having an unbelievable start to the season. Even set-plays as well, they're the best in the league (nine goals scored). "They've scored the most goals overall and kept the joint-most goals out, so that's a good start for any team to do well, isn't it?!" Follow Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC Sounds Pre-match, post-match and topical Albion content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Seagulls Latest Brighton news, analysis and fan views Ask about Brighton - what do you want to know?

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Jimmy Thunder was having none of Crawford Grimsley's chutzpah, none of his mouthing off before their heavyweight contest back in the late 1990s, none of his pre-bout arrogance. Thunder took precisely 1.5 seconds to put Grimsley down - one punch, an overhand right to his opponent's temple. Lights out. Fight over. Statement sent. As Celtic unloaded on Hearts at Celtic Park it was football's equivalent of Thunder's devastation; speed and accuracy and ruthlessness in the face of a challenger akin to a rabbit caught in the headlights. Hearts didn't give it the big one in the preamble to this evisceration, but they set up in the manner of a team who truly believed they were a whole lot better than they actually are. Poor concentration and lack of physicality cost them two set-piece goals inside 10 minutes. The game was effectively over, but the visitors' suffering had only just begun. Celtic score seven in humiliation of title rivals Hearts All the latest Celtic news, views and analysis The pretenders came to Glasgow with a weak away record in the league - two wins in 11 between this season and the end of last, both against Hibs - and tried to go toe-to-toe. Thinking attack is the best form of defence is all very well as long as you can back it up, as long as you can defend competently, as long as you can pass from A to B without losing your mind, as long as you don't concede acreage of space to exploit. Time and again, Hearts rolled out the red carpet to Celtic. A clinical Celtic made them pay for their naivety and maybe their arrogance, too. The footballing version of poor Crawford Grimsley. On their backside before they knew it. Hearts played the highest line with slow defenders, they pushed up the park and left themselves exposed to Celtic's speedsters. That gameplan was not high-risk, it was reckless. Martin O'Neill needed a win after his recent travails and this was a stroll in the park that he could not have imagined. The stats are, frankly, hilarious. If it was a horrific day for Wouter Vrancken and his players then it was every bit as grim an experience for those who try to see sense in numbers. Hearts had more shots than Celtic (20-18). They had more shots inside the box (16-13). They had more possession (52%-48%). They had more crosses (16-10). They won more duels (51%-49%). They had more passes in their opponents' half (244-202). They had more accurate passes (458-423). That last one was laugh-out-loud funny, for Hearts' use of the ball was comically bad. So often, when under a little bit of pressure, or no pressure at all, they passed into space only for Celtic to gobble up the loose ball and launch an attack which usually ended in a big chance or a goal. The home team was slick. Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand, Camilo Duran and Haissem Hassan were devastating. Seven did not flatter them in the slightest. It began with those two early goals - Liam Scales showing the desire to win a near-post header from a corner and Kieran Tierney left alone a few yards out to force in, then Dane Murray outfighting Claudio Braga to help it back to Nygren to score. Hassan hit a post when he turned and darted away from Stephen Kingsley. People wondered what was Vrancken going to do to change this. Answer: nothing. When Celtic score seven it seems odd to talk about pieces of defending they did that were significant, but Colby Donovan's cameos warrant mention. Around the midpoint of the first half, Hearts stirred a little. You wouldn't say that they had momentum, but they had a bit of a possession and their hair-on-fire panic of the early minutes seemed under control. Twice in the space of three minutes, Josh McPake - one of the form players in the country - took on Donovan and twice Donovan routed him. Those little duels might disappear from relevance after the deluge, but at the time they were important. The Hearts dangerman had been snuffed out. His morale had taken a hiding. And the stadium loved it. Hearts fell apart at the seams from there. Sabri Guendouz gave the ball away and Duran combined with the impressive Osmand to score number three. Jamie McCart then became detached from his trolley and Celtic scored from that error, too. Osmand, again, but with lovely work from Duran. And easy, oh so easy. Celtic's pace in attack was terrific. Their alertness was outstanding. Their disbelief was there, too. How could a team with a seemingly good coach and a strong squad of players be performing like a pub team? Hearts fans started heading home at that point. They missed the goal that made it 4-1. They won't have shed any tears. Had they gone back they'd only have suffered on. Best get out of dodge as quickly as possible. Soon, it was 5-1, Mika Baur slaloming his way past the comatose figures of McPake and Malachi Fagan-Walcott to dink a shot on goal, helped on its way by Kingsley and McCart, sitting on the floor, all flailing legs, like an octopus who had fallen out of a tree. Hearts' heads had long since gone. They were a broken team, psychologically. The doubt and fear coursed through their veins. The easiest things became difficult. The difficult things became impossible. They had no discipline, no direction. Vrancken spoke later about individual errors and that was obvious, but what else? He was given an opportunity to take some responsibility for the way he set his team up to begin with, but he declined to go there. On reflection, maybe he will. He should. Gung-ho football is fine when it works. Unless it's laced with some pragmatism when facing the best teams in their own backyard then it can blow up in your face, which it did at Celtic Park. Then it was 6-1 (Laurent Mendy the culprit, followed by McCart) and 7-1 (Tomas Magnusson in the frame). Duran and Nygren finished with aplomb. Seven minutes remained. The expectation was that this could still become eight or nine. We like to think this league title race can be a three-horse thing again this season. We want the drama of last time. Hearts played Celtic four times last term. They won two, drew one and lost one. They had nous and resilience before it all slowly slipped away from them. This team has talent but, with their away record as it is, they're not going the distance, or anything close to the distance. Celtic will be buoyed by this. Using it as fuel is the next step. Osmand was a big player for them. O'Neill might have hit on a powerful front three that doesn't involve Kasper Hogh from the start. After some rough days and nights they have some of their feelgood back. Keeping it on the long road ahead is the challenge now.

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Noni Madueke broke the deadlock in a dull game as Arsenal squeezed past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Who rated the highest as the champions claimed a crucial victory? Matz Sels: The goalkeeper was untroubled with Arsenal struggling to create clear chances until Forest's resistance was broken with 10 minutes left. 6 Murillo: He took a blow to the head in the first half which required treatment and almost grabbed an injury-time leveller following some great skill. 6 Ousmane Diomande: It was only the summer signing's fourth Premier League start but he has settled well and looked to be helping Forest to a positive point. 6 Jair Cunha: Has become a dependable member of Oliver Glasner's side and was unlucky when Madueke's shot clipped him and flew in. 6 Neco Willams: Booked in the first half and was unable to threaten from wing-back while his usual reliable deliveries did not meet his normal standards . 6 Xaver Schlager: The midfielder has slotted in well to the Forest engine room but was unable to influence the game this time. 6 Nicolas Dominguez: Neat and tidy in the middle in his first Premier League appearance of the season but naturally ran out of steam. 6 James McAtee: Without the injured Morgan Gibbs-White the onus fell on him to be a creative force but, while he worked hard, could not find that spark. 6 Daniel Munoz: Tested David Raya and tried to get forward, especially in the first half, but more will be needed. 6 Dan Ndoye: The forward shot wide early but there was little end product and he was unable to get the better of Riccardo Calafiori. 6 Liam Delap: Enjoyed the physical battle with Arsenal's defence and was a nuisance to Ezri Konsa and Gabriel but did not get close to a goal. 6 Ibrahim Sangare (on 74, Dominguez): Stopped at the crucial moment to allow Arsenal to regroup and score. 5 Subs not used: John Victor, Yates, Netz, Milenkovic, Aina David Raya: A solid display from the Gunners number one. A great take from a corner in the first half. 6 Ben White: Lots of overlapping runs and solid defensively but no breakthrough. Replaced by Timber. 6 Ezri Konsa: Involved in the physical battle with Delap. Part of the back four that kept a clean sheet mainly thanks to his brilliant injury-time tackle on Delap. 7 Gabriel Magalhaes: Pressured and tested like his centre back partner but stood up to the challenge as he often does. 6 Riccardo Calafiori: A loose pass in the first half which ended with a good Forest attack. Lots of adventurous runs but did not lead to a goal for the fullback. 6 Declan Rice: Powerful running and energy as expected from the midfielder. Part of an Arsenal midfield that struggled to create. Missed a big chance but played the ball to Madueke for his goal. 7 Bruno Guimaraes: Not the midfielder's best day and he was replaced by Merino. 5 Martin Odegaard: Tried getting on the ball and looked to make things happen. Could not find the pass to open the Forest defence. 6 Bukayo Saka: Dangerous crosses into the area but not much room to operate as Forest sat deep. 6 Eberechi Eze: This was a big chance for Eze to make the left wing his own but he didn't take it. Subbed at half-time. 5 Kai Havertz: Arsenal were poor going forward despite lots of the ball. Havertz did not offer much and was taken off. 5 Noni Madueke (on 46, Eze): Brought off the bench to add energy and spark to the attack. Scored the winning goal with a deflected effort. 7 Viktor Gyokeres (on 66, Havertz): Worked hard when he came off the bench. 6 Mikel Merino (on 66, Guimaraes): Tidy and composed in midfield. 6 Jurrien Timber (on 66, White): Provided a cross for a late Rice chance. 6 Subs not used: Meslier, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Zubimendi, Dowman. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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In a season that is forcing Manchester United fans to dig deep for reasons to be positive, Bryan Mbeumo scored again at Elland Road. That is four goals in seven Premier League games for the Cameroon forward. Apart from Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick against Ipswich in August, no-one else in Michael Carrick's squad has scored more than one. But it's meagre fare. It is true to say Manchester United did reasonably well in their 1-1 draw at Leeds United, just as they did at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after conceding inside the first minute. Carrick told BBC Radio Five Live afterwards he "had the headphones on" this week so he hasn't heard the external noise created by Lisandro Martinez's rant. However, he knows his side have to win matches at some point. That is six without a victory now, the worst run since 2018-19, when form nosedived after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was confirmed as permanent manager. "Because they haven't lost at Leeds, we're thinking United have done all right," said former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. "But in some ways that is a negative. We are dropping the standards. We shouldn't really be talking about Manchester United like that." After the corresponding fixture last season, Ruben Amorim gave the explosive press conference that triggered his dismissal within 24 hours. This time, it was Lisandro Martinez who lit the touchpaper before the game, criticising sporting director Jason Wilcox and the United hierarchy for failing, in his view, to recruit effectively during the summer. Wilcox was in the stands at Elland Road, while Martinez started the game following his apology for the timing and forum of his attack rather than the words themselves. To highlight the general view that United failed Carrick by not bringing in competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, Diogo Dalot became the fifth different player to start in that position this season. It remains to be seen if Shaw will be fit enough for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Serie A outfit Como, but the repeated changes cannot be helping Carrick. Martinez went off at half-time with a thigh injury, and such is the delicate nature of Matthijs de Ligt's fitness after almost 11 months out with a back complaint, Carrick preferred to bring on full-back Noussair Mazraoui rather than the Netherlands international. Carrick's side ended the game 13th in the Premier League table, with the possibility they might drop further before the match round is complete. Unlike Amorim, Carrick found it easy to come up with a positive spin on the present situation. "It felt like a bit of a fresh start today, to be honest, with where we're at - accepting it and doing something about it," Carrick said. "I'm not accepting it as everything's great by any stretch. I'm realistic with that. "But sometimes you do struggle. Sometimes there's a bit where you have to find a way through. "There has been a cycle at times here over a period of time when it can go in different directions. We've got to be stable enough to keep doing the right things. We're more than capable of winning football matches. "I understand the situation doesn't look too good if you look at it from a certain way, but I've got no doubts that we can go on a good run." Calvert-Lewin scores as Leeds deny Man Utd Everything a struggle for Fernandes - Leeds v Man Utd ratings Mbeumo's performance wasn't flawless by any means. He should have done much better when he missed the target with a free header before he scored, and the former Brentford man then failed to prevent Dominic Calvert-Lewin powering in an equaliser just after half-time. But in a campaign when so many of Carrick's attacking players are struggling – skipper Fernandes has been a shadow of the player who broke the Premier League assists record last season even though the United boss said the Portuguese was 'absolutely fine' – Mbeumo's performances have been vital. Their importance has been heightened by the continued absence of striker Benjamin Sesko with a shin injury. Mbeumo spent the first few games on the right of United's attack when Amad Diallo was ruled out by injury. When Amad returned, Mbeumo moved into the number nine role. At Elland Road he was shifted again, to the left as Fernandes played more through the middle. "When you are the kind of player who can be very good in a lot of positions, managers will always say: 'Can you do this? Can you do that?'" former United striker Dion Dublin told BBC Sport. "When you're in this Manchester United team at the moment, you just have to go where is best for the team." Carrick was even more effusive in his praise. "Bryan gives so much to the team," he said. "He sacrifices so much. "He's willing to do pretty much anything that needs to be done to benefit the team - whether that's defending in certain areas, whether that's attacking. He'll give everything he's got. "He's getting in really good positions to be really dangerous for us, and it's great to have him." Pre-match, post-match and topical United content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Red Devils Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Ask about Man Utd - what do you want to know?

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Manchester United have gone six games without a win for the first time since 2019. Who rated highest in their Premier League draw with Leeds? James Trafford: Brave enough to race 30 yards out of his box to clear when failure to execute would have been disastrous. Leeds defenders know they can give him the ball under pressure. 7 James Justin: Swung over a couple of early crosses to test the visitors' defence but caught on his heels by Mbeumo for Man Utd goal. 6 Nico Elvedi: Near-post header almost put Leeds in front. 7 Tarik Muharemovic: Calm in possession but visitors' set-up left him with no-one to mark at times. Major threat at the other end though, with header setting up Calvert-Lewin equaliser. 7 Jayden Bogle: An attacking threat from wing-back as Leeds pushed forward and had shot saved by Lammens. 7 Ethan Ampadu: Lucky to get away with no card for a late tackle on Mbeumo at start. Usual assured display. 6 Ao Tanaka (off 79, Longstaff): Maybe a little too cautious at times. Got into the game as Leeds pressed after leveller. Long-range effort over. 6 Gabriel Gudmundsson: Caught Andrey Santos from behind and was booked. Did really well to force Amad back when the Ivorian wanted to run free on goal. 7 Anton Stach: Wasn't able to control midfield duels in opening period but second half was better. 6 Noah Okofor (off 72, Nmecha): No chance to repeat Old Trafford heroics. Lashed a second-half shot over and poor pass when he might have released Calvert-Lewin. 6 Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Grew into the game after subdued start. One first-half header wide, another straight at Lammens in second. Strong enough to control and apply finish to level. 8 Lukas Nmecha (on 72, Okafor): Worked hard to try and create. 5 Subs not used: Zetterer, Wilson, Aaronson, Bijol, Bahoya, Bard, Gruev. Senne Lammens: Good save to deny Elvedi and solid performance. 7 Leny Yoro: Given a stern physical test despite starting at right-back. Thrown in at the deep end this season. 6 Harry Maguire: Another largely solid display. Came out on top in one-to-one duel with Calvert-Lewin in first half but found it much harder in the second. 7 Lisandro Martinez (off 46, Mazraoui): Kept his place despite inflammatory comments and was cheered by Man Utd fans, booed by Leeds'. Did well enough. Replaced at the break. 6 Diogo Dalot: Yet another different left-back option. Held his own but he shouldn't really be in that position. 6 Andrey Santos: Another industrious performance which questioned why he had been used so sparingly previously. 7 Carlos Baleba: Keen to get on the ball and carry it forward. Partnership with Santos brings energy. He even tried a 25-yard shot but it was off target. 7 Amad Diallo: Pace was a threat, even if visitors didn't make most of it. Second-half shot blocked. 6 Youri Tielemans: Excellent cross for Mbeumo opener. More effective with two midfielders behind him. 7 Bruno Fernandes: Overhit a free-kick in a dangerous position and sent it out for a throw, then booked for late tackle on Muharemovic. Everything seems forced and a struggle at the moment. 6 Bryan Mbeumo: Started in an inside left position and tried to link play but not a natural role. Should have scored with first-half header, didn't threaten with another opportunity but persevered and eventually got his goal. Not strong enough to hold Calvert-Lewin off for equaliser. 7 Noussair Mazraoui (on 46, Martinez): Leeds more of a threat when he came on. Vital injury-time block. 6 Mason Mount (on 72, Baleba): Can be effective and tried to create but limited impact. 6 Subs not used: Darlow, De Ligt, Rashford, Zirkzee, Lacey, Amass. Rate players out of 10 for this game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle. You must be signed in to a BBC account to play. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Pre-match, post-match and topical United content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Red Devils Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Ask about Man Utd - what do you want to know?

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With the appointment of Duncan Ferguson at the Oval expected to be confirmed on Monday, the club's five-week search for a new manager illustrates again that there is the easy way, the hard way, and the Glentoran way. When the east Belfast outfit parted company with Declan Devine on 14 September, the simple solution to the early-season vacancy appeared to be a reunion with former assistant Tiernan Lynch. A two-time winner of the Irish Premiership with Larne, Lynch was freshly back on the market after leaving Derry City in August and immediately installed as favourite for the post. Instead, the Glens made the trickier prospect of prying Jim Magilton out of his contract at Cliftonville their priority. When the former Northern Ireland and Ipswich Town midfielder made it clear he intended to stay at Solitude, nobody would have predicted what came next. A pivot towards Everton legend Ferguson, who also had spells with Rangers and Newcastle United, was not, as they say, on anyone's bingo card. A to Z: Duncan Ferguson - 'The original Everton hero' Ferguson link has caused a 'real buzz' - McCann The appeal of bringing Ferguson's star power to the Irish Premiership is obvious, akin to the boost provided to the League of Ireland by former Chelsea winger Damian Duff's successful, if short, stint with Shelbourne in recent years. A cult figure across two playing spells at Goodison Park thanks to both his goalscoring exploits and aggressive style - no player has ever received more than his eight Premier League red cards - the 54-year-old Scot instantly becomes the most recognisable face in the league. Fans quickly had their own fun with the imminent appointment on Saturday, with erroneous reports of the seven-times capped Scottish striker being spotted everywhere from his prospective new side's 1-0 win over Limavady to a local chip shop on the Newtownards Road. Glentoran are no strangers to big names in the playing ranks having had the likes of Keith Gillespie, Nacho Novo and Niall McGinn plying their trade at the Oval in recent times, but it is different when such a presence is in the dugout. Ferguson, after all, will have been the only applicant with spells as an assistant to the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Ronald Koeman on his CV. In all, the Scot worked under seven different permanent bosses at Everton, as well as two separate stints in interim charge. After leaving Merseyside following the departure of Frank Lampard in 2022, managerial roles at Forest Green Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle were hardly considered a success, admittedly both in testing circumstances. Coupled with his unfamiliarity with the Irish League and, for all the headlines already generated, there is no doubt that the left-field appointment is a gamble. The Glentoran hierarchy clearly believe it is a risk worth taking. Some Oval regulars may well suggest that the club have tried just about everything else in their quest for a first league title since 2009. Owner Ali Shams Pour arrived a decade after the late Alan McDonald delivered the most recent of the side's 23 Gibson Cups. Since then, the turbulent reign of Mick McDermott brought Irish Cup success in 2020 yet he still was the victim of supporter protests. The calming presence of Rodney McAree delivered immediate results, but the now Dungannon boss lasted just under five months before departing for personal reasons to be replaced by Warren Feeney. Unpopular from the off owing to his previous association with bitter rivals Linfield, the 46-times capped Northern Ireland international was unable to win over the fanbase during another short reign. That brought about Devine's appointment with the County Antrim Shield triumph of January 2025 a high the club could not build upon. Consecutive losses in BetMcLean Cup finals created a sense of stalled momentum. It already feels likely to be forgotten just how close Devine came to delivering that long-sought title. A win in the penultimate league game of last season against Larne and the Glens would have gone into the final day top of the table. Instead, the disappointment of a 0-0 draw from a game in which they were the better side lingered into the subsequent performance against Coleraine and they were beaten 6-2 at the Showgrounds to ultimately finish third. It will not have escaped Ferguson's attention that one half of the league's so-called 'Big Two' have still not finished in the league's top two for 17 years. In replacing Devine, Ferguson will inherit a squad built by and for the former Derry City and Bohemians boss. And just as Devine's appointment brought about a sweeping clear-out in the summer of 2024, it is again a playing group that for all the expenditure over the past five transfer windows again feels imbalanced. An over-reliance on Jordan Stewart for a creative spark led to the September return of Conor McMenamin just two months after he had signed for Coleraine - that transfer now somehow the second most surprising story of Glentoran's season. That in turn, however, saw Joe Thomson move the other way, robbing the side of midfield drive only months after one of last season's star performers, Cammy Palmer, returned home to Scotland. Similarly, the absence of 2025-26 top scorer Pat Hoban during the early months of this season highlighted the lack of like-for-like cover given the talented Jordan Jenkins plays in an entirely different way. Four wins and a draw from their past five league games under interim boss Paddy McCourt, however, offers the reminder that most in the Irish Premiership would still happily swap their squads for the one Ferguson will now hope to rebuild into title challengers once again. Those managers will not, however, be dealing with the same expectations. Nor the same attention.