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Ruben Amorim has been sacked as Manchester United head coach after an underwhelming 14 months in charge, with Darren Fletcher set to take over on an interim basis.

The 40-year-old’s appointment in November 2024 brought much hope and excitement to Old Trafford, with the highly-rated Sporting Lisbon coach succeeding Erik ten Hag on a deal until 2027.

But Amorim’s reign has seen more lows – and press conference soundbites – than highs, including overseeing a worst top-flight campaign in 51 years as United slumped home 15th in the Premier League.

Related Man Utd next manager: The 6 most likely Ruben Amorim replacements

The Portuguese boss was sacked after a 1-1 draw at Leeds.

Posts 3 ByBen Goodwin

Oddschecker have gathered a list of the most likely replacements for the Portuguese boss.

20-16: Solskjaer, Mourinho, Nagelsmann, Terzic, Tuchel

Rank

Manager

Odds

20

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

40/1

19

Jose Mourinho

40/1

18

Julian Nagelsmann

33/1

17

Edin Terzic

33/1

16

Thomas Tuchel

33/1

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has experienced guiding United through times of turmoil, but would feel like a step backwards at the second attempt, while Jose Mourinho represents a similar problem having already tried and failed to bring back the glory days at Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel are both in charge of major national sides as we approach a World Cup, so their appointments feel less likely than Edin Terzic, who is available having left Borussia Dortmund following a spell in which he won the DFB Pokal and reached a Champions League final.

15-11: Inzaghi, De Zerbi, Zidane, Howe, Pochettino

Rank

Manager

Odds

15

Simone Inzaghi

33/1

14

Roberto De Zerbi

33/1

13

Zinedine Zidane

28/1

12

Eddie Howe

25/1

11

Mauricio Pochettino

25/1

Simone Inzaghi may appreciate a return to elite level football having come so close to winning the Champions League with Inter last season, only to join Al Hilal in the summer.

Roberto De Zerbi wowed with his style of play at Brighton and his Marseille side sit third in Ligue 1, while Zinedine Zidane has not worked in management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

Eddie Howe has insisted he is happy at Newcastle but is under pressure following their up and down start to the season, but Mauricio Pochettino, like Tuchel and Nagelsmann, would take a lot of convincing with a World Cup coming up for the United States manager.

10-6: Silva, Carrick, McKenna, Iraola, Emery

Rank

Manager

Odds

10

Marco Silva

20/1

9

Michael Carrick

20/1

8

Kieran McKenna

20/1

7

Andoni Iraola

18/1

6

Unai Emery

16/1

Marco Silva continues to impress at Fulham, outplaying Liverpool in a recent 2-2 draw and guided the Cottagers away from relegation on a tight budget.

Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna both know United inside out and have impressed since stepping up to senior management, but they don’t boast the experience of Unai Emery.

Andoni Iraola is perhaps one of the most exciting but risky names on the list, with his Bournemouth side’s all-out attacking style very hit and miss in recent months.

5-1: Xavi, Southgate, Fletcher, Glasner, Maresca

Rank

Manager

Odds

5

Xavi Hernandez

12/1

4

Gareth Southgate

10/1

3

Darren Fletcher

5/1

2

Oliver Glasner

5/1

1

Enzo Maresca

7/2

Many have tried the decorated player-turned manager route before, and they don’t come much more decorated than Xavi Hernandez, who also won La Liga with Barcelona in 2022-23 as a manager.

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Gareth Southgate drew praise during his time with England for bringing back stability and the feel-good factor, something which is badly needed at United.

Darren Fletcher is perhaps the safest bet to take the permanent gig given he will gain experience in the interim role, but Oliver Glasner’s CV at Crystal Palace includes an incredible FA Cup win while Enzo Maresca was harshly treated at Chelsea and may have a point to prove.

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This Man Utd star was excellent in their 1-1 draw away to Leeds

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Remarkably, Tottenham Hotspur have finished 2025 with the knowledge that a win at Brentford on New Year’s Day will propel Thomas Frank’s side onto the edge of the ascendancy, two points away from fifth-place Chelsea.

This is curious to note. Spurs’ league form has been abject for much of the annual year, and this season, only twice have the Londoners won on home soil.

But it says something of Tottenham’s resilience and togetherness, and the fact that Frank now has a wonderful chance to use the financial backing that is coming his way and make impactful improvements in the January transfer window, with forwards being eyed.

Spurs looking to sign forwards in January

Change is afoot down N17, with ENIC Group having already agreed a £35m fee with Crystal Palace for the transfer of Welsh winger Brennan Johnson.

Though Johnson has flattered to deceive this season, starting only three times in the Premier League since August, he is still a talented and prolific winger. In May, he snatched the winning goal in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

A replacement must be signed, even with the Lilywhites in need of a centre-midfielder too.

And, according to Sport BILD, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and the Red Devils have been in direct contact with the agents of Said El Mala, who is enjoying a goal-laden breakout year in the Bundesliga with FC Köln.

The 19-year-old is a right-footed, left-sided winger, thus fitting the profile Spurs want. However, his employers know they are onto a winner, and have responded to interest by demanding at least £35m.

That gives him the same valuation as Palace-bound Johnson.

Why El Mala is a big Johnson upgrade

Football’s wheeler-dealing transfer scene rarely allows for smooth and straightforward business, but Johnson is closing on a move to Selhurst Park with minimal complications – though he must agree to the move himself – and that could pave the way for El Mala in a like-for-like switch.

The teenager is worth pursuing, in any case. This season, he has scored six goals in the Bundesliga, assisting two more. He has featured 15 times, starting six of those matches, and last year, he was on loan with Viktoria Köln in the third tier of German football.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him for having a “huge future ahead”, already proving he has the physicality and tenacity to match his natural ability and eye for a goal. Sofascore show that he has won 3.4 duels on average per league outing this term.

Clearly, El Mala would mark an upgrade on this current version of Johnson, whose sharpness in the final third has been overwhelmed and discarded following some dismal underlying metrics, such as his accuracy and intent on the ball, losing 70% of his dribbles in the Premier League.

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As you can see below, El Mala is already outstripping the 24-year-old across numerous statistics, and while he has yet to make the jump over to the unforgiving English scene, his clinical edge, creativity and energy all point toward an exciting future.

El Mala vs Johnson (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

El Mala

Johnson

Goals scored

0.79

0.39

Assists

0.26

0.04

Shots taken

3.83

1.08

Shot-creating actions

4.09

1.59

Touches (att pen)

6.99

2.75

Pass completion (%)

65.3

67.4

Progressive passes

1.19

2.19

Progressive carries

3.43

1.98

Successful take-ons

2.77

0.73

Ball recoveries

2.90

2.62

Tackles + interceptions

1.98

1.72

Data via FBref

The difference in ball-carrying success is astronomical – especially when considering successful take-ons, a good marker for fleetness and technical control. Johnson is an able dribbler, but he doesn’t apply his skills anywhere near consistently enough.

In fact, El Mala’s success in this regard has seen data analyst Spencer Mossman describe him as “the most direct winger in Europe”, someone who could replace Johnson and produce more goods.

Spurs need a left-sided forward, especially after selling Heung-min Son to LAFC during the summer. El Mala could be the perfect addition, one for the future and one who could surpass Johnson from the get-go.

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William Porterfield will lead an experienced Ireland squad for the upcoming World Twenty20 in India, with as many as five players ready to take part in their fifth tournament.Porterfield, who also captained the team during their inaugural World T20 in England in 2009, will be joined by Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson as well as the O’Brien brothers Kevin and Niall in the 15-man squad. Boyd Rankin, who recently returned to the Ireland fold after playing seven ODIs, two T20Is and one Test for England in 2013-14, has also been included in the squad; he picked up six wickets in an Intercontinental Cup clash against Papua New Guinea last week.”We are really looking forward to this World Cup, particularly with the return of Boyd Rankin,” Alan Lewis, Ireland’s chairman of selectors, said. “He gives our attack so much more balance and potency, as seen in our Intercontinental Cup win last week.”As such a consistent performer I am also delighted to see Tim Murtagh in the squad for an event like this particularly as he missed the 2015 World Cup is such disappointing circumstances.”These are the events that players want to excel in so hopefully with the lead time involved and the energy the team always show we can emerge out on top of the group in the first phase.”Ireland, who are in the same qualifying group as Netherlands, Oman and Bangladesh, will begin their campaign against Oman on March 9, in Dharamsala.”The squad has got a real balance to it, with that blend of youth and experience that every coach likes. Ireland are now regular performers on the world stage so there’s no fear or intimidation factors,” John Bracewell, the head coach, said. “We will be well prepared for the competition, as we’re currently playing Papua New Guinea, will take on the UAE later this week, and will be India for a training camp ahead of the competition.”It’s another great chance for the squad to showcase Irish cricket to a global audience, and the guys are determined to prove they belong at the top level of the sport.”Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young

Simon Jones has struggled to maintain his career after a series of injuries © Getty Images

Worcestershire are still hopeful of securing the signing of Simon Jones although he hasn’t yet made a decision on where his future lies.Jones was due to meet with Matthew Maynard, Glamorgan’s cricket manager, on Monday but a bout of food poisoning put that back a day. He is out of contract and is considering offers from big-spending Hampshire as well as Worcestershire and his current county.However, Glamorgan’s lowly results over the last few seasons are likely to tempt Jones into making a move away from Wales as he tries to get his career back on track following a series of serious knee injuries since the 2005 Ashes series. He hasn’t played for England since the Trent Bridge Test in August 2005 and managed just four Championship matches this season.Jones lost his ECB central contract when the latest batch were announced last month but, although it means he will come with a hefty price tag, that hasn’t quelled interest in trying to sign him.”I haven’t heard anything yet,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, told the . “I’m remaining optimistic that he will still come here. I’m hoping that I will hear something this week.”I have spoken to Simon on the phone since our meeting and I have texted him as well He hasn’t committed himself but I am optimistic.”Worcestershire are currently trying to strengthen their seam attack after Championship relegation and are also showing interest in Middlesex seamer Chris Whelan. He is out of contract at Lord’s and has played only three Championship and five one-day games since making his debut in 2005

Even at 37 Shane Warne can still learn about his craft from Terry Jenner © Getty Images

On Tuesday, England’s most valuable bowler underwent an emergency tutorial behind closed doors at the Adelaide Oval, in a desperate bid to rectify his wonky action. Two days later, Australia’s main man did exactly the same, with one subtle difference. Far from shielding his flaws from public consumption, Shane Warne’s back-to-basics bowling stint took place in the full gaze of several TV crews, eavesdropping reporters and gobsmacked fans.It was typical Warne. No sooner had Duncan Fletcher gone on record to congratulate his batsmen for the positive manner in which they played him at Brisbane, he was back in the nets, working with his personal spin doctor, Terry Jenner, to add some extra bite to his bowling. As a rule, Warne has little time for coaches. He has been famously scathing of Australia’s out-of-the-box thinker, John Buchanan, almost from the moment he took office in 1999. But as with all rules there are exceptions and in Jenner, Warne has a guru he trusts with his livelihood.Warne describes his regular sessions with Jenner as a “grease and an oil change”, but his contemplative demeanour as he listened to the advice and acted accordingly, was proof that, even at the age of 37 and with 689 Test wickets under his belt, he’s never too old to learn new tricks.Today’s lesson was designed to impart an extra rip on the ball, something that – with the exception of one big-turning delivery to Alastair Cook in the second innings – was noticeably lacking in Warne’s Brisbane performance. Jenner had him following through between two white bowling markers, an exercise designed to twist his body into such a position that his arm couldn’t help but impart that extra side spin. To judge by the number of times the off stump was pegged back in the brief session, something was going right.Warne and Jenner’s partnership dates back to 1990, when Shane was a tubby but talented surf-bum and Terry was rebuilding his life after a two-year jail term for embezzlement. He was invited to assess the intake at the newly established Australian Cricket Academy, having been described by Ian Chappell as the best thinking legspinner in the country, and immediately found himself bewitched by the talent he saw before him. “I know his action better than he does,” Jenner told The Daily Telegraph, “and sometimes having watched him on telly I’ll just ring and leave a message like ‘TJ here. Front leg. Bye.'”The fine-tuning has come at an opportune moment for Australia, especially given the doubts surrounding Glenn McGrath’s fitness, but Ricky Ponting scoffed at Fletcher’s claims that England had got the better of Warne in the first Test. “A couple of their guys played Shane okay, but I’m not sure they played him well,” he said, recalling in particular the over-spinning tempter that had Paul Collingwood stumped for 96. “That’s how Warney reads batsmen. That wasn’t an accident, that was classy bowling.”

Scorecard

The absence of Muttiah Muralitharan, who sat out the three-day match, was conspicuous © Getty Images

The Sri Lankan bowlers struggled in a tour game at Bangalore on Sunday ahead of the three-Test series against India set to begin on December 2 at Chennai. The visiting side’s decision to field on the second day, after the opening day was washed out, did not get them any gains as the Indian Board President’s XI reached 217-2 after a delayed start curtailed play to just 49 overs.Openers Robin Uthappa (76) and Shikhar Dhawan (65) figured in a 133-run stand to frustrate the Sri Lankans, who were recently drubbed 6-1 by India in a seven-match one-day series. Uthappa, who plays for the southern state of Karnataka in India’s domestic league, slammed a robust 96-ball knock with nine fours and two sixes while Delhi left-hander Dhawan slammed eight boundaries in his half-century.New-ball bowlers Lasith Malinga and Chaminda Vaas, who led the side in the absence of Marvan Atapattu, were easily foiled. The spin attack also lacked venom in the absence of ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who too sat out the three-day match.

Can the Indians stop Murali on his home turf?© Getty Images

The International Cricket Council may have asked Muttiah Muralitharan to keep the doosra wrapped up in cotton wool, but he insisted that there was still enough in his armoury to pose severe questions of the formidable Indian batting line-up when the two teams meet in the Asia Cup in a few days’ time.Muralitharan had a quiet chat with the media at the Nondescripts Club in Colombo’s Maitland’s Place, as India played their warm-up match a few yards away. “If you don’t allow a bowler to use his weapon, it is like asking someone to run on just one leg,” he said. “That has been my main weapon and that is being denied to me. It surely is going to affect me.”And while he acknowledged the Indians’ batting prowess, there was no diffidence about facing up to them. “They are all good batsmen, but it is a matter of how well they are batting on a day and how well I am bowling on that day,” he said, before adding that the battle would be won in the mind. “It is a mental game and I am very focused on myself. I practise very, very hard. Extra spin still remains my most potent weapon in this battle.”The spin doctors have conveniently labelled the India-Sri Lanka match as a confrontation between him and Sachin Tendulkar, but Murali refused to be drawn on the age-old debate about the identity of the world’s best batsman. “It is hard to compare Brian Lara to Tendulkar,” he said. “Both are great, only I have bowled more to Lara in Tests than to Tendulkar. I haven’t bowled to Tendulkar in a Test for six years, and that is half of my Test career. It’s hard to say who the better of the two is. Anyway, Indian batsmen are all good players of spin and good judges of the ball.”He said that he could relate to the pressure that has become a daily part of Tendulkar’s life. “The pressure he gets from outside is tremendous. I also get the same kind of pressure, and I know how tough it is to live with it,” he said. “It is tough because you have to perform every day. To control that pressure and still remain No. 1 is difficult.”He wasn’t unduly fazed by the fact that Shane Warne had drawn level with him on 527 Test wickets. Warne himself has suggested that his younger rival might finish up with 1000 Test victims, and Muralitharan wasn’t about to rule out the possibility. “I think I can play for six more years,” he said. “I can still bowl a straighter one and can still impart great spin to my deliveries.”There was also the hope that the powers-that-be would lift the ban on his lethal weapon. “Hopefully, I can also use my doosra in the near future,” he said. “It took me four or five years to develop this art.”

Everyone acknowledges that Kenya need to build their domestic cricket base before they advance into the Test-playing arena, but who should be in charge of the operation appears to be holding back the game’s development.A surprise semi-finalist at the recent World Cup, Kenya are looking to introduce domestic leagues but a dispute between the game’s ruling body in the country, the Kenyan Cricket Association, and the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association has broken out.The International Cricket Council has committed to helping the setting up of domestic cricket to the tune of US$1 million over the next two years.The Government has come down on the side of the Nairobi Association, but the game’s ruling body wants to disaffiliate the Nairobi body and launch its own league in the nation’s capital. The Nairobi Association wants to run a 20-team league and it had hoped to start on Sunday. However, the wrangle is likely to result in a month’s delay.Even as the two sides squabble, they acknowledge that the dispute is costing them time in the development of Kenya’s cricket – and might even be delaying their elevation to Test status.

Himachal Pradesh negated in part the advantage that Services gained byvirtue of their sizeable first-innings total in their Ranji Trophyleague match at Una.Services, winning the toss, made 329 in their first innings, withJasvir Singh top-scoring with 81 off 238 balls. He received goodsupport from Sanjay Verma (73), and their partnership formed the spineof the total. For Himachal Pradesh, Shakti Singh picked four for 67.Himachal Pradesh, responding to Services’ total, lost an opener early.Sandeep Sharma and Rajiv Nayyar put on 101 runs for the second wicketbefore the former fell with the score on 119, having made 80.At the close of play, Himachal Pradesh were 142/2, with Nayyar (50*)and Sangram Singh (3*) at the crease.

West Ham United have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their upcoming Europa League round of 16 clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Diario de Sevilla, who claim that, after missing Sevilla’s last two fixtures due to a muscle injury, Anthony Martial could now be in line for a return to action against David Moyes’ side on Thursday.

Speaking about the current state of the Sevilla squad, the club’s director of football, Monchi, said: “I am optimistic that between now and Thursday some of them can recover. And before the break, almost all of them.”

Moyes will be fuming

While Martial has endured something of a turbulent start to life in Spain following his loan move from Manchester United in the January transfer window – scoring one goal and registering one assist over his four appearances for Los Nervionenses before picking up an injury – should the 26-year-old indeed make it back in time for Thursday, it will undoubtedly be an outcome that will leave David Moyes fuming.

Indeed, the France international has proven to be something of a rather large thorn in West Ham’s side since his move to the Premier League back in 2015, scoring six goals – the second-most he has managed against any side – and registering five assists – the most he has provided against any team – over his 13 appearances against the East Londoners.

As such, while the current Hammers side are certainly a much better outfit than the ones Martial will have faced throughout the vast majority of his six and a half year spell at Old Trafford, the return of the £28.8m-rated forward will nevertheless come as a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of leaving the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium will a positive result on Thursday – something that is sure to have Moyes concerned in his pre-match planning.

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In other news: West Ham dealt yet another huge injury blow ahead of Sevilla, Moyes will be devastated