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  • Our mission is to improve people’s health: winners of the “Do Your Part” contest scale up support for the military

    Our mission is to improve people’s health: winners of the “Do Your Part” contest scale up support for the military

    Our mission is to improve people's health: winners of the “Do Your Part” contest scale up support for the military

    The owners of Fitness by Grek have expanded their rehabilitation program for the military thanks to a grant from MHP Community. The club has increased the number of physical rehabilitation groups by 300% and provides free memberships for the military.

    Angelika and Alina Grek, the winners of the "Do Your Own" business idea competition from the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation, are the owners of the Fitness by Grek fitness club in Kyiv. Thanks to winning the competition, they were able to purchase additional exercise equipment, hire a physical rehabilitation doctor, and provide several free memberships for the rehabilitation of the military, UNN reports.

    Details

    Fitness by Grek has been operating in Kyiv since 2018.

    "When we wrote the business plan to start the business, we had no doubts. After all, our mission is to improve people's health.

    For example, I know a lot about the body. I am a sports physiologist, a nutritionist, and a therapist who is still studying. And all my life I have been working with the body, from weight loss to rehabilitation.

    We have a very wide range of specialists. We can restore limbs and train Olympic champions. Our clients are people who are rehabilitating after injuries, professional athletes, or those who want to keep fit," says Alina.

    The full-scale war has made its own adjustments, Angelika continued. So now the business owners are actively developing the area of physical rehabilitation in the fitness club.

    Thanks to a grant from MHP-Community and the comprehensive MHP Poruch program, we have increased the number of groups in the physical rehabilitation room by 300%. This means that we have increased the number of clients whom we help to solve their physical rehabilitation issues. With the grant money, we purchased new modern equipment and increased the number of free visits for the military and IDPs

    – says Anzhelika.

    Image

    Yaryna Chornohuz, a military medic, shared her experience of training at Fitness by Grek and emphasized the cross-fit exercises. She has been in the Armed Forces since 2019. She worked in the Marines for four years and is currently being transferred to another unit.

    "While I'm in Kyiv, I've been working out in this gym three times a week to get in shape, so to speak. It's one thing when you're in training – you keep in shape there. But on the battlefield, you don't have time for that – you don't sleep well, and your body is undergoing changes. So it is very important to keep fit in the rear, to go to the gym," she said.

    The winners of the competition have ambitious plans.

    "We plan to continue developing the physical rehabilitation area, because we understand the urgency of the issue and the needs of Ukrainian citizens. We want to adapt our gym, we need to make ramps at the entrance, re-equip the locker room, make it more convenient for adaptive clients, athletes," says Angelika.

    Why it's important to play sports during the war: top 5 tips from Alina

    • Our muscles are a huge buffer that provides us with immune protection.
    • Through muscles, we can improve the functioning of the hormonal system.
    • Muscle work helps to normalize the central nervous system.
    • Working out in the gym disciplines you, and this is the foundation you need when you're in a time of turbulence.
    • It's just nice to see yourself beautiful, good-looking, and it's worth preserving this state.

    Add

    "MHP-Hromadas is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its operations in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities. The geography of its activities includes 13 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation has been systematically supporting people in the war zone, Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity homes, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the war.

    According to Oleksandr Pakholyuk, Director of the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation, the Do Your Own business idea competition is updated every year not only with interesting projects that solve current problems for communities, but also brings together entrepreneurs with ambitious goals who know how to take risks, are confident in their goals, and are looking for opportunities to scale their own business.

  • Man Utd trio ‘could quit in 2025’ with ‘avenue’ to ‘agree multiple signings’ revealed despite PSR fear

    Man Utd trio ‘could quit in 2025’ with ‘avenue’ to ‘agree multiple signings’ revealed despite PSR fear

    Man Utd Harry Maguire

    According to reports, three ‘senior’ Manchester United stars ‘could quit’ in 2025 to ‘pave the way for new signings’ in the coming months.

    The Red Devils will likely look to be active in the winter transfer window as they have endured a miserable start to the 2024/25 campaign.

    Ruben Amorim is leaving Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag, who was sacked after Man Utd’s disappointing 2-1 loss at West Ham last month.

    United are 13th in the Premier League after ten games as they have only won three games and have also drawn their opening three Europa League group matches.

    Man Utd’s struggles from last season have carried over into this campaign and Amorim will have a major job on his hands at Old Trafford.

    There is likely to be a major overhaul at Man Utd next year and a report from Football Insider claims Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are ‘three senior stars who could quit in 2025’.

    READ: David Moyes managed Manchester United once and it is time we all just moved on

    The report claims.

    ‘Man United trio Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could leave the club in 2025, sources have told Football Insider. All three defenders are under contract until the end of this season.

    ‘Ruben Amorim is set to take charge on 11 November and has preferred to use a three-man defence in his managerial career so far.

    ‘Football Insider revealed on Monday (4 November) that Man United could pursue deals for Sporting CP centre-back duo Ousmane Diomande and Goncalo Inacio next summer.

    ‘Amorim could dip into the transfer market in 2025 to add more familiar options after arriving at Old Trafford. Exits for Evans, Maguire and Lindelof could pave the way for new signings in the next summer window.’

    MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
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    Another report from Football Insider claims Man Utd could look at the loan market in January to ‘agree multiple signings’ as they look to get around their PSR issues.

    ‘The Red Devils will struggle to make any permanent signings in the winter transfer window for new boss Ruben Amorim.

    ‘United’s budget has been stretched after Erik ten Hag was sacked last week and replaced with the costly appointment of Amorim.

    ‘Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider on Sunday (3 November) that Man United could have spent up to £37.5million on their managerial change.

    ‘Sources say it will therefore be difficult under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) for Amorim to spend any money in the January transfer window.

    ‘One avenue open to United is the use of loan deals, with the club yet to use their two allotted Premier League loan spaces this term. They could also look overseas to bolster their squad, as they did with Sofyan Amrabat last season before declining to sign him permanently.’

  • Man Utd: Neville’s one Amorim concern rebuffed by Moyes as Wright lauds ‘brilliant’ INEOS decision

    Man Utd: Neville’s one Amorim concern rebuffed by Moyes as Wright lauds ‘brilliant’ INEOS decision

    New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim

    Manchester United legend Gary Neville has admitted he has one concern about new head coach Ruben Amorim, but this has been rebuffed by David Moyes.

    Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his recruitment team have appointed Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag, who was sacked after their disappointing 2-1 loss at West Ham.

    Amorim was targeted by Liverpool and West Ham in the summer but he stuck with Sporting Lisbon after the two Premier League clubs went in a different direction.

    The 39-year-old has done a brilliant job at Sporting Lisbon since arriving in 2020. He has helped them win the Primeira Liga twice and they have won their first ten league matches this season.

    Rio Ferdinand got overly giddy about his arrival after Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon came back from behind to beat Manchester City 4-1 on Tuesday night.

    Despite this, Neville has one concern regarding Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.

    “You’re always optimistic about a new manager coming in,” Neville said during the latest episode of The Overlap.

    READ: Ruben Amorim and the three-letter word that should excite Man Utd fans

    “I can see why he [Rúben Amorim] wanted the job next summer because he would rather have pre-season to implement the brand-new system. Those players have not played three at the back at all, some of them might never have played it.”

    However, former Man Utd manager David Moyes does not think the players “will take too long” to adapt to Amorim.

    “Players are more flexible nowadays. Players from your day [to Gary Neville] might have taken a bit more time. Players now are used to it,” Moyes added.

    “[Manchester] United have got enough central defenders and more wing-backs. I don’t think the adaptation for Manchester United will take too long.

    “It might a while for it to get to where he [Rúben Amorim] wants it, but I think Manchester United will be fine.”

    MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
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    👉 Man Utd ‘willing’ to offer ‘elite’ star huge deal to ‘steal dream signing’ for Amorim from Euro giants

    Arsenal legend Ian Wright meanwhile thinks INEOS made a “brilliant” move when they gave Amorim an ultimatum.

    “For him [Rúben Amorim] coming in at this stage, where they said he comes now or it’s off the table – that’s brilliant from them [Manchester United],” Wright claimed.

    “It’s the first time seeing them actually do something with such intensity. Nobody was expecting anything from [Manchester] United this season.

    “For him to have them from now to the end of the season, rather than at the end of the season – like he said he wanted to and get to the summer and then start bringing people in, he can see exactly what he has got on a day-to-day basis.

    “Now seeing what he did to [Manchester] City last night, you don’t know what he’s capable of doing.”

  • Mikel Arteta proves Martin Odegaard more important to Arsenal than him after Inzaghi lesson

    Mikel Arteta proves Martin Odegaard more important to Arsenal than him after Inzaghi lesson

    Arteta Arsenal

    Martin Odegaard is more important to Arsenal than Mikel Arteta, who is stuck in his ways and was taught a lesson by Simone Inzaghi in defeat to Inter.

    Whether for Arsenal or England, “Bukayo Saka has to play on the right.” It’s a statement no one ever contests.

    For England, we get it. He’s comfortably the best English right winger, he has to play, and the ludicrous wealth of forward options means he’s not needed to play elsewhere. For Arsenal, we’re not sure we do get it anymore.

    There’s no question it’s his best position. His hit-rate when coming inside on his left is second perhaps only to Mohamed Salah in the Premier League when in that position, and he threatens going the other way.

    There’s also no question that this isn’t really about Saka, it’s about kickstarting a stuttering Arsenal attack by any means necessary.

    Arsenal X was ablaze with frustration at Leandro Trossard starting again after a string of distinctly average displays, culminating in what was widely considered to be a shocker against Newcastle, with Gabriel Martinelli granted more wiggle room by the fanbase despite similar mediocrity over a longer period of time.

    Gabriel Jesus was introduced at half-time here but we wonder what he, Raheem Sterling or Ethan Nwaneri have to do to earn a start, or rather how ineffective Trossard or Martinelli have to be to be dropped in their favour.

    Jesus didn’t do much when he came on and Sterling’s yet to get going following his loan switch from Chelsea. But they’re unlikely to improve without game time and Arsenal wouldn’t be losing anything by using them over Trossard or Martinelli, whose main contributions are fluffed crosses, misplaced passes and turnovers.

    As Saka frequently finds and generally copes brilliantly with, he was doubled and times tripled up on stuck out on the right. Rio Ferdinand urged Arsenal to get the ball to him early in the piece at the San Siro – not that they need a second invitation – because “I don’t think the full-backs can handle him”.

    He had more touches (73) than any Arsenal player other than the centre-backs but was surrounded as the Gunners’ only real threat, making for a very comfortable night on the back foot for Inter. Simone Inzaghi has displayed his tactical chops on a frequent basis in the Champions League over the last couple of seasons but we can’t imagine his instructions ahead of this game were much more unusual or complicated than ‘stop Saka and you stop Arsenal’.

    If Sterling played Saka could move into the middle and at least be more of a goal threat. It might not work and we can hear the Arsenal fans scoffing as we write this, but Mikel Arteta is in Worth A Try territory because they were flogging a dead horse against Inter, as they were against Newcastle on Saturday.

    MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365
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    👉 Arsenal: Edu replacement identified; ‘set for wider role’ after Arteta reveals ‘plan’ – ‘happened quickly’

    Fortunately for Arsenal it’s a solution to a problem they may not have for much longer, with Martin Odegaard coming on for the last five minutes here.

    The Gunners captain is a wonderful footballer who’s got so, so much better during his absence by virtue of his side’s alarming lack of creative spark without him. He doesn’t strike us as a footballer who feels pressure, which is fortunate given Arsenal’s season appears to rest entirely on him hitting the ground running.

    He’s only one man. And while we have little doubt that Arsenal will improve thanks to the enviable qualities he’s produced on an outstandingly consistent basis, if Arteta is banking on Odegaard putting the attack on his back and carrying them to glory, either in the Champions League or Premier League, he’s surely mistaken.

    Inzaghi made six changes for this game. None of Nicolo Barella, Marcus Thuram, Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Alessandro Bastoni – in-form players who have been near stalwarts in Serie A – started, and they won. Conversely, Arteta continues to start players who aren’t performing for Arsenal, and they lost, again.

    Arteta’s unwillingness to adapt in order to solve glaring and obvious issues cost Arsenal on a night when the opposition manager made a horses for courses selection no one would have expected and came up trumps.

    If anything has become clear over the last couple of months it’s that Arteta’s importance to Arsenal pales in comparison to Odegaard’s. Good luck, mate. It’s all on you.

  • Mikel Arteta slams referee over Mikel Merino ‘punch’ as Arsenal boss explains half-time hook

    Mikel Arteta slams referee over Mikel Merino ‘punch’ as Arsenal boss explains half-time hook

    Sommer Merino Arsenal

    Mikel Arteta wasn’t happy with two controversial decisions in Arsenal’s defeat to Inter Milan on Wednesday, insisting his side “100 per cent” deserved a penalty.

    The Gunners dominated the ball in the San Siro but couldn’t break down a stubborn Inter defence with Hakan Calhanoglu’s first-half penalty the difference between the teams.

    Mikel Merino conceded the penalty after the referee deemed him to have handled the ball in the box after Mehdi Taremi deflected a cross onto his arm.

    Arteta disagreed with the decision and also took issue with the referee for not awarding his side a spot kick after Yann Sommer punched Merino in the head, though the goalkeeper did appear to take ball and man.

    Arteta told TNT Sports: “I am very proud of my players, the level of domination we had. We were very harshly done by in the sense that is obvious. Both penalties.

    “If you are going to give a penalty, the other one has to be because he punches him in the head.

    “There is no deflection, nothing you can do in the box, so can he get away from it. If he is going to give that the other has to be 100% a penalty.

    “We should have scored a couple at least but the way the team played, that was us at least. Every decision in the box makes a difference.

    “The way we played tonight, the team can go to Chelsea and win.”

    READ MORE: Mikel Arteta proves Martin Odegaard more important to Arsenal than him after Inzaghi lesson

    Arsenal legend Martin Keown agreed that the call to award Inter a penalty was “really harsh” on Arsenal.

    He said: “It was a controversial moment. Fine margins. I don’t believe it was a penalty and I feel it was really harsh.

    “Where are you supposed put your arm in that position? Who’s made these rules? Have they played the game?

    “Mikel Merino is so close to Mehdi Taremi and the arm has come up to go into a challenge – it is really harsh.

    “Merino is preparing to go with his first action and then the ball deflects.”

    Kai Havertz went down for an extended period after a clash of heads but Arteta told the press the he hopes he will be “OK” for their next game on Sunday against Chelsea.

    Arteta said: “Kai Havertz had a big cut and hopefully he will be OK for the weekend.”

    Mikel Merino was substituted off at half-time, but Arteta confirmed the Spaniard was not concussed after the clash with Yann Sommer.

    Arteta said: “No, he was not concussed, yesterday he was not feeling great and I decided to take him off as I needed him 100%.”

  • “Shakhtar defeated Young Boys in the Champions League

    “Shakhtar defeated Young Boys in the Champions League

    “Shakhtar defeated Young Boys in the Champions League

    “Shakhtar defeated Swiss side Young Boys 2-1 in a Champions League match. Goals by Zubkov and Sudakov brought the Ukrainian club its first victory in the group stage of this season's European competitions.

    Shakhtar Donetsk broke the series of failures of Ukrainian clubs in European tournaments by defeating Swiss Young Boys 2-1. This was reported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, UNN reports.

    Details

    This game was the first success of the Ukrainian club in the group stage of European competitions this season, which inspires optimism among the fans.

    The match started poorly for Shakhtar: after a mistake by Artem Bondarenko, the opponents opened the scoring. However, the team quickly recovered and within a few minutes Alexander Zubkov successfully converted a pass from Georgy Sudakov to equalize. Then Sudakov took an active role, and ten minutes after the first goal, he scored the winning goal with a long-range shot, making the score 2-1.

    Shakhtar will play their next Champions League match on November 27 against PSV Amsterdam. The game is scheduled to kick off at 22:00.

    “Dynamo and Shakhtar drawOctober 27 2024, 06:19 PM • 18973 views

  • Tyrone Mings makes ‘kid’s mistake’ like Arsenal to anger Thomas Tuchel in Aston Villa defeat

    Tyrone Mings makes ‘kid’s mistake’ like Arsenal to anger Thomas Tuchel in Aston Villa defeat

    Mings Aston Villa

    Tyrone Mings made a “a kid’s mistake” and Thomas Tuchel will be furious. The Aston Villa star really didn’t need reminding that football can be a pr*ck sometimes.

    Mings could probably have done with me on hand to deliver the advice I repeated to my toddler on more than a dozen occasions in the park this morning as I encourage (force) her into football as a pastime, perhaps without the term of endearment, though the centre-back could surely do with some love as he reflects on his blunder in Aston Villa’s Champions League defeat to Club Brugge. “Not with your hands, sweetheart.”

    “He’s played for England, I don’t think the Champions League will faze him,” said Peter Crouch in the studio, unwittingly jinxing Mings ahead of his first ever European game and just his second start since tearing his cruciate ligament in the opening game of last season. The poor b*astard looked dejected as he trudged from the field in the 66th minute.

    Crouch also echoed our thoughts and we assume those of the vast majority when he explained how pleased he was to see Mings back in action.

    Having played his part in bringing Villa up from the Championship and slogging it through some fallow seasons in the Premier League, Mings was key to their upturn when Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard and was in and around the England team before missing Villa’s outstanding 2023/2024 season and a European Championship he would have had an excellent chance of being a part of.

    He is the last footballer that needed reminding that football can be a real pr*ck sometimes.

    It’s the kind of letter-of-the-law decision that will boil (and evidently already has boiled) Emery’s blood, and one that may have been shrugged off by the Club Brugge players and their manager despite their appeals as a common sense call. But Emery and Villa can point to a precedent for the decision from last season’s Champions League.

    Arsenal weren’t punished the Gabriel made exactly the same blunder against Bayern Munich, with Thomas Tuchel told by the referee after the game that he wasn’t going to punish what he viewed as “a kid’s mistake”.

    Emiliano Martinez put the ball down in his six-yard box and passed it to Mings, who picked it up. For some reason – we can only put it down to a brain fart – Mings didn’t think Martinez had taken the goal-kick despite his goalkeeper very clearly taking the goal-kick, having taken the same goal-kick on multiple occasions in the same game, with Mings standing in that position in order to receive the goal-kick.

    Funny? Absolutely. But we wouldn’t wish a moment like that – which has very little to do with football or the merits of one team over the other – on many footballers, certainly not Mings given what he’s been through, and particularly as it was the decisive goal of the game.

    Emery was furious on the touchline, we assume not at Mings specifically or even the referee but at his team as a whole. They’ve dropped their first points in the Champions League and although they lost in bizarre fashion didn’t deserve anything from the game in any case. They had one shot on target to Club Brugge’s seven and failed to get anything going while their hosts consistently threatened.

    It’s the Belgian side’s first win over Premier League opposition since the 1994/1995 season as Villa fell to their third consecutive defeat in all competitions.

    Emery’s side remain very well placed to qualify automatically for the Champions League knockouts but will need to play a whole lot better to make further strides both in Europe and in the Premier League. We can only hope that in order to rediscover their form they’re not required to go back to the most basic of all basics that Mings momentarily, cruelly and hilariously forgot on Wednesday.

  • Liverpool urged to ‘break bank’ to sign ‘ready-made’ Salah replacement; FSG ‘block three January exits’

    Liverpool urged to ‘break bank’ to sign ‘ready-made’ Salah replacement; FSG ‘block three January exits’

    Liverpool transfer Vinicius Salah

    Liverpool have been urged to “break the bank” to sign a “ready-made replacement” for Mo Salah and have also been told to avoid an alternative target.

    Salah has entered the final year of his contract and it remains to be seen whether he will commit his future to Liverpool beyond the end of this season.

    The 32-year-old has been in superb form at the start of this campaign for Liverpool, scoring nine goals and grabbing nine assists in his 16 appearances across all competitions.

    The experienced forward has been heavily linked with Saudi Pro League clubs in recent months, but he is also reportedly being targeted by FC Barcelona and he has ‘asked’ for a huge salary.

    Liverpool are being linked with several potential replacements and Danny Murphy has told his former club to “break the bank” to land Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.

    “On potential Mohamed Salah replacements, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a really good player, similar to Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo in running with the ball with his athleticism and his ability to make things happen, but he’s not prolific,” Murphy said.

    READ: Liverpool nepotism eroding as Slot earns Alonso scalp with dream debut season gathering steam

    “He’s not a goal threat for entire games. I’ve seen him play live a couple of times, I was at the Euros, I’ve watched him a lot. He’s a terrific talent, but he’s similar to what Liverpool have got in some respects.

    “Liverpool have bought Federico Chiesa so we’ll see how he evolves and develops, you know, he’s got few injuries but we’ve all seen him at his best, electric, dynamic.

    “To replace Salah, the type of player you want is a ready-made replacement who you know is going to produce the same goods.

    “If Vinicius Junior isn’t happy at Real Madrid and doesn’t want to sign a new deal then Liverpool should break the bank to get him because you know he’ll produce the goods because he’s one of the best players in the world. But that’s unlikely.”

    MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365…
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    Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to be out of contract next year and it’s been claimed that the latter could leave in January amid interest from Real Madrid.

    However, a report from Football Insider claims Liverpool have ‘blocked three January exits’ and they won’t let Alexander-Arnold leave.

    ‘Arne Slot is happy with the composition of his squad and wants to improve it in the new year, rather than weaken it.

    ‘Football Insider revealed on Monday (4 November) that Liverpool are not considering allowing forward Federico Chiesa to leave the club in the mid-season window. He has been linked with a loan move to Serie A club Como but will be kept on at Anfield until the end of the season at least.

    ‘Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is attracting strong interest from Real Madrid, has also been linked with a January exit.

    ‘He is out of contract at the end of this season and the new year could present the final opportunity for Liverpool to cash in – but they want to keep him at the club until the 2024-25 campaign ends.

    ‘Japan international midfielder Wataru Endo has also been linked with a potential exit. All three are set to have moves blocked in January as Slot sets his sights on success in his first season in the Anfield hot seat.’

  • Man Utd star ‘decides’ to ‘refuse’ transfer amid stance on Amorim despite INEOS having ‘no interest’

    Man Utd star ‘decides’ to ‘refuse’ transfer amid stance on Amorim despite INEOS having ‘no interest’

    Man Utd transfer Maguire

    According to reports, Manchester United star Harry Maguire has already ‘decided’ to ‘refuse’ the prospect of leaving the Premier League giants in January.

    The 31-year-old joined Man Utd during the 2019 summer transfer for around £80m from Premier League rivals Leicester City.

    Maguire has amassed over 200 appearances across all competitions for Man Utd in a rollercoaster spell at Old Trafford.

    The England international was one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s favourites, but the appointment of Erik ten Hag was expected to lead to his exit as the Dutchman initially preferred Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

    Maguire’s form declined at the end of Solskjaer’s reign. However, he stuck around at Old Trafford under Ten Hag and was one of Man Utd’s better players during the 2023/24 campaign after he turned down a move to Premier League rivals West Ham.

    Despite this, his future remains in doubt as his contract expires in 2025 and it remains to be seen whether he will pen an extension.

    READ: Ruben Amorim Judgement Day upstaged by Man City being utter toss

    A new report from The Boot Room claims Maguire has already ‘decided’ to ‘refuse to consider leaving Man Utd’ in January or ‘signing a pre-contract a pre-contract elsewhere in the near future’.

    Man Utd are said to have ‘no interest in keeping Maguire beyond his contract’, but the report explains why the centre-back feels he could win over new head coach Ruben Amorim.

    ‘The England international is currently focused on staying at United and Maguire believes that he can win an extension to his deal in the coming months.

    ‘Maguire is hoping to prove himself to Amorim once he arrives, and will be buoyed by the prospect of the Portuguese manager introducing a three centre-back system.’

    MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
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    👉 Wright claims summer signing ‘won’t make it’ at Man Utd as Amorim responds to Gyokeres link

    ‘Maguire’s best performances in recent years have arguably come for England whilst playing in a three, a formation that lends to his ball-carrying ability.

    ‘As of now, United have shown no desire to keep Maguire beyond the expiry of his contract next summer.

    ‘The England defender’s deal does include a one-year option which United could activate, and the 31-year-old believes that is a possibility.

    ‘Maguire, who lost the captaincy under Erik ten Hag, has refused to leave Old Trafford in the last two transfer windows as he still believes he has something to offer at United.’

    Maguire’s Man Utd teammate – Manuel Ugarte – previously worked with Amorim and he’s revealed one thing that “surprised” players when learning about the 39-year-old.

    Ugarte said: “My teammates have asked a lot about him. What surprised them was his age. He’s also very hungry to win and that’s very important. I can tell he’ll enjoy it.”

  • Ruben Amorim Judgement Day upstaged by Man City being utter toss

    Ruben Amorim Judgement Day upstaged by Man City being utter toss

    Ruben Amorim

    “The inferences that people will draw from this game are not important to me because they could be misleading,” said Ruben Amorim, between dodging a tantrum from Gary Cotterill and making a quip about Sir Alex Ferguson that too many people took too seriously.

    What did we learn? That a Manchester City ranked as the very best in Europe – even when missing several key players through injury – can dominate a football match against a Sporting team ranked 34th? And still make an absolute bollocks of it.

    That a Manchester City squad that cost the thick end of a billion quid to put together is capable of controlling the ball against one built for a sixth of the cost, but are also increasingly capable of shooting themselves squarely between the toes? And then reloading and doing it again.

    Realistically, we also learned that turning a match into a memorial to a departing hero is not conducive to the mourners starting the game with any kind of pace; Sporting were 1-0 down within four minutes and City danced through them with ease during a first half in which Amorim’s now-famous back three was very much a five and often a seven.

    For about 37 minutes we also thought we had learned that Viktor Gyokeres is really Not All That, despite being the top scorer in 2024 across Europe. He made an utter mess of a one-on-one chance by lobbing the ball kindly into the hands of a very grateful Ederson, before being dispossessed by a 19-year-old debutant.

    But Gyokeres is clearly not a man to make the same mistake twice, and his second chance was driven awkwardly but effectively into the ground and over the head of the now-less-grateful Ederson. By the time he added a confident second from the penalty spot, Maximiliano Araújo had made it 2-1 within seconds of the start of the second half. Now it was 3-1 and City were reeling.

    This is how we expected Amorim’s Sporting to play: with pace, with aggression, with intensity. And the inevitable inference will be that Amorim’s half-time team talk was the catalyst for a complete gear change. He invited the Sir Alex comparisons with a smile on his face, but the English media will pick up and run with that concept like Gyokeres charging down on the City goal.

    Amorim could not possibly have dreamed that City would self-combust quite so spectacularly, giving away two ludicrous penalties either side of Manchester City missing their own through an out-of-sorts Erling Haaland.

    How much of this remarkable result was down to the genius of Amorim and how much to the fallibility of a Rodri-less Manchester City will be lost in the giddiness of Sporting beating Manchester City by a barely believable scoreline. And it’s tricky not to get caught up in the compelling narrative.

    It’s difficult to extrapolate any meaningful conclusions about Amorim as a Manchester United manager from this result because he will never be in this position again: As the departing manager of champions against a City side that were a defensive car crash. Emotion careered headlong into naivety and the explosion could be heard across Europe.

    What we can comfortably conclude is that Amorim will not be in charge of a dull Manchester United team. He will have days when he will make teams as good as City look like complete muppets. He will give shape and purpose to a set of players who have looked lost for far, far too long. He might well turn Rasmus Hojlund into a proper striker.

    F*** it, he’s definitely the new Sir Alex Ferguson.