Ralf Rangnick acknowledges Cristiano Ronaldo is "not a pressing monster", as he admitted compromising on his preferred style of play during an underwhelming six months as Manchester United's interim manager.
Rangnick will take charge of his final United game at Crystal Palace on Sunday before moving into a consultancy role with the club, while reports suggest Ronaldo will not feature at Selhurst Park after suffering a hip flexor issue.
The 37-year-old has scored 18 Premier League goals since returning to Old Trafford at the beginning of the campaign. Despite United enduring a woeful season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick, that represents his second-most prolific campaign in the competition after 2007-08 (when he scored 31 times as the Red Devils won the title.)
However, several commentators have pointed out the Portuguese striker's lack of off-the-ball work is an awkward fit with Rangnick's preferred high-intensity pressing style.
United rank just 12th among Premier League sides for possessions won in the final third this term, with 162, some way short of Liverpool (278), and Manchester City (231), the two highest-pressing sides in the division.
The Red Devils also rank 12th for possessions won in the middle third of the pitch, with 851, with Rangnick struggling to instil a high-octane style at Old Trafford.
While praising Ronaldo for his goalscoring prowess, Rangnick acknowledged that pressing has never been Ronaldo's forte, hinting he may have made too many compromises on his coaching style during his time in charge.
"Cristiano Ronaldo, and I'm not blaming him at all, he did great in those games. But he's not a pressing monster," Rangnick told a press conference ahead of the trip to Palace.
"He's not a player, even when he was a young player, who was crying, shouting, 'hooray, the other team has got the ball, where can we win balls?'
"The same with quite a few other players, so we had to make some compromises at one stage, maybe we made a few too many – that's also possible."
Rangnick has also been critical of United's lack of January transfer activity in the past, revealing this month that the club's board overruled his desire to sign another striker in January.
Earlier this month, the former RB Leipzig boss said: "I spoke to the board and said: 'shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal?' But in the end the answer was no."
However, as Rangnick prepares to make way for Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, he reassured United's fanbase that they can expect arrivals in the upcoming transfer window.
"We spoke about the last transfer window in January where we and the board decided not to sign any players, but this is different now," Rangnick added.
"In this summer window there will be some new players and Erik will also have some influence on which kind of player he wants.
"That will happen in this window and hopefully the next two windows, and I think it's obvious to everybody, for the owners, the board, and every supporter, we need to increase and raise the level of quality within the squad."
Dominic Thiem's miserable return from injury took another turn for the worse when he was dumped out of the French Open by the unheralded Hugo Dellien on day one.
Thiem, who missed the second half of last season due to a wrist injury, arrived at Roland Garros on a six-match losing streak.
The Austrian was totally out of sorts once again on Court Simonne-Mathieu and Colombian Dellien capitalised, winning 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Sunday.
A two-time runner-up at the clay-court grand slam in Paris, Thiem has only won one set in seven matches since making his comeback - and that was at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella in March.
The 2020 US Open champion racked up 42 unforced errors and did not have a solitary break point on another difficult day.
The 28-year-old had a first-serve success rate of only 59 per cent as world number 87 Dellien moved through to round two at Roland Garros for only the second time.
Thiem struck 29 winners to Dellien's 15, but the former world number three was broken four times as he crashed out.
Fernando Alonso will start the Spanish Grand Prix from the back of the grid after incurring a penalty for using his fourth power unit of the season.
Alonso qualified 17th for his home grand prix, blaming a "misunderstanding" in Q1 for his disappointing performance.
The Alpine driver, whose 2022 season has been defined by misfortune, suffered more bad luck ahead of the race.
Alpine changed the engine in Alonso's car, meaning he is now on his fourth different power unit at just the sixth race of the campaign.
That is one more than is permitted by the regulations, with the penalty sending him to 20th on the grid.
Two-time world champion Alonso has taken only two points from the first five races, suffering retirements in Saudi Arabia and at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
His team-mate Esteban Ocon, by contrast, has 24 points to his name.
Kylian Mbappe can become the best player in the world after renewing his contract at Paris Saint-German, said team-mate Ander Herrera.
A long-running saga lasting over a year was ended on Saturday when Mbappe rejected the overtures of Real Madrid to pen an extension at Parc des Princes until 2025.
It was a decision that took the football world by surprise with Mbappe having reportedly given his world to the Los Blancos hierarchy he would move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The renewal is said to have included a €150million signing-on fee as well as having a say on areas such as the appointments of the sporting director and head coach, as well as player signings and sales.
For midfielder Herrera, though, the focus was just on the joy of retaining a superstar team-mate.
"We were happy today; it wasn't the time to discuss it. We are happy for him, for the club and for the group," he said in the aftermath of PSG's 5-0 rout of Metz in their final game of the Ligue 1 campaign.
"He can become the best player in the world in a few years. So, we are happy for us, for him. We celebrated the title; we didn't talk about it."
Angel Di Maria's time at the Parc des Prince has come to an end following the Metz triumph but the Argentine winger was similarly enthused by Mbappe's decision to stay put.
"I am very happy for Kylian, he made the right decision to stay here," said Di Maria, a former Madrid star.
"Paris is a great club, which continues to grow and can do great things. Kylian is close to reaching the 200-goal mark here, to make history. He made a perfect decision."
Jimmy Butler will not require an MRI scan after leaving Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals with knee inflammation, said Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who praised Bam Adebayo for "stabilising" the team in his absence in a 109-103 win over the Boston Celtics.
Butler played 19 minutes in the first half but did not emerge from the locker room for the second at TD Garden.
Yet the Heat were still able to claim a 2-1 lead in the series, a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Bubble, thanks predominantly to Adebayo.
Adebayo went 15 for 22 from the field as he scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds.
He also had six assists and four steals. The Heat's 19 steals marked a franchise postseason record and the most for any team in a playoff game since 2015.
Having produced 32 and 27-point games against the Celtics in the bubble, Adebayo's three-highest scoring playoff performances have now all come versus Boston.
"He did his version of what Jimmy does in terms of 'do what's necessary for the game,'" Spoelstra told a media conference of Adebayo, who finished plus-17 in the plus-minus.
"He was extremely assertive, it happened in a lot of moments that were fully in the context of how we want to play. He was just way more assertive on the catch and those moments in between.
"It wasn't just the scoring, that's what everybody is going to recognise but he did so many things in terms of getting us organised, facilitating, playing point guard for us at times, running offense in the post through him and then defending as he always does one through five against a team that presents a lot of challenges.
"He's a winning player. He really is the heart and soul of our group, you can count on him all the time, he doesn't get caught up in all the noise, he's just out there competing, playing winning basketball, doing it on both ends and doing what is necessary.
"When Jimmy was out in the second half he just stabilised us. It got a little bit gnarly out there and when it did we were able to get the ball to Bam and just get something coherent."
The inevitable at Camp Nou has arrived along with the end of the season in LaLiga.
Xavi's rebuild and transformation of the Barcelona has lingered over this past season, despite the need to recover from their slow start.
According to reports, the Blaugrana are not wasting any time.
TOP STORY – XAVI CLEAR-OUT TO BEGIN AT BARCELONA
Xavi has informed a number of Barcelona's players that the club is intending to sell them, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Riqui Puig, Samuel Umtiti, Oscar Mingueza and Martin Braithwaite have already been notified they are not in the club's future plans.
The four of them have been peripheral figures under Xavi, since he took over as head coach in November, but he had avoided contract talk with the press during the season.
While the 42-year-old has confirmed he has spoken to those four players "and others", it appears to be only the start of a sizeable squad transformation.
ROUND-UP
– Meanwhile, the Barca boss has confirmed they are in talks to sign Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Goal reports.
– Napoli have rejected a €90million (£76m) bid from Arsenal for Victor Osimhen, according to Calciomercato.
– The Daily Mail is reporting Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a final offer for Paul Pogba, but Juventus are confident their offer of a €14.2m yearly salary will be sufficient.
– The Daily Mail is also reporting that Inter want Ivan Perisic to agree to a new contract amid interest from Tottenham and Chelsea.
St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube sent a veiled shot at Nazem Kadri, after the Colorado Avalanche defeated his team 5-2 to take Game 3 in their playoff series.
Kadri bowled over Blues starting goaltender Jordan Binnington less than seven minutes into the first period, forcing him to leave the game with a lower-body injury.
Binnington, who made three saves in as many attempts to that point, was replaced by Ville Husso, who stopped 19 of 23 shots.
Berube did not overtly blame Kadri for the collision following the defeat, but made reference to his notoriously frenetic and aggressive style.
"Look at Kadri's reputation," Beurbe said post-game. "That's all I've got to say.
"There are a lot of calls you can question. That's hockey. I'm not going to sit here and talk about calls, that weren't called or called, it's just not worth it.
"I can be disappointed but talking about it is not going to change it."
The Western Conference's first seed took a 2-1 series lead on the back of a Artturi Lehkonen brace and 29 saves from Darcy Kuemper.
Kadri, Logan O'Connor and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche, who bounced back from a 4-1 loss on their home ice on Thursday.
DJ LeMahieu's early grand slam propelled the New York Yankees to a 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday as tempers flared again.
A week after Josh Donaldson and Tim Anderson scrapped in Chicago, the two resumed hostilities in the third inning as the former American League MVP, in his first season with the Yankees, rounded second base.
The benches were then cleared in the fifth inning, when the Yankees' designated hitter faced off with White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal.
The Pinstripes started strong early and took the lead in the second with a five-run inning, on the back of LeMahieu going deep off Dallas Keuchel with two out.
Nestor Cortes struck out seven and gave up six hits over 100 pitches in five innings, as the Yankees moved to 29-10.
Musgrove muzzles Giants in Padres win
Joe Musgrove was in fine form as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in a big National League West matchup.
Musgrove pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out four and giving up only four hits over 100 pitches.
Manny Machado scored the eventual winning run for the Padres, sending Carlos Rodon's fast-ball back over his head.
Varsho drives Diamondbacks to extra-innings victory
The Arizona Diamondbacks staged a late comeback to defeat the Chicago Cubs, winning 7-6 in an extra inning on the road.
Daulton Varsho was pivotal for the D-Backs, forcing the 10th inning with a two-out, three-RBI double.
Varsho then scored the winning run on the back of a throwing error by Andrelton Simmons in the 10th inning, before Mark Melancon made his ninth save of the season.
The Miami Heat warded off a gritty fightback from the Boston Celtics to win 109-103 on Saturday, reclaiming home-court advantage and taking out Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics were down by 26 points in the first half and clawed their way back to make it a one-possession game down the stretch, but clutch baskets from Max Strus and Bam Adebayo were able to halt momentum.
Erik Spoelstra's side eventually saw the game out from the free-throw line.
With Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro off injured in the second half, Adebayo finished with 31 points on 15-of-22 shooting, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a big performance.
Jaylen Brown led the late charge for the Celtics, scoring a game-high 40 points off 14-of-20 shooting from the floor, but turnovers were critical as the team failed to take care of the ball.
Brown was responsible for seven of his own while Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart combined for 10 with the Celtics committing 23 turnovers.
Boston shot 37.5 per cent from three-point range but following a 39-14 first quarter, were facing an uphill battle.
The Heat scored 33 points off those turnovers in contrast to Boston's nine points, with double-digit margins for points in the paint (48-34) and bench points (26-16).
Butler came up with eight points and three rebounds as well as two assists and steals, but knee inflammation saw him miss the second half.
Kyle Lowry's return to the floor was pivotal for the Heat, however, finishing with 11 points, six assists and four steals.
On an abnormal weekend, Mito Pereira is trying to keep things as normal as possible, leading the US PGA Championship coming into the final round.
The world number 61 holds a three-stroke lead coming into the fourth round at Summer Hills, after posting a one-under 69 on Saturday.
Having only earned his PGA Tour card last year and still without a tournament victory to his name at that level, the 27-year-old Chilean is in uncharted territory at the second major of the year.
Pereira is not hiding that fact, but is trying to maintain a relative sense of calm to see the tournament out.
"It's by far the biggest tournament that I've played, the biggest round of golf and tomorrow is going to be even bigger," Pereira said after the third round. "I'll just try to keep it simple, try to do the same things that I've been doing and try to not even look at the people around."
The last time a player won a major for their maiden tour victory was Danny Willett at the 2016 Masters, following Jordan Spieth's final-day collapse.
Saturday was a rough day for the field in Tulsa, with blustery and overcast conditions wreaking havoc on shot selection.
Pereira posted four bogeys on five holes between eight and 12, but recovered with consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th, before closing the day out on 69 with a tough birdie putt on 18.
The birdie on the par-five 13th was critical according to Pereira, reaffirming the confidence his ball-striking was giving him.
"It was a really tough day - it was windy, cold, last pairing. So I thought I hit it pretty well, hit some bad shots but it's normal," he said.
"It's more just mental, you know. Obviously that birdie really helped on 13, to get things going.
"I wasn't playing really bad and with those bogeys – one three-putt, one bad break – it wasn't like I was losing my confidence. I was still hitting the ball really well, so I think I'll just hold to that."
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the US PGA Championship after shooting a nine-over 79 on Saturday, marking the first withdrawal of his professional career.
After four consecutive bogeys to open the back nine at Southern Hills on moving day, the 46-year-old birdied the par-four 15th to finish on 79, avoiding his third-ever score in the 80s at a major.
On Friday, Woods made the cut for the second time in as many tries after almost losing his leg in a devastating single-car crash in February last year.
It was a difficult third round across the board with heavy winds and overcast conditions, as he played through evident pain.
"I didn't do anything right," Woods said afterwards. "I didn't hit many good shots. Consequently, I ended up with a pretty high score."
Due to persistent soreness, the 15-time major winner eventually opted to withdraw.
Mito Pereira became the first Chilean to lead a major as the elements shook the field at the US PGA Championship on Saturday, holding a three-stroke lead coming into the final day.
Strong winds and grey skies meant moving day took on a more distinct meaning at Southern Hills, with four of the players in the top 10 finishing their rounds on Saturday with scores over par.
Pereira was close to making that five but recovered from four bogeys in five holes between eight and 12, scoring back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th before sinking a long birdie putt on the 18th to finish the day on a one-under 69.
The 27-year-old leads an unheralded group at the top of the leaderboard at nine-under par after 54 holes, with the top four players yet to win a tournament on the PGA Tour.
With several big names missing the cut including world number one Scottie Scheffler and Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas remains the only top-ten player in the top ten at Southern Hills, shooting a four-over 74 on Saturday to sit seven strokes off Pereira.
The last time a player won a major for their maiden PGA Tour victory was Danny Willett's dramatic 2016 triumph at the Masters, capitalising on Jordan Spieth's back-nine collapse on the final day.
Willett's countryman, Matt Fitzpatrick, is tied for second with Will Zalatoris at six-under par after recovering from back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes to shoot a three-under 67.
Cameron Young sits a further stroke back after scoring a 67 of his own on Saturday, on the back of an eagle on the par-four 17th.
First-round leader Rory McIlroy's hopes of winning his first major in eight years faded, tumbling down the leaderboard with a four-over 74.
Starting the day five strokes back, McIlroy followed up a double-bogey on the sixth with back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes, before a triple-bogey on the par-three 11th to finish on par after 54 holes.
Massimiliano Allegri says Juventus will look to bring more experienced players into the squad ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
Juve's disappointing season ended with a whimper on Saturday as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi.
Alfred Duncan opening the scoring for a Fiorentina side who were far and away the superior team, before a late penalty from Nicolas Gonzalez finished the Bianconeri off.
It was the first time Fiorentina have won a Serie A home clash against Juventus since January 2017.
The game marked the end of Giorgio Chiellini, Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi's Juve careers, and Allegri acknowledged that the club, who have been linked with free transfer moves for Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria, will need to replace their experience.
"I am happy because we have unity of purpose," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We have many players, several will have to leave. Chiellini has stopped, Bernardeschi and Dybala are at the end of their contracts.
"Then there is the transfer market, but everything must be done calmly and clearly. The team must be arranged calmly.
"In the 11 there are already young people, we have five. [Dusan] Vlahovic, [Manuel] Locatelli, [Matthijs] De Ligt, [Federico] Chiesa, and then [Fabio] Miretti is playing well.
"The team grows, it is normal that a mix is needed within the team otherwise with all young people it is more difficult to win.
"Experience is needed. We will need balance in the team."
Juve ended the Serie A season with eight fewer points than they did under the leadership of Andrea Pirlo in his maiden campaign, yet Allegri believes that is not a true representation of what he has achieved since he returned to the club.
"There is a psychological aspect because we had to chase from the start and knew once we lost to Inter and had secured fourth place, the results after that didn't entirely reflect the team and are somewhat false," he added.
"After that push to get back, once the motivation was lacking, we lost intensity.
"We also know that we need to score more goals, play with more intensity, we have to keep the good things from this season and improve those that didn't work as well."
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