Gary Neville has described Manchester United’s year a “disgrace to the end” after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in the club was announced on Christmas Eve.

Neville wished Ineos Group chairman Ratcliffe, 71, a childhood United fan who was born in nearby Failsworth, “all the very best” in attempting to return the club to former glories.

But former United captain Neville questioned the timing of the announcement, which came at 4pm on Christmas Eve, writing on X: “Manchester United 2023 has been a disgrace to the end.

“The timing of this is truly awful and no functioning organisation would even think about it.

“Anyway all the very best to Jim Ratcliffe and I hope he can somehow work out a way to get the club right again and back to being something respectable on and off the pitch.”

Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 per cent stake comes after the club’s United States-based owners, the Glazer family, revealed their intention to undertake a strategic review of their options, including the possibility of selling up.

United have suffered a poor season so far, losing more matches before Christmas than in any season since 1930 and have not scored for four games – their worst run for 30 years.

Erik ten Hag’s side have dropped to eighth in the Premier League, eight points from fourth-placed Tottenham, and finished bottom of their Champions League group.

Ratcliffe has agreed to inject around £236million into the club and Ineos will take over the management of United’s football operations.

But Manchester United Supporters Trust has questioned how the relationship between the Glazer family and the Ineos Group will work, calling on the club’s owners to clarify the situation.

MUST also said fans would be left with “mixed feelings” after Ratcliffe’s investment left the Glazers still in overall charge at Old Trafford.

“During 18 years of debt, decay and mismanagement, Manchester United fans have loudly and consistently called for change at our club,” a statement from MUST read.

“When the so-called Strategic Review was announced nearly a year ago, it finally appeared that the sale of the club was on the horizon, potentially bringing the new investment and new direction MUFC so clearly needs.

“Against that backdrop, fans have very mixed feelings today. We welcome the investment from a boyhood red, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos company, but many will wish his ownership stake was greater than the initially rumoured 25 per cent.

“We note the statements that he and his team will control sporting activities, yet puzzle how any organisation can put its very core business in the hands of a minority shareholder, and how that meaningfully works in practice.

“It is now incumbent on the club’s owners and management to properly explain how this new structure will work, where the new investment will be directed and how it will benefit the team on the field.

“As the supporters’ trust, we expect to have discussions with the club management and the Ineos team in the near future to understand their plans, and to put to them the very many questions fans have today.

“Today might – just might – be a step forward for Manchester United after some very difficult years. But with the Glazers still in charge, people should understand that United fans will remain sceptical and wait for the proof in the pudding.”

It is understood that Premier League approval for Ratcliffe’s investment could take between four and six weeks.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has vowed to return Manchester United to “the very top of English, European and world football” after agreeing a £1.25billion deal to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.

The Old Trafford outfit announced on Christmas Eve that the chairman of INEOS, who will assume delegated responsibility for football operations, had entered into an agreement, which is “subject to customary regulatory approvals”, which will also see him invest US dollars 300million – more than £236million – to refurbish the debt-laden club’s infrastructure.

However, it is boyhood fan Ratcliffe’s promise to put United “back where we belong” which will excite fans who have been in open revolt against owners the Glazer family, who launched a strategic review of the business in November last year.

Ratcliffe said: “As a local boy and a lifelong supporter of the club, I am very pleased that we have been able to agree a deal with the Manchester United board that delegates us management responsibility of the football operations of the club.

“Whilst the commercial success of the club has ensured there have always been available funds to win trophies at the highest level, this potential has not been fully unlocked in recent times.

“We will bring the global knowledge, expertise and talent from the wider INEOS Sport group to help drive further improvement at the club, while also providing funds intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.

“We are here for the long term and recognise that a lot of challenges and hard work lie ahead, which we will approach with rigour, professionalism and passion. We are committed to working with everyone at the club – the board, staff, players and fans – to help drive the club forward.

“Our shared ambition is clear: we all want to see Manchester United back where we belong, at the very top of English, European and world football.”

Under the agreement, INEOS will acquire 25 per cent of the Class B shares owned by the Glazers and tender an offer for up to 25 per cent of the Class B shares at USD33 each in a deal which will not add to the club’s existing debt.

In addition, he will inject USD200million – £158million – on completion to upgrade Old Trafford and a further USD100million – £79million – by the end of 2024, taking his total investment to around £1.25billion.

Executive co-chairmen and directors Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer, who announced a strategic review 13 months ago, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this deal with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS.

“As part of the strategic review we announced in November 2022, we committed to look at a variety of alternatives to help enhance Manchester United, with a focus on delivering success for our men’s, women’s and academy teams.

“Sir Jim and INEOS bring a wealth of commercial experience as well as significant financial commitment into the club. And, through INEOS Sport, Manchester United will have access to seasoned high-performance professionals, experienced in creating and leading elite teams from both inside and outside the game.

“Manchester United has talented people right across the club and our desire is to always improve at every level to help bring our great fans more success in the future.”

Ratcliffe found himself engaged in a lengthy battle with Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim after it became apparent that the club – or ultimately part of it – could be up for sale.

Sheikh Jassim withdrew his bid for full control in October with a long-running saga showing little sign of reaching a conclusion until Ratcliffe’s focus shifted to the pursuit of a significant minority stake.

The deal was announced by United at 4pm on Sunday in a statement which read: “The joint ambition is to create a world-class football operation building on the club’s many existing strengths, including the successful off-pitch performance that it continues to enjoy.”

The Red Devils have not lifted the Premier League trophy since 2012-13, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season at the helm, and last won the Champions League in 2008.

Confirmation of INEOS’ investment was given a guarded welcome by the Manchester United Supporters Trust.

A statement read: “Today might – just might – be a step forward for Manchester United after some very difficult years. But with the Glazers still in charge, people should understand that United fans will remain sceptical and wait for the proof in the pudding.”

Former United defender Gary Neville was less than impressed by the timing of the announcement.

“Manchester United 2023 has been a disgrace to the end,” he wrote on X.

“The timing of this is truly awful and no functioning organisation would even think about it.

“Anyway all the very best to Jim Ratcliffe and I hope he can somehow work out a way to get the club right again and back to being something respectable on and off the pitch.”

Mauricio Pochettino lamented Chelsea’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal after a flurry of missed chances contributed to a 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux.

Mario Lemina headed the hosts into the lead early in the second half, rising to nod Pablo Sarabia’s corner into the far corner after the visiting defence had failed to make a serious attempt to clear the ball.

It was fair reward after a first half in which Gary O’Neil’s side held Chelsea off well, though they were helped significantly in their task by wayward finishing, most notably from Raheem Sterling who spurned a golden chance when he shot straight at Jose Sa instead of playing in Cole Palmer for a tap-in.

It was an inexplicable lapse in judgement from the England forward, who after a lively start cut a frustrated figure for the rest of the game, culminating in a yellow card for simulation in the final moments as he appealed for a penalty.

Chelsea had 16 shots on goal but tested Sa only infrequently as once again this season possession around the penalty area and decent sights of goal were not capitalised upon.

Matt Doherty added a second in the third minute of added time after Benoit Badiashile’s atrocious attempted clearance.

By the time substitute Christopher Nkunku headed his first Chelsea goal on his Premier League debut, there were few away fans who had remained inside Molineux to see it.

“We made a mistake, we need to blame ourselves,” said Pochettino. “That’s why we didn’t win today, because in the first half we had the chances to score. In the Premier League if you’re not clinical enough when you have chances, always you can concede.

“We didn’t compete in the first five minutes of the second half, we conceded too many corners. In these moments it’s about competing better and being stronger.

“I agree we’re our own enemy. I don’t want to take credit away from Wolves. They scored and they did their job. But in the first half we were the better side. And because of lack of capacity to score, we didn’t win the game.

Wolves had been tipped to struggle after O’Neil replaced former boss Julen Lopetegui days before the start of the season, with financial constraints placed on their transfer business by Financial Fair Play regulations over the summer.

They now sit level in the table on points with Chelsea boasting a near identical league record, despite Pochettino’s side having spent upwards of £1billion on recruitment during the last 18 months.

One of the summer’s big-money buys Nicolas Jackson, who cost £32million from Villarreal but has scored only seven times in the Premier League, was greeted with ironic cheers from visiting supporters when he was substituted, with frustration growing with his patchy, inconsistent form since arriving at Stamford Bridge.

“I didn’t hear the fans,” said Pochettino. “(But) always it’s about expectation, how you manage that. A striker that arrives at his age, a new league like the Premier League, it’s (important) not to blame him.

“The frustration from the fans you can accept. But we need to blame all together. Football is a collective sport and we cannot blame only one.

“But he is young, it’s his first season in the Premier League and  the expectation is massive. There is pressure to play for Chelsea.”

Wolves boss O’Neil reflected on a game that his side deserved to win despite having to name an inexperienced bench with players unavailable.

“It was a tough day for us with a call from the doctor this morning around illnesses,” he said. “I had to call up some young lads last minute to make up the squad.

“Going against what Chelsea had, especially late on in the game, I thought it might have been tricky for us once we started to tire.

“But the lads manage to produce another fantastic performance here in front of the home fans and we deserved the win really.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has become part owner of Manchester United as one of the UK’s richest men has bought a 25 per cent stake in the club he supported as a boy.

The billionaire has bought a share in the Old Trafford club, worth a reported £1.25billion, after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani withdrew his interest to end a lengthy process where he tried to buy the club outright.

The 71-year-old has a reported net worth £12.5billion thanks to the success of global chemical company Ineos, which has enjoyed exponential growth since he founded it in 1998, and will assume delegated responsibility for the club’s football operations. He will also invest an additional 300 million US dollars (£236.7million) into the club’s infrastructure.

Ratcliffe has been chairman throughout and has seen the company go from 400 employees to 26,000 and annual revenues of around £52.5bn.

Ineos has diversified its interests over the years to incorporate consumer brands and sports interests, which now includes the club Ratcliffe grew up supporting.

Born in Failsworth in 1952, a “quite deep-rooted” passion for United grew as he spent the first 10 years of his life in the Greater Manchester town.

Ratcliffe’s family eventually moved to Hull before he went onto to study chemical engineering at Birmingham University, then gain an MBA from London Business School.

He began his career at Exxon Chemicals before moving to Courtaulds and in 1992 led the buyout of Inspec Group plc, mortgaging his house to help complete that deal.

Six years on, he bought a plant in Antwerp, Belgium from Inspec for £84million and formed Ineos, which has gone onto become a chemical giant.

Ratcliffe – who received a knighthood the 2018 for services to business and investment – remains chairman of the company, which has developed a varied sporting portfolio over recent years.

Ineos Grenadiers are a leading professional cycling team and Sir Ben Ainslie-led Ineos Britannia is the Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup.

The company is principal partner to the Mercedes Formula One team, performance partner to New Zealand’s rugby union teams and supported Eliud Kipchoge’s bid to run a sub-two hour marathon.

Ineos is now looking to take its football ownership to another level, having taken over Swiss Super League team FC Lausanne-Sport in 2017 and acquired Ligue 1 club Nice two years later.

In 2022, Ratcliffe saw a last-ditch £4.25bn bid for Chelsea – a club he grew a “split allegiance” for during his time in London – rejected.

“I am a season ticket holder at Chelsea,” the billionaire told the Daily Telegraph in 2018. “Have been for years, although I’m a Manchester United fan really. Or was… but it’s not getting any better (at United).

“It’s gone from bad to catastrophic. Talk about a glass half-empty.”

Things have improved on the field lately, but there is plenty of work to do away from it, which is why so many United fans are grateful that Ratcliffe has bought a stake in the club.

He said in October 2022 that he “can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available” after Joel and Avram Glazer indicated to him that they did not want to sell.

But the following announcement that a full or partial takeover would be considered moved the goalposts,  paving the way for Ratcliffe’s investment in United.

Ineos Group chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United and inject around £236million into the club, the Red Devils have announced.

Ineos, who will assume delegated responsibility for the club’s football operations, and United have entered an agreement under which he will acquire 25 per cent of the Class B shares held by the Glazer family and up to 25 per cent of the Class A shares while investing 300 million US dollars (£236.7million) into its infrastructure.

A club statement said: “Manchester United announces that it has entered into an agreement under which chairman of Ineos, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will acquire 25 per cent of Manchester United’s Class B shares and up to 25 per cent of Manchester United’s Class A shares and provide an additional 300 million intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.

“As part of the transaction, Ineos has accepted a request by the board to be delegated responsibility for the management of the club’s football operations. This will include all aspects of the men’s and women’s football operations and academies, alongside two seats on the Manchester United PLC board and the Manchester United Football Club boards.”

The statement continued: “The joint ambition is to create a world-class football operation building on the club’s many existing strengths, including the successful off-pitch performance that it continues to enjoy.

“The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and all parties are hopeful it will be completed as soon as possible.”

Ratcliffe said: “As a local boy and a lifelong supporter of the club, I am very pleased that we have been able to agree a deal with the Manchester United board that delegates us management responsibility of the football operations of the club.

“While the commercial success of the club has ensured there have always been available funds to win trophies at the highest level, this potential has not been fully unlocked in recent times.

“We will bring the global knowledge, expertise and talent from the wider Ineos Sport group to help drive further improvement at the club, while also providing funds intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.

“We are here for the long term and recognise that a lot of challenges and hard work lie ahead, which we will approach with rigour, professionalism and passion. We are committed to working with everyone at the club – the board, staff, players and fans – to help drive the club forward.

“Our shared ambition is clear: we all want to see Manchester United back where we belong, at the very top of English, European and world football.”

Philippe Clement was facing the possibility of more injury woes after Connor Goldson pulled up in Rangers’ 2-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.

The boss was without Nico Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Jose Cifuentes and Danilo for the trip to Lanarkshire.

Early goals from Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell took the Light Blues to within two points of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic, with a game in hand, but veteran defender Goldson was replaced by John Souttar in the 86th minute and ahead of the home game against Ross County on Wednesday before taking on Celtic at Parkhead on December 30.

Clement admitted he was a “little bit fed up” talking about injuries but on Goldson he said: “We will see tomorrow. He felt something at the end of the game but we will see tomorrow.

“We take it day by day what the situation is and what the fitness of the players is. It’s difficult to plan in advance so I’m living from day to day.

“For me, the most pleasing thing is that despite having nine injured players, the structure stays, with two players in midfield who are not used to playing there.

“You don’t see the difference. The team is really focused and concentrated to do the job together. Everybody knows what we are doing, we keep clean sheets and we keep winning games by being dominant.

“In the circumstances of today, we played a really good first half with good attacking football, two good goals, several good chances.

“In the second half, the wind was even harder and the difficulty was that it was really turning in the stadium. It was difficult to play the good quality that we want to bring.

“As long as there is a two-goal difference then the other team always feels it is in a game, and they fought and put a lot of balls in the box.

“We were really concentrated and good in the duels. I don’t think they had one shot on goal from the Motherwell side. We controlled the game well and we got three deserved points.”

Motherwell have now gone 15 games without a win and remain five points ahead of bottom side Livingston.

Boss Stuart Kettlewell believes his side should have had a penalty when Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers pulled Mika Biereth inside the box.

He said: “The two penalties, the one with Brodie Spencer (tackle by Ridvan Yilmaz) may have been a soft one.

“I think there is marginal contact so I am not so sure about that.

“The one that was brought to my attention was the pull on Mika Biereth’s arm at the back post. He looks favourite to get a touch on the ball.

“It is 2-0 and one goal helps us. Watching it back, I am seeing them given as penalties constantly. I think Rangers themselves have benefited from a number of things, incidents like that. my question is, are actually checking them.

“We keep getting told that they are being checked.

“I am not sure if that specific one has been checked. I would defy anyone to tell me if it has been checked then we are OK with it because I am watching every week and slight pulls on jerseys, a slight tug of the arm, results in a penalty.

“I will probably be told that there is some other obscure rule that is the reason why it wasn’t given but with the naked eye and a replay it looks as if it has to be a penalty.”

Rob Edwards revealed he would have joined critics in writing off Luton’s Premier League survival chances before the start of the season if he had been an outside observer.

The Hatters boss saw his side win for the third time since their top-flight return against Newcastle on Saturday to pull to within two points of 17th-place Nottingham Forest.

It continued an impressive run at Kenilworth Road that in their previous four home games had seen them beat Crystal Palace and take the lead against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, albeit taking only a single point from those three fixtures.

Victory against bottom side Sheffield United on Boxing Day could see them move out of the bottom three for the first time since the start of December, when they briefly pulled clear by virtue of Everton’s 10-point deduction.

There has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of performances since the team were beaten in each of their first four games of the season.

And despite his side now looking a better bet for survival than they did in August, Edwards said he too might have been ready to dismiss Luton’s chances had he not been manager.

However, he was not in the mood to forgive those that prematurely counted the team out.

“To be honest I probably would have written us off as well, from outside,” he said. “But I think there’s ways of doing that and I think some people were disrespectful with how they did it.

“That angered me a little bit, but I don’t use that. I can’t affect what other people think or say or write. Some people gave good rationale; smallest budget, promoted out the play-offs, first time in the Premier League. I get that. But some of the stuff that was written was crackers.”

Edwards’ team made Newcastle look ordinary for large parts of Saturday’s victory, the first match Luton had played since captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during the previous weekend’s game against Bournemouth.

The manager said prior to the match that his team had sought a win for the sake of the absent 29-year-old, who was discharged from hospital on Thursday, but later insisted that victory against Newcastle had not been fired solely by emotion and sentiment.

“The performances have been good,” he said. “We haven’t won the game (against Newcastle) just because of what’s happened. We wanted to do it for Tom, but the performances have been there.

“It was probably more complete, we were able to put it together for 97 minutes. Maybe against Arsenal we had 75 minutes, against City we had around 60.

“The players have been performing really well for a long time now. I think we’ve been changing the narrative around us as well, around the football club with those performances. (On Saturday) we just got the result.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United is due to be announced later on Christmas Eve, according to a report.

Confirmation of the investment by the 71-year-old’s Ineos Group would end a saga which has lasted more than a year.

Sky News has reported that a deal is set to be announced, 13 months after the club’s United States-based owners the Glazer family revealed their intention to undertake a strategic review of their options, including the possibility of selling up.

Ratcliffe and Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim were both in the running to oversee a buyout of the club until October.

Sheikh Jassim withdrew his bid for full control of the club on October 14, with Ratcliffe’s focus shifting to taking a significant minority stake.

Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group is expected to pay in the region of £1.25billion for the share purchase, while also acquiring significant control over footballing operations.

It has also been reported that Ratcliffe is prepared to invest a further £245million to improve the club’s ageing infrastructure.

Chelsea slumped to a third defeat in four Premier League games as second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty earned Wolves a deserved 2-1 victory at Molineux.

Lemina headed in unmarked from Pablo Sarabia’s corner early in the second period, just reward after Gary O’Neil’s side had weathered early pressure and the hosts had spurned a host of chances, most glaringly from Raheem Sterling.

Chelsea laboured to find a way back, but as so often this season failed to find the key pass in the final third, with Cole Palmer noticeably out of sorts.

Then in stoppage time and with the visitors committed forward, Wolves broke and Hugo Bueno crossed for Doherty to take advantage of a poor clearance to slam home a second.

Substitute Christopher Nkunku headed his first Chelsea goal in the dying minutes, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side slipped to a third away league defeat on the spin.

Armando Broja spurned the game’s first opening. After Sterling fed Malo Gusto down the right, his low cross into the box arrived perfectly at the foot of the Albanian, playing as a lone striker with Nicolas Jackson moved to the wing. Looking to shoot first time, Broja kicked at fresh air and the chance was gone.

Sterling was Chelsea’s clearest danger in the first half, running at Wolves down either flank and pitching inviting deliveries. The best of them fell to Jackson who had found space, but as the ball dropped, his touch failed to match his movement and the pass squirmed beneath his foot and away.

After half an hour, it was the turn of his team-mates to vent their anger towards the England international. Sterling did brilliantly to harry and dispossess Joao Gomes, Wolves’ last man, who dithered on the ball deep in his own half. With the defence stranded upfield, Sterling advanced on goal with Jackson and Palmer wide open beside him. Either player would have had a tap-in; instead, Sterling inexplicably went alone and hit a weak shot straight at Jose Sa.

Wolves’ best chances of the half came in the closing seconds, first when Sarabia fired just wide from the edge of the box via a deflection, then Hee Chan Hwang raced clear of Levi Colwill from a ball over the top and lashed over.

They began the second half with similar urgency, Gomes hitting a shot that nicked off Lesley Ugochukwu and grazed the post before defender Toti got forward from the back and drew an outstanding point-blank save from Chelsea’s stand-in goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

It was a warning the visitors did not heed and the goal moments later was an almost carbon copy of Toti’s chance. Sarabia’s corner dropped into the heart of the Chelsea penalty area, but despite the obvious danger no one in blue jumped or moved to attack the ball.

That left Lemina with a simple header, climbing above the grounded Ugochukwu to nod towards the back post and in beyond the stranded Petrovic.

Pochettino sent on Nkunku for his Premier League debut, with the ineffectual Broja departing. He nearly offered Chelsea instant reprieve, denied on the goal line by Toti, who gratefully booted clear.

Sterling then went close again, set up by Palmer on the right after Nkunku had picked him out only for an heroic last-ditch block from Craig Dawson diverting the ball over Sa’s crossbar. The balance of the game was tipping in Chelsea’s favour.

Their growing confidence led to their undoing. Three minutes into added time, Bueno broke down the left, Benoit Badiashile’s attempted clearance was atrocious and Doherty crashed it home to take the roof of Molineux.

Nkunku headed in from Sterling’s cross minutes later, but barely any Chelsea fans had stayed to see it.

Juventus have given positive fitness updates on Manuel Locatelli and Alex Sandro.

The pair were substituted in Saturday’s 2-1 Serie A win at Frosinone after picking up injuries.

A Juventus statement read: “After the knock picked up in yesterday’s match against Frosinone, Manuel Locatelli underwent tests this morning at the J|Medical centre that ruled out any fracture and confirmed an oblique contusion.

“For Alex Sandro, meanwhile, an MRI scan on his right thigh ruled out muscular injuries and indicated a hamstring overload.

“Their condition will be assessed from day to day.”

Locatelli suffered a fractured rib that ruled him out of international duty in November.

Juventus are next in action at home to Roma on Saturday.

Rangers beat Motherwell 2-0 at a wet and wild Fir Park and return to chasing the heels of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

Kieran Dowell started and finished the move for the opening goal in the fourth minute before fellow midfielder Todd Cantwell fired in a second after 16 minutes of a first half which should have brought more goals, but in a wind-affected encounter the early brace proved enough.

The Light Blues moved back to being two points behind their Old Firm rivals with a game in hand and now turn their focus to Ross County on Wednesday night, with the crucial encounter at Celtic Park on December 30 now looming large.

Philippe Clement has gone 16 games unbeaten since taking over from Michael Beale in October but, by contrast, the Steelmen have gone 15 games without a win and they remain five points ahead of second bottom Livingston.

Boss Stuart Kettlewell must wonder how and when they are going to turn it around as he prepares for the trip to Aberdeen in midweek.

An increasing injury list amid a hectic fixture schedule saw Clement make four changes, with Leon Balogun, Cantwell, Dujon Sterling and Cyriel Dessers returning with the home side unchanged.

It was a nightmare start for Kettlewell’s side who soon found themselves a goal down.

Dowell robbed Harry Paton at the edge of the Motherwell penalty area and played a one-two with Dessers before blasting the ball high past Well keeper Liam Kelly for his second goal for the Light Blues since signing in the summer from Norwich.

Well wobbled further when asked to defend.

Balogun headed a Ross McCausland cross over the bar from close range before Kelly made a save from a Connor Goldson header.

However, the second goal was on its way, arriving when left-back Ridvan Yilmaz’s cross into the box was controlled by Abdallah Sima with Cantwell running in to sweep the ball low past the diving Kelly.

A speculative drive from Callum Slattery which skipped past the Rangers goal was their only real response.

Dessers and Goldson both failed to finish from just yards out and Kelly saved a low drive from Dessers as Rangers sporadically threatened.

In the 35th minute, with the rain still cascading amid swirling wind, Dessers swung and missed the ball after Kelly had parried an angled-shot from McCausland.

Motherwell stuck to their considerable task but they could not get through to Gers keeper Jack Butland and it was Kelly who was called into action again just before the break, tipping a Cantwell drive over the bar, but the home side eventually emerged unscathed.

Motherwell, with Paul McGinn on for centre-back Bevis Mugabi, caused some problems for the Govan side at the start of the second half and Brodie Spencer headed wide from a Mika Biereth cross when he ought to have hit the target.

There was a Motherwell penalty shout in the 75th minute when Yilmaz bumped Spencer to the ground inside the Gers box but referee David Dickinson was unmoved and the Rangers escaped a melee in their penalty area moments later.

The home side’s fightback fizzled out.

Dessers had the ball in the Well net in the 82nd minute and again in stoppage time but was twice ruled offside, and there was also a VAR check for a possible penalty for handball in the Rangers box that came to nothing.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down fears of a left-back crisis after Kostas Tsimikas joined Andy Robertson on the injured list.

The Greece international broke his collarbone in the 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal after a challenge from Bukayo Saka saw him collide with his manager in the technical area before falling heavily.

With Robertson, who has been out since October with a dislocated shoulder which required surgery, still a few weeks away from returning, it leaves utility man Joe Gomez, the central defender who has been filling in at right-back to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a break, as the only realistic option.

Even left winger Luis Diaz, who has occupied the role this season as more of an attacking option when Liverpool were chasing the game, is an injury doubt after sustaining a knee problem against the Gunners.

The 18-year-old Luke Chambers has made Europa League and Carabao Cup appearances this season, but is unlikely to be given the responsibility at Burnley on Boxing Day, at home to Newcastle or in the FA Cup away to Arsenal, but may have to provide some support.

“Can Joe play all the games now until I don’t know when? I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” said Klopp.

“Robbo will be back (next month) and Kostas will be definitely out for a long while. I didn’t have time to think it through yet, but it is really tough for us now.

“You have injuries sometimes and you have to accept all of them, but a broken collarbone is really bad because it takes so long to heal.

“Robbo had a different injury, but it takes a long time to recover as well. We all know we need luck in these moments and now we have to just make sure we put Joey in cotton wool and make sure he is ready for the game.”

The injuries to Tsimikas and Diaz adds to an already lengthy list which includes Robertson, Joel Matip (ACL), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Diogo Jota (hamstring), Alexis Mac Allister (knee) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf).

Even with the January Premier League break, Liverpool still have at least seven matches – eight if they progress in the FA Cup – in the next month with a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham adding to the congestion at an already busy period.

But Klopp has increasingly fewer options to rotate and with Burnley buoyed by their win at Fulham, he knows he cannot afford to take their trip to Turf Moor lightly.

“I don’t need the Burnley result to understand their quality,” he added.

“Burnley could have easily had much more points because they had so many good spells in the games where they never saw the situation off, because of young players and some decisions.

“If they could finish these situations off they would definitely win more games. I respect Vinny (Vincent Kompany) a lot because he keeps pushing his idea through.

“I’m impressed with what they are doing and we know if you win once and are coming back to your home stadium you want to win again, and that is what we expect from them.”

Arsenal defender Ben White has hailed the influence centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel are having on the Gunners’ season.

The form of the pair has helped Arsenal to the top of the table with the joint-best defensive record and although they did not manage to keep out Liverpool, with whom they share the record, the security they offered gave the visitors the confidence to take a positive approach in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Anfield.

A week ago a struggling Manchester United side left Liverpool with a point after a dour defensive display in which the home side had 34 attempts on goal.

By contrast Arsenal restricted Liverpool to 13, the same as they had themselves.

“They are unbelievable together. They are so strong and powerful. They make it easier for everyone around them,” White said of the centre-back pair.

“They just don’t do too much wrong, do they? They are so consistent every game.

“No one is dominating them speed-wise or strength-wise. It’s hard for strikers to come up against and find anything positive to come out of the game.”

Arsenal also benefited from their willingness to take the game to Liverpool, who had won 11 in a row at home before the United draw.

“I think when you come here it’s so, so tough and to come away with a point is probably a positive,” added White.

“That’s what we have got now, we are such a positive team. We wanted to come here and win, and I think you see that from our performance.”

The European Super League's pledge to stream all matches for free is unsustainable and merely a ploy to coax fans into supporting the project.

That is the view of finance expert Dan Plumley, who does not see how a breakaway competition could offer enough prize money to earn the support of clubs while showing games for free. 

Despite a backlash from fans, players and media thwarting the Super League's attempted launch in 2021, the project reared its head again this week with a reworked format being announced.

After the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled FIFA and UEFA "abused a dominant position" in blocking the Super League two years ago, the competition's organisers, A22 Sports, revealed a new format for the tournament, which is still supported by Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

The plan features promotion and relegation across three tiers and also includes a promise to make all games free to stream, but Plumley doubts whether that is possible.

"Everything we've seen throughout history would point to the fact that won't be sustainable, which is where the finances and the distribution models get interesting," he told Stats Perform. 

"We've seen the proposed format of the new ESL but we've not seen the financial distribution mechanisms, we've not seen where the money's coming from and if you are going to promote a free-to-air model through a streaming service, that obviously looks good for the fans.

"But at some point you have to have some form of broadcaster to be able to generate prize money and to generate the finances of the competition. 

"Everything I've seen throughout the years would suggest that you can't go that long without a decent broadcasting deal or big commercial and sponsorship partnerships." 

Asked whether the promise of free coverage was purely intended to get fans onside, Plumley added: "Yeah, for sure. 

"You've probably made the most relevant point there, which is how much people are paying currently for sports subscription content. 

"Talking from a basis of us being located in the UK, it's not cheap. If you want a Sky Sports subscription, a TNT Sports subscription, the Amazon one… it does become quite costly for the fans. 

"So to have something that is free at the point of consumption is obviously a hook for fans to come on board with it. 

"I think we've clearly seen the backlash in the UK with the English clubs and many English fans. 

"Even if it is free-to-air and dependent on the clubs that would be involved, I think some would still turn around and say: 'No, thank you very much. Even if it's free, I'm not interested'. 

"But there is a whole range of international fans out there that follow European football and follow some of these clubs. Maybe some of those are interested. 

"You look at it through your own lens, but you also have to look at it through the lens of others. Obviously it's a ploy to try and get some positivity on board by offering it free-to-air."

Plumley said the only way the project could succeed financially with a free-to-air model was through the potential involvement of a state wealth fund.

"I think where you might see some shift in the future, and this might start to make it bigger than Europe, is will we see sovereign state wealth funds or private equity consortiums get involved with the financing of the competition, to enable them to show some free-to-air content?" Plumley said.

"In the 2021 project, it was supposed to be financed by JP Morgan and we saw that American influence, we've seen an explosion in Saudi Arabian football in the last couple of years. 

"Do one of those other big players in the market get involved in the future? I think all those questions are a little bit up in the air at the minute. 

"At some point, you have to start talking about broadcasting deals because there's only so much free-to-air content you can give away if you're going to be putting a load of prize money on the table."

Luke Shaw surveyed the wreckage of Manchester United’s latest defeat and admitted: “It’s just not good enough.”

The Red Devils went down 2-0 at West Ham to slip to their 13th loss from 26 matches this season.

They have now gone four matches in a row without scoring for the first time since 1992 after another limp display.

“It’s just not good enough really, we have to win games and that’s it,” full-back Shaw told TNT Sports.

“We keep losing games, losing points and we’re making it very hard for ourselves – especially that second half, it’s not good enough.

“In the first half, we controlled the game, I think we had chances again. If we score the first goal, maybe the result is different, but we don’t, so we suffered in that second half and, again, it’s not good enough.”

Second-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus lifted West Ham up to sixth in the Premier League, while United slid down to eighth.

Hammers boss David Moyes came in for criticism for making six changes in their 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool in midweek.

But the Scot stood by that decision as he looked back on a largely successful 2023, including West Ham’s memorable Europa Conference League win last season.

“Our record here at home is as good as most,” he said. “Of course we can think of clubs who will do better, but for us we’ve had a brilliant year.

“The players we’ve had, whether they’ve gone or whether it’s new ones we’ve brought in, we’ve had a fantastic year, with a trophy in the middle of it.

“It looks like if you don’t quite give everyone what they want then you get criticism for it, but I don’t think we could have won on Saturday if we had played all the players in midweek.”