Erik ten Hag says it is “not a secret” that he wanted to bring in a striker and admits Manchester United’s inability to sign one means he will have to be a “little bit creative” for the rest of the season.
The January transfer window has been quiet across the Premier League, thanks in no small part to the threat of its profit and sustainability rules.
United were in action during the final hours of deadline day, with teenage star Kobbie Mainoo brilliantly firing United to a 4-3 victory at Wolves deep in stoppage time on Thursday evening.
Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund were among the goalscorers at Molineux, but Anthony Martial’s groin injury means there are no other proven options to lead the line.
Omari Forson, 19, came on in place of Hojlund and assisted Mainoo on his Premier League debut, with Ten Hag needing to be similarly imaginative as United look for Champions League qualification and FA Cup glory.
Asked if he was confident he has the squad required to achieve their objectives despite not bringing in a striker, the Red Devils boss said: “I think it’s not a secret that I wanted a striker extra.
“Because with the injury of Martial we don’t really have back-up there, but it was not possible because we have to match the FFP rules.
“We have Omari, we have Amad Diallo, of course we have Rashford who can play there. I think for the rest, all the positions are occupied. But, yeah, we have to be a little bit creative if it’s up to the number nine position.”
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Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Mejbri were among those to leave on loan during a window that saw United focus on streamlining the squad.
But even getting wages off the books was not enough to free up the money required to sign the back-up striker he sought.
“There are some disadvantages on FFP,” Ten Hag said. “So, to make space for FFP, you actually have to sell players and you have to sell good players and I don’t think that’s the way how you build a team.”
United did, though, spend big over the summer, bringing in the likes of Rasmus Hojlund for a fee that could reach £72million and spending up to £47.2m on Andre Onana.
Mason Mount was the first through the door when joining from Chelsea for a fee rising to £60m but the England international has endured a nightmare first season at Old Trafford to date.
A hamstring issue and then calf complaint has restricted the 25-year-old to just 12 appearances, with the last coming against Luton on November 11.
“He was struggling from the second game of the season,” Ten Hag said of Mount, who has begun training on the grass as he steps up his recovery.
“He returns for a period and then picked up another injury, so of course that’s not great.
“That is very frustrating for him and I really feel for him, so I really want to be there for him because he had such high expectations and I had high expectations.
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“I’m sure he’s a very good player for us but, first of all, what’s now important, and we have to do it very secure, is to get him fit.
“Secure in the process, step by step, don’t force it, and then hopefully by the end of the season he can stay fit and find himself in the team, or at least that he play a role in this team.
“Absolutely, I expect him to return this season.”
The United boss does not expect Mount, Tyrell Malacia or Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to face West Ham on Sunday.
Sofyan Amrabat will return to training on Saturday after Morocco’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations and Ten Hag says Victor Lindelof is “on his way back” having returned to team training on Wednesday.
World Cup Girlz back in the fold? Gilbert hints at return of experienced players for Brazil friendlies
For the first time in almost nine months, it seems as if Jamaica’s interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert will have members of the World Cup squad at his disposal, when they visit Brazil for a two-match friendly international series in June.
The Girlz, who first locked horns with Brazil, and lost 0-3, at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, went one better at last year’s global showpiece in Australia, as they not only held the South American giants to a goalless stalemate, but also ensured their elimination at the group stage.
By all indications, that performance, and by extension, the fact that the Girlz made an historic appearance in the knockout stages of the World Cup, earned them even more respect from the number 10-ranked Brazilians, who are currently in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The games, scheduled for June 1 and 4, are expected to assist Brazil in their preparation, while the now 42nd-ranked Jamaicans will get a much-needed test to regain their appetite for international competition, having last sported the nationals colours against Canada last September.
Since that Olympic qualifying fixture in Canada, members of the World Cup squad withdrew their services from national representation, citing lack of payment and mistreatment from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), among their reasons.
While it is yet to be confirmed how many, if any, of the World Cup players will make the trip, Gilbert gave the clearest indication yet that there might be a few, as he welcomed the games, after not utilizing the last FIFA window.
“It is always important to secure games during the international window. It not only assists in exposing players, but it also ensures the team is active, which helps our rankings, and also our quality of play. Because as you know, the more we play together, especially against quality opponents, the better the team becomes, and we also get to work on different things both offensively and defensively,” Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.
“The expectation is for us to give a good account of ourselves, it has been a while since these players have played together, but the good thing is that they are actively engaged in their respective leagues in Europe and United States. So, it is not like they were inactive, and obviously, it is not the first time they will be playing together.
“So, we just have to keep things as simple or as close to what we did prior to, and during the World Cup, to make sure we are competitive. It is going to be a little bit different, but it’s not far-fetched that we can get another positive result against Brazil,” he added.
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Hosts close in on top-four finish
Atletico Madrid beat newly crowned Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at home in LaLiga on Saturday as Diego Simeone's side moved a step closer to a top-four finish.
Fourth-placed Atletico moved onto 64 points and have increased their advantage over Athletic, in fifth, to six points with five games to play.
Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul put Atletico in front in the 15th minute with a goal from outside the box. After controlling an attempted clearance from the visitors, his effort dipped just under the bar as his strike deflected off one of the Athletic defenders.
Athletic levelled just before half-time through Nico Williams after Antoine Griezmann lost the ball through a careless pass.
But Angel Correa restored the lead for Atletico in the 52nd minute and later came close to scoring again.
With 10 minutes to play, away goalkeeper Unai Simon inadvertently made it 3-1 with an own goal after Samuel Lino’s effort came back off the post, ending any Athletic hopes of a comeback.
Hull City 3-3 Ipswich Town: Tigers fight back three times to deny Tractor Boys
Ipswich Town missed the chance to move into an automatic promotion spot as play-off-chasing Hull City came from behind three times in a thrilling 3-3 Championship draw at The MKM Stadium.
Ipswich knew a victory would take them second after Leeds United were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers on Friday, and they led on three separate occasions, George Hirst opening the scoring before Omari Hutchinson produced two brilliant strikes from the edge of the area.
However, buoyed by slip-ups from rivals Norwich City and West Brom earlier on Saturday, Hull dug deep to fight back on each occasion, Ozan Tufan and Liam Delap scoring their first two equalisers.
With Liam Rosenior's men 3-2 down with just four minutes to play, substitute Noah Ohio blasted his shot in off the crossbar to punish an error from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
The result keeps Ipswich behind second-placed Leeds on goal difference, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand to come at Coventry City on Tuesday.
Hull, meanwhile, are two points adrift of the top six, with Norwich's goal difference advantage meaning their top-six spot is all but assured. The Tigers will, however, leapfrog West Brom if they beat Plymouth Argyle on the final day and Albion lose to Preston North End.
Data Debrief: Hutchinson's best not enough
Hutchinson was a man who deserved to be on the winning side on Saturday, giving Ryan Allsop no chance with two near-identical left-footed strikes from the right corner of the penalty area.
His goals came from an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.6, and he led all players on the pitch for shots (eight) and passes in the final third (21), also laying on three chances for his team-mates.
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