Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken a new role with RedBird Capital Partners as a senior adviser to AC Milan’s ownership and management.

The 42-year-old retired from football following Milan’s final game of the last Serie A season, but has returned to the club in his first job since his playing days as an adviser to the management and owners.

Ibrahimovic will serve as a senior adviser to the ownership, which is led by RedBird and longstanding partners the New York Yankees.

The former Sweden striker will play a key role with the club, dealing with their sporting and business operations to help the club build on the success since Redbird took ownership the club.

Ibrahimovic will work with the playing side, which includes development and high-performance training, while having a say in Milan’s commercial business and supporting special projects, including the building and development of the club’s new stadium.

The American investment firm, which also has stakes in Liverpool’s owner Fenway Sports Group, took over the Italian club in 2021 and helped them win the Serie A title in 2021-22 while taking the club back into the Champions League.

Ibrahimovic will work alongside RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale as well as first-team coach Stefano Pioli and chief executive Giorgio Furlani.

Ibrahimovic told the club website: “I am extremely grateful to be joining both RedBird and AC Milan in these important and influential roles.

“RedBird has partnered with some of the greatest athletes, teams and business figures in the world to create businesses with meaning and impact. I look forward to contributing to their investing activities across their sports, media and entertainment properties.

“My love for the Rossoneri will never die, and the opportunity to be a part of its future in a meaningful way is something I could only have dreamed of.

“I have greatly admired the commitment, passion and hard work RedBird and Senior Management have demonstrated since acquiring the club. This is not a decision that I take lightly – it is one which is very important and personal to me and my family.

“I’ve thought long and hard about the first steps in my post-playing career, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to start that journey as a member of RedBird and AC Milan. For me and my family, this is truly a homecoming with the cherished club where I ended my playing career and am now starting my next chapter.”

Aston Villa’s stunning home form stretched to a club-record 15 games as Saturday’s success against Arsenal took them into elite Premier League company.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at fortress Villa Park.

Record run

Going into their midweek game against Manchester City, Villa’s run of 13 home league wins dating back to last season was already their longest of the Premier League era – but with the champions and their main challengers coming to Birmingham back-to-back, the fun looked set to end.

Instead, winners from Leon Bailey and John McGinn saw Villa kick on to the longest run in their history as their resurgence under manager Unai Emery gathers pace.

Crystal Palace, Brighton and Fulham, twice apiece, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Tottenham, Everton, West Ham and Luton are their other victims.

They have scored 39 goals – conceding only seven, and never more than one in a game. Ollie Watkins is their top scorer in that time with nine goals, one ahead of Douglas Luiz.

Elite company

Villa’s streak ranks among the five longest home winning runs in the Premier League era, with Emery matching Pep Guardiola’s recently concluded streak of 15 with City – who won 10 straight to end last season and their first five this term before draws with Liverpool and Tottenham.

Next in Villa’s sights is Manchester United’s 19 successive home wins between October 2010 and October 2011 – a far cry from United’s current home form.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had the chance to stretch their run to 20 and a full year with maximum points at Old Trafford, only for the run to end in astonishing style as Mario Balotelli inspired City to a 6-1 derby romp.

City hit 20 earlier in their current era of dominance, Roberto Mancini’s side with a perfect Etihad Stadium record from March 2011 to March 2012 when Sunderland, vanquished 5-0 earlier in the sequence, drew 3-3 – the only two points dropped on home soil that season by Mancini’s title-winners.

The record belongs to Liverpool, who won their final seven home games of 2018-19 as they pushed champions City all the way and then their first 17 of their title-winning 2019-20 season – again, the 1-1 draw with Burnley that ended the run marked their only dropped points at home.

They went on to win their next eight and went 68 league games, and over three-and-a-half years, unbeaten at Anfield before remarkably then losing six in a row – a warning to Villa regarding how suddenly things can change.

Good omens

Villa top this season’s home league table with eight wins from eight. Liverpool also have a perfect record but from seven games, while Newcastle have won seven out of eight.

They are third outright with 35 points, only the fifth time in their history they have had such an impressive record after 16 games.

The other occasions when, converting to three points for a win, they would have been on 35 or more are their 19th-century title-winning seasons of 1898-99 and 1899-1900, a runner-up finish in 1910-11 and their most recent title in 1980-81.

Giorgio Chiellini is delighted to see Juventus challenging at the Serie A summit again, but he struggles to see the Bianconeri winning the Scudetto this term.

Chiellini won nine Serie A titles during his distinguished spell with Juve, which came to an end at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season as he left for Los Angeles FC in MLS.

In their first season after the defender's departure, Juve finished seventh in Serie A, hampered by a 10-point deduction that was handed down following an investigation into the club's finances. 

However, Massimiliano Allegri has overseen a revival of their fortunes this campaign, with the Bianconeri sitting two points behind Inter at the top of Serie A after 15 games.

A 1-0 win over Napoli briefly took Juventus top on Friday, only for Inter to recapture the lead by thrashing Udinese 4-0.

While Chiellini has been impressed by his former club's resurgence, he believes toppling the Nerazzurri is a tough ask.

"It will be hard," he told Stats Perform.

"If they can be as consistent as Inter, if they arrive in that situation in March, I think it could be a possibility, but it's hard following a team for many months in a row. 

"We'll see, we'll see. I'm very happy obviously that they are having a good season and I hope they can finish first and win the title. 

"I think the key is the consistency of Inter, who are by far the favourites for the league." 

Juventus' off-pitch problems have refused to go away this term, though, with midfielder Paul Pogba suspended by the club after testing positive for heightened levels of testosterone following a win over Udinese in August.

Pogba's B sample also returned a positive test result, and he could face a ban of between two and four years if found guilty of doping.

Chiellini was a team-mate of Pogba's during the Frenchman's first spell in Turin between 2012 and 2016, and he says the midfielder's current situation is sad to see.

Asked how he responded to Pogba's positive test, Chiellini said: "I just text him because I knew him as a kid, from when he was 19. I love him as a good guy and I'm very sad for the situation. 

"I don't know other things, just what is public, because I cannot ask him; 'What happened? Did you do this?' It's something very bad. 

"I just ask people to be close to him and give support to him. I'm very sad and I don't know how to finish this type of situation. Everyone who has known Paul in his life will be very sad about what's happening."

Aston Villa are just two points off the Premier League summit after their victory over Arsenal on Saturday.

Not only did Villa boss Unai Emery get one over his former club but the 1-0 triumph saw his side extend their winning league run at home to 15 games.

Emery and his players are not entertaining talk of a surprise title run but, here, the PA news agency looks at how Villa are defying the odds to fight at the top of the table.

What impact has Emery had?

When Emery was chosen to replace Steven Gerrard in the Villa Park hotseat last November, the club were among the sides that could have been dragged into a relegation battle. The Spaniard, however, turned things around and Villa finished the season in seventh, qualifying for the Europa Conference League. This season, things have improved even more, and since Emery’s arrival he has overseen 26 wins from his 41 Premier League games in charge.

Who has shone under Emery?

Any team wanting to compete towards the top of the table is likely to need a prolific goalscorer – and Villa can call on Ollie Watkins as the man to consistently find the back of the net. Emery can again lay claim to helping the England striker improve his output and the 27-year-old has hit eight Premier League goals this season, while also laying on six assists. Watkins has also seemingly taken the spot as back-up to Harry Kane in the England squad and he will be keen to continue his club form in the hopes of heading to Euro 2024 next summer.

Anyone else?

Several players inherited by Emery have improved under the Spaniard – the likes of Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and the aforementioned Watkins, for example. Villa also added Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby in the summer with the trio playing their part in helping Emery’s side make improvements. Emery can also call on World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez, who was also crowned the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon D’Or ceremony last month.

Hitting a home run

Villa have won all 15 of their Premier League home games since losing 4-2 to Arsenal in February. It is a club-record run that has turned them into, at this stage of the season, bona fide title contenders. In the space of four days, Villa beat reigning champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal to show they can mix it with the best the league has to offer.

What are their festive fixtures like?

Villa have a great chance to further extend their winning home run as relegation-threatened pair Sheffield United and Burnley are next up at Villa Park. A trip to Brentford on Sunday follows the final game of their Europa Conference League group, where they travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina to take on Zrinjski Mostar knowing a point is enough to progress as group winners. They then face a Boxing Day trip to Manchester United but, with Old Trafford no longer the fortress it once was, Villa will fancy their chances.

Italy great Giorgio Chiellini believes the Azzurri have a bright future ahead of them and says critics have been overly pessimistic regarding their chances at Euro 2024.

Chiellini captained Italy as they overcame England in the final of Euro 2020, but the Azzurri have not been widely tipped to retain their crown after enduring a difficult few years.

Having missed out on the last two World Cups, Italy somewhat scraped their way through qualifying for next year's tournament in Germany, losing home and away to England and requiring a nervy 0-0 draw with Ukraine on the final matchday to avoid the playoffs.

Ahead of Luciano Spalletti's first major tournament in charge, Italy have been drawn to face Spain, Croatia and Albania in a difficult-looking group, but Chiellini believes reports of the Azzurri's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

"I know the Italian draw very well. Croatia and Spain are good teams with experience, with good players," the defender told Stats Perform.

"Albania is our biggest friend that we face. We are very happy that they joined the Euros. I have a lot of Albanian friends and they deserve it. We have to respect that. 

"Obviously, we will try to pass through the group, arrive in the quarter-finals and then we'll see. We have seen also in the last [Euros], we were lucky. 

"I guess also in the round of 16 [against Austria], and we were lucky to win on penalties in the last two games, but at the end we deserved to win. 

"There is a good cycle, a new cycle, with good young players. I think that could be a good spine for the national team. 

"I don't know if they need maybe more time to be in the right moment and in their prime to win, but there is a bright future for the Italian national team."  

Asked who excited him most in the current Italy setup, Chiellini said: "I think [Gianluigi] Donnarumma is by far the best young goalkeeper that we could have and he's really special.

"[Alessandro] Bastoni is a fantastic defender and we have a lot of amazing midfielders. [Marco] Verratti is just 31, he's not 40 like me! We have a good midfield.

"[Federico] Chiesa is someone that could break every line in every moment of the game. Italy have a good team. 

"Now I hope that there are new faces arriving because we have a good academy for the national team, with players coming through. 

"We have a good coach, everything is good. Sometimes in Italy, we are too pessimistic with the team and we talk badly, but I think that we have a bright future and a really good team."

Erik ten Hag is confident his inconsistent but talented Manchester United side can beat Bayern Munich to stay in Europe as they pray for a Champions League miracle.

The Red Devils’ Group A campaign has been punctuated by goals, madness and mistakes, leaving their hopes of reaching the knockout phase hanging by a thread.

United have just four points and sit bottom of the pool heading into the final match against already-qualified Bayern, meaning progress is out of their hands.

Ten Hag’s men need to become the first side to beat the German outfit in a Champions League group game since September 2017 and hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw in the other game.

United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win on a night that the Dutchman is heading into without thinking about the impact of failing to qualify from the group.

He said: “I don’t know. What I know is I never think in a negative scenario. We think positive, so we know what to do.

“We have to win to stay in Europe, so it’s all about that.

“We will prepare the team with that feeling and with that belief that we are able to do it and I think we have shown in the last weeks when we are on our best then we can do it.”

United limp into this match on the back of Saturday’s awful 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, which led Ten Hag to admit his team were not good enough to be consistent high performers.

But the Dutchman remains confident his side possesses the quality to beat the best as they look to end Bayern’s competition record 39-match unbeaten group-stage run.

“It’s our team (that gives me hope),” Ten Hag said. “We are not consistent. Clear.

“But we have also a very good performance and highs, so if we get it when we are in the right spirit, then we are able to do it and we are able to beat any opponent.

“The game against Chelsea (gives me belief), the game against Everton, even the game against Galatasaray.

“So, I know this team can perform really at high levels and it’s not that we did it three months ago. No, we did it last week, so I know we can do it.

“When we have the right mood, we have the right spirit, it starts with the right attitude, if everyone is ready for it, we are able to do it.”

United’s previous two Champions League matches have been on the road – a 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen at a rocking Parken Stadium before receiving their ‘Welcome to Hell’ in Turkey a fortnight ago.

Ten Hag’s men blew a two-goal lead in a frustrating 3-3 draw at hostile Galatasaray and the Red Devils boss stressed the importance of the Old Trafford crowd on Tuesday.

“I think Old Trafford is not a nice place to come for an opponent, and we are aware of it,” Ten Hag said.

“It starts with us but then, of course, you hope that the fans we are together.

“As long as I’m here, I always have the feeling we are absolutely together. There’s a very strong bond between the team and the fans.

“They’re always behind this, even when we have big setbacks. They’re staying behind us, they’re supporting us, so very happy with that.

“But we have to take the responsibility. It starts with us, we have to energise them.”

United are still juggling with a number of key injuries as they prepare to host Bayern and travel to rivals Liverpool on Sunday, with Victor Lindelof a doubt having missed the Bournemouth defeat through injury.

“It’s a condensed programme, so we have a training (to come),” Ten Hag said.

“So in this moment, I’m not sure about everyone and who is available for tomorrow.

“So, a question mark is, for instance, on Victor Lindelof if he can make it or not.

“We have to wait and to see until tomorrow, then we know.”

Scotland will meet the Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March friendlies next year as they step up preparations for Euro 2024.

Steve Clarke’s side will visit the Dutch on Friday, March 22, with the venue to be confirmed by the hosts in the near future.

Hampden will then host its first men’s international of the year when Northern Ireland visit on Tuesday, March 26, Scotland announced on Monday.

The Scots are in the process of arranging further friendlies in early June ahead of the showpiece tournament that gets under way in Germany later that month.

Scotland last faced the Dutch in June 2021 when they drew 2-2 in a friendly prior to the last European Championship, while their last meeting with Northern Ireland was a friendly at Hampden in 2015 when Christophe Berra secured a 1-0 win.

Manchester United’s comprehensive defeat by Bournemouth means they have lost more home league games in the 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement than they did in his 21 Premier League seasons at Old Trafford.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the declining status of the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

Home invasion

While Ferguson took charge of United in 1986, United’s dominant era began after the top flight’s breakaway and rebranding in 1992.

From that point until his retirement in 2013, United lost only 34 home Premier League games at an average of 1.6 per season.

Bournemouth on Saturday inflicted the 35th in less than 10 and a half seasons since with a 3-0 rout of Erik ten Hag’s side that could have been even more emphatic.

It was the Cherries’ first ever win at Old Trafford and Andoni Iraola’s side are by no means the first of the Premier League’s lesser names to shock United at home since Ferguson’s exit.

While Manchester City have six wins on enemy turf and Liverpool and Tottenham three each, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all suffered home defeats to West Brom while Crystal Palace twice defeated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team and also won 1-0 this season.

The teams to win three times or more at Old Trafford in Ferguson’s Premier League tenure are topped by Chelsea with six wins and Liverpool four. Arsenal and Man City managed three apiece and even the one surprise name, Middlesbrough, were in an era when they won a League Cup and could boast players such as Juninho, Gaizka Mendieta and Alen Boksic in their line-ups.

United have already lost at home this season to Brighton, Palace, Man City and Bournemouth. Only once under Ferguson did they lose four or more Premier League home games in a season, six in 2001-02.

They topped that mark in the first season after his departure with seven, and also had six in 2020-21 and four in 2021-22.

Solskjaer’s reign accounts for 13 of the 35 home losses, with six for Moyes and Ten Hag joining his countryman Van Gaal on five. Mourinho had four, with one each for Giggs and Ralf Rangnick.

Season of struggle

United’s seven losses in 16 games home and away is their most at this stage of a Premier League season – indeed, on 19 occasions out of 31 they have gone a full campaign with fewer defeats.

The last time United racked up as many losses this early was in 1989-90, when they finished 13th but an FA Cup win saved Ferguson’s job.

They have a negative goal difference at this stage – scoring 18 league goals and conceding 21 – for the first time since 1986-87, when Ferguson replaced the sacked Ron Atkinson.

Scott McTominay is their Premier League top scorer with five goals. Bruno Fernandes (three) and Marcus Rashford (two) are the only other players to score more than once, ranking joint-lowest with Sheffield United, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace in that category.

They are the only team in England’s top four tiers not to have drawn a league game this season and that run stretches 23 games in all, since April’s 2-2 draw with Spurs. That is United’s longest such run since the 1934-35 season.

The final round of fixtures in the group stages of this season’s European competitions take place this week.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what is at stake for the British clubs involved.

Champions League

It is crunch time for Manchester United and Newcastle in their bids to reach the knockout stages.

Erik ten Hag’s inconsistent side must beat Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday and hope the clash between Copenhagen and Galatasaray ends in a draw to leapfrog both and progress from Group A.

Defeat would end United’s European campaign without even the consolation of a Europa League place.

Newcastle, third in Group F, need to beat AC Milan at St James’ Park on Wednesday to have any hope of going through but that will not be enough if second-placed Paris St Germain overcome Borussia Dortmund.

Having already qualified as winners of their groups, the pressure is off for Arsenal and Manchester City as they travel to PSV Eindhoven and Red Star Belgrade respectively.

Winless Celtic are condemned to last place in Group E and sign off by hosting a Feyenoord side certain to finish third.

Europa League

Rangers travel to Group C leaders Real Betis with qualification on the line.

Victory would seal it for Philippe Clement’s side but anything less would open the door for Sparta Prague, who face bottom side Aris Limassol.

West Ham and Brighton are already through but top spots in their respective Groups A and B – which mean avoiding a play-off tie against a team dropping out of the Champions League – are still to be determined.

The Hammers’ clash with Freiburg and Brighton’s meeting with Marseille, both at home, are effectively shootouts for first place.

Liverpool are already guaranteed top place in Group E regardless of their result at Belgian league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise.

Europa Conference League

Aston Villa have already secured their place in the knockout stages and will win Group E if they avoid defeat at Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar.

Aberdeen, who are out of contention, end their campaign at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Eddie Howe has vowed to turnaround Newcastle’s poor away form after defeat at Tottenham, but backed his injury-hit team to bounce back in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with AC Milan.

Howe was able to welcome back Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson into his matchday squad on Sunday, although remained without 10 first-teamers for the 4-1 loss in north London.

It made it five defeats in eight away Premier League matches this season, but there is little time for Newcastle to lick their wounds with a must-win clash against AC Milan in midweek.

Magpies chief Howe acknowledged: “It is up to us to find the answers to that. Yeah, I can’t defend it, I can’t defend it so I won’t.

“We will have to (lift ourselves for Wednesday).

“Football is a game decided on big moments and we haven’t been right in those big moments in the last two matches.

“Previous to that, we have been and I think our away form will turn because we’re a very good team, but we need to continue with our good home form because it’s the bedrock of what we’ve been doing. We don’t want anything to affect that.”

Howe has played the same 10 outfield players in each of the last five matches and defended his decision to name an unchanged team after Thursday’s loss at Everton.

He was able to introduce Longstaff (foot) and Wilson (thigh) for the final 30 minutes of the defeat to Tottenham and admitted he is hopeful of getting more players back in the coming weeks.

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“If I make changes, I want to make changes that benefit the team. Everyone I picked wanted to play, felt able to play and had no issues, but of course I understand the backlog and fatigue that can build,” Howe added.

“We can’t afford any more injuries to the players we have fit. We need more players back so hopefully that will be the case over the next few weeks.”

England forward Wilson did survive a poor challenge by Spurs defender Cristian Romero on the 80-minute mark, but Howe side-stepped talk of whether it could have been a red card.

Howe admitted: “I only saw it live. I don’t want to see players sent off, unless it is dangerous.

“It looked high and looked reckless and I am very pleased Callum seemed to not be affected by it.”

While Newcastle were left to reflect on back-to-back defeats, Tottenham toasted a first victory in six matches.

There could be more disruption on the horizon though with managerless Swansea expected to step up their pursuit of Ange Postecoglou’s number two Chris Davies this week.

But Postecoglou insisted: “Ah mate, I have not thought about that, not for an instance. I doubt Chris has as well.

“We will deal with that when the time comes. This is the Premier League and if you’re not in it 100 per cent, if you slip a little bit, you will pay a price and our focus has firmly been on a strong performance and getting a result.”

What the papers say

The potential ins and outs at Manchester United continue to keep the rumour mill turning. The Sun reports Manchester City’s England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, 28, is top of next summer’s shopping list.

An Old Trafford move could also be on the cards for RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda, 23. The Mirror says the Belgium striker could be a replacement for Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial.

Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 30, has emerged as a possible target for Newcastle, according to The Star. His England colleague Nick Pope is out for much of the season with a shoulder injury.

Fulham are keen on Le Havre defender Arouna Sangante. The Sun reports the club are increasing their interest in the 21-year-old Senegalese centre-half.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Tajon Buchanan: Manchester City are keen on a January move for Club Brugge’s Canada winger, 24, reports The Star.

Caylen Vickers: Real Madrid are poised to make a move for the Reading forward, 18, according to The Sun.

Girona moved back to the top of LaLiga as they shocked Catalan rivals Barcelona with a 4-2 win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

With Real Madrid having only been able to draw at Real Betis on Saturday, Michel’s well-drilled side made the most of their opportunity with a brilliant display after taking an early lead through Artem Dovbyk.

Although Robert Lewandowski soon headed in an equaliser, left-back Miguel Gutierrez fired the visitors back in front before half-time and substitute Valery added a late third.

Ilkay Gundogan pulled one back for Barca in stoppage time, but Cristhian Stuani knocked in Girona’s fourth to seal a memorable victory.

Following a 13th league win of a superb campaign so far, Girona sit two points clear of Real Madrid, while Barcelona drop seven points off the pace.

After a lively start, it was Girona who went ahead following a swift counter attack in the 12th minute.

Viktor Tsygankov timed his run down the right perfectly to stay onside before crossing for fellow Ukrainian Dovbyk to knock the ball in off the far post.

Barcelona produced a swift response as Raphinha brought a smart save from Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga before Lewandowski headed in an equaliser from a corner in the 19th minute.

Despite all of Barcelona’s possession, Girona remained a threat on the break with Miguel Gutierrez flashing a drive across goal and just wide of the far post.

Joao Cancelo weaved into the left side of the Girona penalty area, but Gazzaniga stood up to make a block at the near post.

Full-back Gutierrez flashed another low shot just wide before he fired Girona back in front – five minutes before the break – with a fierce 18-yard drive after surging forwards down the left.

Barcelona started the second half on the front foot as Frenkie De Jong – who moved alongside Johan Cruyff’s total of 139 league appearances for the Blaugrana – and Gundogan both tested Gazzaniga with low drives from the edge of the penalty area.

Germany midfielder Gundogan then cut a shot across goal and just wide as the hosts continued to search for an equaliser.

Girona, though, stunned the home fans once again by scoring a third with 10 minutes left.

This time it was move direct with Stuani nodding down a long drop kick from Gazzaniga into the path of fellow substitute Valery, who got to the ball ahead of Jules Kounde at the edge of the area to slot past Inaki Pena.

Savio had a chance to add a fourth, but smashed his shot straight at Barcelona goalkeeper Pena, the ball striking him in the face from point-blank range.

Gundogan pulled one back for Barca in stoppage time before Lewandowski headed wide and Stuani then knocked in Girona’s fourth at the far post following a free-kick into the box.

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has said the idea of the club sacking boss Erik ten Hag is “absolute nonsense”.

United suffered their 11th defeat of the season in all competitions, and seventh in the Premier League, on Saturday as they crashed to a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.

Neville says there is “no way” Ten Hag should be sacked this term and pointed the finger at United’s owners the Glazer family.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said of Ten Hag: “I fear for him generally, not really just because of this week (when United play Bayern Munich and Liverpool). Just more generally around the way in which a cycle is repeating itself again.

“I hope that somehow Erik ten Hag can turn it around this season and that ultimately he can improve what’s happening at the moment – or else he will be in trouble, it’s just inevitable. We’ve seen it with (previous United managers) Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), Jose (Mourinho) and Louis van Gaal.

“There’s no way they should change him this season, this idea of sacking him is absolute nonsense. I wouldn’t be in favour of that.

“The lack of leadership and structure above him…I know people say you can’t blame the Glazers – yeah you can. You can because 10 years of failure, of miserable recruitment comes down to the fact they have not got a sporting director, a proper head of recruitment in place.

“That is why this happens. Ultimately managers look above them and think ‘I haven’t got anyone there to help me so I might as well just try and do it myself’.

“This is all down to the leadership. If it happened once, fair enough, if it happened twice you would ask a question, but this is five times, five times in 10 years.”

It is expected that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of 25 per cent stake at the Old Trafford club will be announced soon, with him acquiring significant control over footballing operations.

Neville added: “He has got to come in and sort this out, and you wonder how he is going to be able to pull it out of it, that’s the concern I have.

“What we need is a change of structure at the top, that will hopefully happen in the next few weeks, hopefully that will change the way in which the sporting project is looked at because you can’t come in and leave everything as is.

“And maybe, with some leadership and structure around the club, Manchester United could have some sort of ability to cope with the other clubs who recruit a lot better and do business a lot better.”

Richarlison fired Tottenham to a first win since October 27 with a brace to inspire a 4-1 victory over Newcastle.

Spurs were Premier League leaders at the beginning of November, but had endured a barren run since after a succession of injuries and failed to win any of their last five matches despite taking the lead in each fixture.

It was a different story this time with Ange Postecoglou’s team selection paying dividends with the recalled Richarlison scoring twice after Destiny Udogie had broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.

Son Heung-min set up two of those goals after being moved back to the left wing and grabbed his 10th goal of the campaign with five minutes left from the penalty spot before Joelinton hit a stoppage-time consolation for Eddie Howe’s side.

Richarlison had one shot blocked and another deflected wide inside five minutes before Newcastle almost took the lead in the ninth minute.

Not long after Bruno Guimaraes had rifled over from 22 yards, Anthony Gordon broke the hosts’ offside trap, but Spurs defender Ben Davies got the faintest of touches to his cross and it was enough to put off Alexander Isak at the back post.

Postecoglou’s side regrouped after as Cristian Romero’s header was cleared off the line, while Son and Brennan Johnson fizzed dangerous balls across the face of goal shortly before the breakthrough.

Udogie passed out to Son on the left wing and the Spurs captain worked a yard of space to cross in for the defender to slot home from close range for his first goal for the club.

It was nothing new Tottenham taking the lead, having done so in 10 matches in a row now, but getting the second goal had been more difficult of late.

Newcastle threatened through Joelinton before the second goal arrived for Spurs in the 38th minute and it was all about Richarlison.

He won possession back on the halfway line before Tottenham moved the ball quickly out to Son, who again got the better of former team-mate Kieran Trippier to tee up the Tottenham number nine to sweep home.

It was only Richarlison’s sixth goal since his £60million transfer from Everton last year, but crucially gave Postecoglou’s team a two-goal cushion and it could have been 3-0 moments later.

Pape Sarr robbed Joelinton of possession and passed into Johnson, who fizzed an effort from 22 yards that skimmed the outside of the far post.

Newcastle came out with improved intent after the break, but their spirit was broken on the hour mark.

Pedro Porro was the architect with a wonderful crossfield pass into Richarlison, who got enough of a touch to bring the ball into his path and slide under Martin Dubravka for his second goal.

The shackles were firmly off now and Johnson side-footed against the inside of the post before Son flashed a volley across goal, which sparked a change by Howe with Callum Wilson introduced.

There was still time for more from Postecoglou’s men when Son was sent through and despite a heavy touch, he got beyond Dubravka and won a spot-kick which he converted.

Newcastle had the final say on proceedings when Joelinton slotted home in the first minute of stoppage time after Wilson’s assist, but Spurs returned to winning ways in style.

Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea need more transfer window surgery in January to lift them out of the malaise which has left them 12th in the table and well adrift of Champions League qualification.

A 2-0 loss at Everton was their seventh Premier League defeat of the season and bridging the 14-point gap to Manchester City in fourth looks near-impossible for a side short of goals and consistency.

Chelsea have spent over £1billion in the last three transfer windows but many of those preceded Pochettino’s summer arrival and he wants his own players in to help kick-start his Stamford Bridge rejuvenation.

“This was a game to win. It’s a problem we need to check. We need to talk and to try and improve in the next transfer market,” he said.

“We are dealing with this. After five months, or the first half of the season, we need to check and that’s the reality. If we are not aggressive enough (on the pitch) maybe we need to do something.”

Asked specifically about the coming window he added: “Some movement. That’s a thing to analyse with the sporting director and the owner and see what we can do to change the dynamic and improve the second half of the season.

“Our reality now is mid-table and if we want to go up we have to push ourselves. When the transfer window opens (we will) see what we can do.

“I’m not saying I’m going to ask for more players or less players but it is to see if perception matches reality.

“If perception here (indicating one point on a line) and reality is here (indicating another point) then we are missing something in the middle. Sometimes it’s good, a reality check.

“It is a new project, a new team with too many circumstances against us. That’s the reality, too many problems and circumstances from the beginning of the season.

“It’s not as easy to build something new, that is why it is about being strong in that we assess and be clever and take decisions to try to improve in the second part of the season, to be more competitive and get the results a club like Chelsea deserves.”

Pochettino’s side had 72 per cent possession and had 16 shots but only four on target compared to Everton’s five on target from nine.

Despite their territorial dominance the visitors never really looked like troubling Jordan Pickford and goals from Abdoulaye Doucoure and substitute Lewis Dobbin, his first in the Premier League, gave Everton a third win in just over a week.

“We need to score if we want to win a game and be in a different position in the table because we played well and dominated the game against a difficult team in Everton and were much better than them but in the end you need to score,” added Pochettino, who lost full-backs Reece James and Marc Cucurella and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to injury.

Everton boss Sean Dyche did not disagree with Pochettino’s assessment but revelled in the way his side kept them at arm’s length and then took opportunities when they came.

He said: “They are a very good team, without a shadow of doubt. Better in some ways. They kept the ball, they have technically-good players, have spent a fortune on players and he’s a top manager so I wouldn’t dispute his opinion.

“To find another way of winning against a side like Chelsea is very pleasing and under all that is a very firm mentality that is growing all the time.”