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Al-Hilal have finished the Saudi Pro League season unbeaten despite losing Brazil star Neymar to injury.

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Al-Hilal secure Saudi Pro LeagueHave been without Neymar through injuryFinished the campaign without a defeatWHAT HAPPENED?

Al-Hilal rounded off an impressive 2023-24 campaign with a 2-1 win against Al-Wehda on Monday. Mohamed Kanno opened the scoring before Yahya Naji levelled proceedings in the second half. The unbeaten record was then guaranteed by a late winner from substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic in added time – his 28th goal of the season. They were crowned Saudi Pro League champions earlier on in the season with a 12-point gap separating them and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr ahead of the final game of the campaign.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

An unbeaten league-winning campaign is an impressive accomplishment when you consider the injury that ruled Neymar out for the season. The 32-year-old Brazilian suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October and had been ruled out for the remainder of the season. He could also miss the start of next season. Al-Hilal would embark on an impressive season regardless of losing their marquee summer signing, winning 31 games and drawing three.

DID YOU KNOW?

This was the 19th Saudi Pro League title for Al-Hilal in their history. The team had also embarked on a record-breaking run of 34 consecutive wins across all competitions – but this came to an end in April following a 4-2 defeat to Al Ain in the Asian Champions League.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR AL-HILAL?

Al-Hilal will aim to finish the season with another win in the King Cup against Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr side. The game will take place on May 31.

Surface may be biggest possible leveller for final in which England are favourites

George Dobell at Lord's13-Jul-2019If there is one man as nervous as the two teams on Sunday morning, it will surely be Karl McDermott.You could be forgiven for not having heard of McDermott. But he is the new Lord’s groundsman having been appointed at the end of the 2018 season. And, as a result, he is the man charged with producing the surface for Sunday’s World Cup final.That surface looked, at first glance on Saturday, surprisingly green. At second glance, too. And while Eoin Morgan insisted “it looks greener than it is” and the grass will be cut again before the toss, it was a sight to have any seamer salivating.New Zealand gather for a team meeting at Lord’s on the eve of the World Cup final•Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFPBoth teams have good seam attacks, of course. But the most obvious area where New Zealand could damage England is through Trent Boult and Matt Henry nipping the new balls around on a helpful surface. So a green pitch – one that ‘plays’ green, anyway – might be considered the biggest possible leveller ahead of a game in which England are the favourites.England have made no secret of their preference for good batting tracks. So while they have a seam attack more than capable of exploiting helpful conditions – they proved that in the semi-final demolition of Australia – they also feel they have an attack capable of performing well on flat tracks. They have the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood; they have the control and reliability of Chris Woakes; they have the leg-spin of Adil Rashid; they have the awkward variations of Liam Plunkett. They’re not really looking for any help from the surface.Much the same could be said of New Zealand’s attack. But while their bowlers can do a decent job on any surface, if this match turns out to be a sprint between the batsmen of either side on a good batting pitch, there is only one winner. New Zealand have not reached 300 all tournament. It would surely be to their advantage if this match is played on a surface offering assistance to the bowlers. “Usually, it’s a fairly fair surface here,” Kane Williamson said. “But one that guys need to adapt quickly to; perhaps encouraging to seam bowlers on both sides.”Also read: Preview – It all comes down to this – and it had to be these two teamsNone of this is to suggest McDermott has erred in his preparations. He has an excellent reputation – he started his career at Clontarf in Dublin and has more recently been head groundsman at The Ageas Bowl, where he produced the track used in the 2016 Test against India – and, in general, this pitch offers less assistance to bowlers than its appearance may promise. His intention, no doubt, is to ensure it has decent pace and does not dry out. There is no suggestion – quite the opposite actually – that the ICC have intervened at any stage to request more bowler-friendly surfaces in this tournament. All groundsmen have insisted they have been left to their own devices to produce the best possible pitches.But it is, perhaps, a surface that leaves both captains with a tricky decision to make at the toss. The team batting first has won 28 of the 43 completed matches in this World Cup – and the last five ODIs at the venue – with the pressure of chasing in high-profile games (and on, at times, deteriorating pitches) proving stifling. And while Australia put on 123 for their first wicket here when England inserted them in the group stages a couple of weeks ago, they had to come through a torrid first hour to do so. Had England’s seamers bowled just a little fuller – and, to be fair, had Australia’s batsmen not been so resilient – they may well have made match-defining breakthroughs in those opening overs.They may also be mindful of the ODI between England and South Africa here two years ago. After 30 minutes of that game, England were 20 for 6 and the match was as good as over. England are a better, more adaptable, more intelligent side than that now, but this surface did evoke memories of that one.The early start may be relevant, too. Domestic Lord’s finals – particularly those held towards the end of the summer – earned a reputation of providing disproportionate assistance to the team bowling first. Those 10.30am starts meant the pitches retained just enough overnight dew to help bowlers in the first hour. All too often those matches were a case of ‘win the toss; win the game.’ There’s a reason ODIs in England and Wales do not usually start before 11am. The semi-final at Edgbaston provided an echo of those days.Morgan, who as a Middlesex player knows this ground better than most, seemed pretty relaxed about the pitch. “From afar it looks greener than it is,” Morgan said. “It will look different if the sun comes out in a few hours.” The sun didn’t come out, though; not much, anyway. By the time the covers were pulled on, it still looked almost identical to the pitch used for the group game between England and Australia. If the old adage is right that you should always look up, rather than down, to judge what the ball may do at Lord’s – ie, atmospheric conditions may be more relevant than pitch conditions – England may be reassured that the forecast suggests a warm and bright day ahead. Whether such sayings owe more to superstition than science is debatable.It was telling, though, that Lord’s was not among Morgan’s favoured venues for this ODI team when listed recently. For while England have amassed high totals and enjoyed partisan support elsewhere (The Oval, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston were the venues he said his side most enjoying playing), no side has made 330 here since the last World Cup and, since the turn of the century, 300 has only been reached seven times.The point of all this? England have built their reputation – to a large extent, anyway – upon amassing vast totals on flat batting tracks. There is little evidence – either historically or visually – that this is such a track. England undoubtedly have the ability win, but they may be called to adapt to the surface to do so.

The hosts began their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, with four half-centuries, an astonishing boundary catch, and the birth of a new superstar

The Report by Alagappan Muthu30-May-2019
As it happenedAmbles in like Bambi. Hunts wickets like a zombie. Jofra Archer is #BambiZombie. And the opening match of the 2019 World Cup was all the richer for it.By the end of the game – which England won by 104 runs – the mood at The Oval was well beyond festive. They’d found a match-winner. Across formats. For years to come. they’d seen their firestarter up to his old tricks.Ben Stokes was the top scorer of the day. But that wasn’t his most eye-catching contribution. Scroll down the scorecard to Andile Phehlukwayo’s dismissal. Doesn’t say much, does it? Caught Stokes bowled Rashid. Yawn.Now trawl through the internet – go into its darkest corners if necessary – and watch as the allrounder tracks a brutally hit slog-sweep on the midwicket boundary. Marvel as he never takes his eyes off it. And gasp as he times his jump perfectly. Then brace yourself for about half an hour’s disbelief as he sticks his right hand up over his head, and behind him, to come away with a catch that will be talked about for ages. Just like the #OhMyBroad one.South Africa, at that point, were 180 for 7. They’d given the chase of 312 a proper go, with Quinton de Kock announcing his claim to be part of the next generation’s Fab Four with a half-century that was highlighted by his maturity in respecting the bowling when it was difficult and punishing it when it gave him the slightest chance. A lofted cover drive for six off Liam Plunkett was a particularly ringing endorsement of his monster talent.But even he had to be shoved into the background as Archer burst onto the stage and demanded everyone’s attention. Especially the other eight oppositions’.As England’s batting revolution was waving bye-bye to uncharted territory and bounding into the never-before-imagined, there has been fear that the bowling wouldn’t keep up. Their seam attack felt samey. It needed something different; something radical. Archer is exactly that.He generates pace out of nowhere; 90 mph of it. A bouncer in the fourth over of the chase hit Hashim Amla flush on the grille. It was too quick for him. Too quick for an all-time legend. And made him retire hurt. Then Archer sprung the same trap on the South African captain. A short ball surprised Faf du Plessis and had him caught at long leg. After decades of being decimated by raw pace – Allan Donald, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Holding – England now have their own bonafide speed demon.Ben Stokes punches one into the leg side•Getty ImagesArcher finished with 3 for 27 in seven overs, including a maiden.Now, the other match-winner’s work didn’t particularly come to light until everything had ended. In fact, while Stokes was at the crease, it seemed like South Africa were on top. Having won the toss and decided to bowl, they went nearly 30 overs before realising that taking the pace off was the way to go.Sure, they surprised England, opening the innings with Imran Tahir. At 10.30 am. In early summer. On a green pitch. In England. And they got Jonny Bairstow out. That’s genius. That’s maximum lolz. That’s the bear you don’t notice in that Youtube video.But their fast bowlers took ages to realise that hitting the deck with offcutters was messing with the batsman’s timing. Stokes spent much of the innings dinking the ball around the field. Fifty-three of his 89 runs came in ones and twos. At the time, it seemed like he was being stifled, that his power game had been taken out by South Africa’s tactics.And while that was true, it almost escaped notice that Stokes was getting into rhythm.He got to his half-century with an audacious reverse-scoop off the bowling of Dwaine Pretorius, almost entirely because the wicketkeeper and third man had come up. There was a gap in the field and he exploited it. Batting 101. Four of England’s batsmen made fifties on one of the biggest days of the 50-over cricket calendar: Jason Roy (a punchy 54), Joe Root (a smooth 51) and Eoin Morgan (a ridiculously fluent 57 in his 200th ODI) were the others. But Stokes was the only one able to push on. And that was essentially because he’d understood the pitch was offering a bit of grip to the slower balls. In those situations, you can aim lower. You can defend 300. South Africa were bowled out for 207.England were billed as pre-tournament favourites because of their unrelenting batting line-up and that reputation should now grow because they have shown they can adapt to conditions when they aren’t 500-ish.

GOAL has tracked the progress of all of the key Americans in Europe throughout the 2023-24 season

For years, U.S. men's national team fans counted themselves lucky if they could watch one or two of their biggest stars shine in Europe. Now, any league you watch on any given day will have an American star on display.

It's a sign of the times, and a sign of the USMNT's growth. Each of Europe's top five leagues has at least one key American player. From England to Italy and seemingly everywhere in between, the USMNT has a presence.

This season, though, was a big one for those USMNT stars. The 2022 World Cup is now in the rearview mirror, but the Copa America is just weeks away. And then, the 2026 World Cup will be here before you know it, and that will be quite a spectacle on home soil.

This season, GOAL tracked all of the key Americans abroad as they made their way at club level – but who had the best campaign, and who had a year to forget?:

Getty36Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos) – 2/10 ⬇️

Palmer-Brown has been out since September with an injury, limiting him to just three league appearances for the Greek side. In general, the move hasn't been what anyone would have hoped due to that injury, which prevented the defender from seeing the field in the Europa League.

AdvertisementGetty Images35Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) – 3/10 ↔️

Just as Adams got healthy enough for his Bournemouth debut back in September, he suffered a setback that put him right back on the shelf. It was horrible luck for the midfielder, and for Bournemouth, who sure could have used him in the heart of their midfield for most of the season.

Adams did eventually come back, but he was never close to 100 percent, meaning his debut campaign was pretty much washed away.

Getty Images34Daryl Dike (West Brom) – 3/10 ↔️

A total nightmare. After coming back from injury, Dike was starting to find his feet again at West Brom. And then it happened again. Another year, another Achilles injury that will keep the striker out for an extended period of time.

It's horrible news for a really good player. For all of Dike's talents, he's lacking one key thing right now: a little bit of luck.

Getty Images33Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest) – 3/10 ⬇️

It was an awful season for Reyna. Playing time all but dried up at Borussia Dortmund and, for a while, it looked like his time at the club was done. Instead, Reyna made a loan move to Nottingham Forest in January, one designed to get him more playing time with an eye toward a Dortmund return.

It never happened. Reyna has been used even less by Forest than he was in Germany, as he almost exclusively made sporadic appearances off the bench. He could have gotten those at a better club in Dortmund, and one of the big storylines this summer will be Reyna's next move after a wasted 2023-24.

The midfielder is at the heart of an international battle as he looks to prove himself in MLS.

Is a future England midfielder currently developing in MLS? Could a kid from Arlington, Massachusetts someday line up next to Jude Bellingham in the Three Lions midfield?

Meet Noel Buck, the midfield star who could go from New England to…. well, England. Buck is currently a rising star with the New England Revolution, one who finds himself at the center of a potential recruiting battle.

At the moment, he's tied to England, having played for the Three Lions youth teams. He's still eligible for the U.S., though, so Gregg Berhalter and U.S. Soccer don't have reason to lose all hope just yet.

Where will Buck end up? It's too soon to tell, but the Revs star certainly has the potential to go far whichever country he plays for on the international level.

Getty ImagesWhat he's done

Raised in Arlington, Massachusetts, Buck has been a rising star within the Revs Academy since joining back in 2017. He'd shined for the club's reserves before signing his homegrown deal in January 2022 and it's all been up from there.

He scored his first goal that September to become the second youngest scorer in team history, but his real breakout came in 2023. At just 18, Buck featured in 32 total matches for the Revs, establishing himself as an integral member of the squad despite his youth.

His international future came into focus last September, though. Buck earned his first call-up to England's U-19s, having admitted that England had shown him more attention than U.S. Soccer. The son of a British father and an American mother, Buck is still eligible to represent the U.S. and Wales, but, as of now, England has his allegiance as he moves forward for club and country.

AdvertisementWhy he's here

If you're looking for a prototypical modern midfielder, it's Buck. He can contribute from a variety of positions and in a variety of roles, as many midfielders are asked to do in the modern game.

Buck is capable of playing as a six, eight or even out wide due to his technical ability. At 5'11", he also has a solid frame that will fill out even more as he gets older. He can also pop up with a goal or two as well as evidenced by his three goals last season, including this stunner:

Getty ImagesWho he reminds us of

Buck's father is a massive, massive Chelsea fan, so it's no surprise who the midfielder idolized all throughout his youth. Buck was raised on a steady diet of Frank Lampard highlights, and it's easy to see the influence the Blues legend had on his game.

These days, Buck also looks at another former Chelsea midfielder: Mason Mount. Like Mount, Buck is a midfielder who can make his mark in the attacking end, but is also capable of being a No. 8 if the system calls for it.

Can he reach the level of Mount or Lampard? It's way too soon to say, but you can certainly see those influences in his game.

What's next

Buck has earned interest from the Premier League, with those rumors beginning to fly after his run with the England U-19s. Tottenham have been among the clubs interested, but it's a safe assumption that clubs all over England are watching.

First, though, Buck will need to break back into the Revs XI. He's started just four matches so far this season under new coach Caleb Porter, who hasn't used the teenager as much as his predecessors. Can Buck earn his trust? It's a big storyline to watch, for sure.

If he regains that starting spot, it'll show plenty about Buck's character and development. Plenty on both side of the pond will be watching on as Buck looks to take another leap forward in 2024.

Opener unbeaten on 85 as Seaxes reach 151 for 3 after rain delays start

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2019Middlesex opener Sam Robson demonstrated his penchant for batting at Radlett again as he hit his highest first-class score of the season against Glamorgan.Robson – who scored a century at the same venue against Somerset in the Royal London One-Day Cup – was closing in on a second ton for the season, having compiled an unbeaten 85 on a truncated first day of County Championship cricket at the Cobden Hill ground.As well as playing at Radlett, the 29-year-old clearly enjoys taking on the Glamorgan attack – he notched 79 against them in white-ball cricket earlier in the season – and his latest effort enabled Middlesex to post 151 for 3 from 51 overs after being put in to bat.Rain in the morning postponed the arrival of first-class cricket at Radlett until 3pm, but it was little surprise that Glamorgan declined the toss of a coin and set about getting their bowlers warmed up.The recalled Marchant de Lange found some movement during a tidy opening spell, getting Stevie Eskinazi to push forward and miss on more than one occasion as the opener struggled to get off the mark.There were a few anxious moments for Eskinazi, who survived two lbw shouts by de Lange and was also dropped on 15, flashing hard outside off stump and getting a thick edge to third slip, where Charlie Hemphrey was unable to hold on.Despite those chances, the opening pair added 77 and seemed set to remain in tandem at the tea interval – only for David Lloyd to strike with the final ball of the session, removing Eskinazi lbw for 31.Nick Gubbins made a cagey start, getting under way with a bottom edge that flew to the boundary, but he managed just five before Graham Wagg produced a ball that nipped back and pinned him leg before.Dawid Malan might well have made an immediate return to the pavilion, opting to hook his first ball and watching in relief as it dropped short of Timm van der Gugten, fielding at long leg.However, the Middlesex skipper seemed to be into his stride and had just dispatched de Lange for a sweetly driven boundary when he feathered one through to Tom Cullen, who sprang in front of first slip to take the catch.Robson, having progressed to his half-century from 95 deliveries, continued to look strong on the off side and carved Lukas Carey for two boundaries to advance to 85 at the close, with Paul Stirling alongside him at the crease, unbeaten on three.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been put up as an example to follow for Manchester United players by Ben Foster as the squad is marred with several injuries.

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Ten Hag struggling with injuriesSeveral key players remain sidelinedFoster suggests Utd players lack Ronaldo's work ethicWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo, renowned for his relentless work ethic, exemplifies longevity and peak performance, even as he approaches 40. Foster attributed Ronaldo's remarkable fitness to his meticulous approach to training, which prioritises physical conditioning and injury prevention. And as United grapple with a wave of injuries, Foster has set Ronaldo's discipline and commitment to fitness as a model to follow for the current crop of players at Carrington.

AdvertisementGetty/InstagramWHAT FOSTER SAID

Speaking to , former Red Devils and Wrexham keeper Foster said of Ronaldo's approach behind the scenes: "He invests in himself as his own business and makes sure he has got everything boxed off. So it’s all looked after. So he very rarely will pick up an injury, because of that exact fact."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Club legend Wayne Rooney has accused United players of playing up their injuries and not putting in the hard yards in rehabilitation to expedite their return. Foster echoed the thoughts of the former striker and said: "I agree with Wayne Rooney, there are too many players happy to be injured."

However, he contends that the focus should be on preventing injuries in the first place through proactive measures, rather than solely on players' rehabilitation efforts.

"A lot of people see players getting injured and they go ‘oh, he’s so unlucky’," he added.

“And having been in football for 20-odd years, I think some of them are very unlucky. Some injuries, for sure. Yeah, they were unavoidable. But the vast majority can be prevented. The vast majority can be prevented by doing extra gym work, warm down, cool down prehab rehab, all that kind of stuff, preventative work in the gym to strengthen areas, and around areas so that you don’t get any, or a recurrence of an injury.”

DID YOU KNOW?

United have several first-team members unavailable due to injury including the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. Erik ten Hag has often cited the number of injuries affecting his team selection as his defence when questioned on United's poor performance. Moreover, he has even insisted that the ownership has "common sense" to retain him amid talk of an imminent sacking.

Giant quick signs after fellow Australia international Kane Richardson pulled out of planned T20 stint with Derbyshire

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2019Billy Stanlake, the towering Australia fast bowler, will replace compatriot Kane Richardson as one of Derbyshire’s overseas signings for this season’s Vitality Blast.Richardson was recently called into Australia’s World Cup squad, leading to him pulling out of his planned Derbyshire stint in order to manage his workload. The club have instead recruited Stanlake – who last year pulled out of a T20 deal with Yorkshire on Cricket Australia’s advice – for their Blast campaign alongside New Zealand allrounder Logan van Beek.”Billy is an excellent white-ball bowler and with his height and pace, he has the qualities to trouble batsmen in this format,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Dave Houghton, said.”He’s someone we’ve kept an eye on and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen. We were disappointed to lose Kane, but I believe we have found a replacement who will not only complement our side, but bring in new skills to keep taking us forward.”We’ve seen improvements already this summer and we want to continue that momentum into the Vitality Blast and reward our supporters with good performances.”Standing at over 2m tall and capable of bowling above 90mph, Stanlake has been capped in both white-ball formats for Australia, taking 25 wickets in 17 T20 internationals. He helped Adelaide Strikers win the Big Bash League in 2017-18 and has also featured at the IPL.His arrival will strengthen the hand of Derbyshire’s new T20 coach, Dominic Cork, who has taken over from John Wright looking to replicate their run to the knockout stages in 2017.”The T20 will come around fast now and I’m looking forward to getting going,” Stanlake said. “It’ll be my first experience of the tournament, and having spoken to the guys I know how important the competition is.”It’s a good side and a quick, bouncy track at Derby, so I hope to use my skills and contribute to performances out in the middle for Derbyshire.”

Opener’s attacking 80 sees Sussex overturn first-inning deficit of 79 and push on into useful lead

ECB Reporters Network06-Apr-2019A typically vigorous innings from Sussex opener Phil Salt helped dispel his side’s unhappy memories of their disappointing first-innings display against Leicestershire at Hove. Salt hit 11 fours and a hooked six off Will Davis as he and opening partner Tom Haines made light work of a first-innings deficit of 79.Salt’s dynamic 80 from 67 deliveries helped make up for his four-ball duck on the opening day. In the first over, he hit Chris Wright for three fours, straight, to third man and to backward-point. He scored 41 off 27 balls as he and Haines raised the 50. And the opening pair took just 16 overs to wipe off the arrears.As the Sussex press officer quipped: “We’ve had Greenidge and Haynes – now we have Salt and Haines!” And Salt, like the legendary West Indies openers, was brought up in Barbados.Salt’s tempo slowed, allowing Haines to catch up a little. But he still managed to reach his half-century off 41 deliveries. In a bid to stem the tide Leicestershire brought on offspinner Colin Ackerman to bowl the last over before tea, and with his fifth ball he had Haines lbw for 39.Ackermann removed Salt, too, with the score on 136 in the 29th over. It was a tame end to a vivid innings as he tapped a return catch to the bowler. But then the Leicestershire bowlers came up against another Sussex batsman with a point to prove. Luke Wells had also made a duck in his first innings, but he showed determination as he dug in with Stiaan van Zyl. The unbroken third-wicket partnership is so far worth 75, with both batsmen undefeated on 41.Leicestershire had started the cold and blustery second day on 131 for 5, 42 runs behind, and looked unlikely to reach their 252 when, in the fifth over of the morning, Harry Dearden, half-forward, was lbw to a ball from Ollie Robinson which kept a little low.But a seventh-wicket stand of 52 in 17 overs between Lewis Hill and Tom Taylor took them past the Sussex total. When Hill leg-glanced David Wiese for a single in the 14th over of the day Leicestershire went past the Sussex total. Hill took a battling hour to add the 10 runs he needed to reach his half-century.Sussex fought back with three wickets in seven overs. Spinner Danny Briggs bowled Hill, sweeping, for 67 and then Haines had Taylor lbw for 33. Gavin Griffiths was caught behind off Chris Jordan for 1, but then a last-wicket stand of 31 between Wright and Davis frustrated the Sussex bowlers and delayed lunch by 30 minutes.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes feels manager Erik ten Hag is on "borrowed time" at the club after the team's 4-0 drubbing by Crystal Palace.

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Scholes had backed Ten Hag to continueNow feels Dutchman's time is upCritical of team's display against PalaceWHAT HAPPENED?

Scholes has backtracked on his previous support for Ten Hag by admitting he believes the Dutchman's time at the club is coming to an end in the wake of a dismal defeat at Crystal Palace. The result means United have won just one of their last seven game and have dropped down to eighth place in the Premier League table. Ten Hag's side are now in danger of missing out on a spot in European football for next season, and doubts are growing about the Dutchman's future at the club.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite United's poor form, the club have no intention of making a decision on Ten Hag's future until after after the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 24. The Dutchman admitted his side hit their "lowest point of the season" against Palace but has insisted he remains the right man for the job despite overseeing a dismal campaign. Yet the fixtures don't get any easier for Ten Hag as title-chasing Arsenal are up next at Old Trafford on Sunday.

WHAT SCHOLES SAID

He told Premier League Productions: "Tonight almost felt like a final nail in the coffin. There was a lack of knowhow in the team, a lack of effort, going to a team like Crystal Palace, who to be fair are a good team and are doing well, but Manchester United shouldn't be going there and losing 4-0.

"I felt for a while he [Ten Hag] might get another year and work for a club that has calmed down a little by the new owners but it doesn't feel like that now.

"I thought who is out there to replace him? With Thomas Tuchel saying he's leaving Bayern Munich, I don't think that creates a bigger problem for him as the problems are there anyway, I think it's quite plain to see that he's on borrowed time."

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United have spent more match time in a losing position in the Premier League this season (931:09) than they have been in a winning position (929:47)