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The sideshow split between player and manager has hogged the headlines of late, but the issues facing Mourinho clearly don’t start and end with the French midfielder, and on the evidence of the 3-1 loss at the London Stadium very few of the United squad are playing for their boss right now. United legend Rio Ferdinand’s comments to BT Sport before kick-off were telling. “In the past we’ve seen managers relieved of their duties, that’s what would normally happen,” said the six-time Premier League winner....

Pogba suffered a hamstring injury during Tuesday’s Champions League win over Basel, and missed United’s comprehensive 4-0 victory over Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday. The club have yet to announce how long the France international will be out of action for, but Mourinho has been quick to pour cold water on suggestions he might be unavailable for up to three months. Mourinho said: “I don’t know if it is 12 weeks or 12 days....

The damning statistics behind Manchester United’s 2-1 derby loss to neighbours City on Sunday ran much deeper than the scoreline itself, and each one only seemed to underline the argument of those opposed to Jose Mourinho’s game plan. He had gladly handed over the initiative to the best team in the country and his side had been utterly impotent on those few occasions they actually got on the ball....

The Slovenian official drew the ire of Mourinho during the Portuguese’s second spell in charge of Chelsea after failing to award a penalty during a 0-0 Champions League group-stage draw at Dynamo Kiev last season. Mourinho thanks ref for Herrera red card “The referee was weak and naive. Big penalty,” Mourinho said at the time, although it mattered little in the long run as Chelsea went on to qualify as winners of their group....

After back-to-back Premier League defeats by Manchester City and Watford, United were under pressure from their fans and returned to winning ways with Smalling beginning the rout of the champions with a first half header. “The boss really wanted to get the enjoyment factor across,” Smalling told the club’s website (www.manutd.com). “He stressed how there is 70-odd thousand people in the stands who want to be in our shoes and in his shoes....

Mourinho, who previously won league titles in Portugal, Spain, Italy and England, has never been in charge for more than three seasons at his previous clubs. “I am ready for this,” Mourinho told ESPN. “I am ready for the next 15, I would say. Here? Yes, why not? “I have to admit that it is very difficult because of the pressure around our jobs, everybody putting pressure on managers … but in reality only one can win and every year it is getting more difficult....

Moutinho’s deal had been set to expire at the end of the season but the 31-year-old has signed a two-year extension. The Portugal midfielder helped Monaco to the Ligue 1 title last season and has made 24 starts this term, with Leonardo Jardim’s men second behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Moutinho has been at Monaco since 2013, when he joined the club from Porto in his homeland. “I am very happy to extend my contract with AS Monaco,” Moutinho told the club’s official website....

Sunderland twice came from behind thanks to a pair of Jermain Defoe penalties, with the second being awarded after Sadio Mane had blocked Sebastian Larsson’s free-kick with his hand. Man United on best run since Fergie Klopp subsequently suggested that the free-kick - given for a foul by Lucas on Defoe - should never have been given, meaning the penalty would never have come about. However, Sunderland should arguably have been awarded another spot-kick with the scores at 1-1, when Emre Can’s arm made contact with the ball in the box....

United have made two signings since the end of last season, both players aged 21. Daniel James first joined from Swansea City and Aaron Wan-Bissaka followed in a reported £45million move from Crystal Palace. Ex-United manager Moyes commended new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the approach after being left confused by the signings of recent seasons. “They have now chosen to sign some young players and when you look back they signed Wayne Rooney from us at ­Everton aged 18,” Moyes told the Mirror....

The third choice that must not be missed is to cherish your human connections, your relationships with family and friends. For several years you’ve had impressed upon you the importance to your career of dedication and hard work … But as important as your obligations as a doctor, a lawyer, a business leader will be, you are a human being first and those human connections with spouses, with children, with friends are the most important investment you will ever make....

Welcome to Moussegate–the latest “silly season” scandal to strike the 2008 presidential campaign. On Sunday, a New York attorney named Lauren Handel was searching the Web for a recipe by passionate TV host Giada DeLaurentis–but Google kept steering her to the “Cindy’s Recipes” page of JohnMcCain.com instead. After a bit of sleuthing, Handel discovered that four of the seven meals listed as “McCain Family Recipes”–Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw, Passion Fruit Mousse, Rosemary Chicken Breasts and Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon and Farfalle with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms–were lifted word-for-word from the Food Network’s Web site; Cindy even sent the mousse recipe to the New York Sun earlier this year....

Both Jadhav and Iyer who are in India’s ODI squad to face South Africa are currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Jadhav is recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka while Iyer too is reportedly nursing a hamstring niggle. In case you didn’t know… Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni had already informed Jharkhand about his decision to skip the domestic T20 tournament....

MS Dhoni was made the captain of the Indian Test squad in the 3rd Test against Australia in Nov 2008 when the then-skipper of the Indian Test team Anil Kumble was injured and had to retire from international cricket. It was this Test match that marked the beginning of Dhoni’s captaincy stint in all 3 formats. Following Anil Kumble’s retirement and Harbhajan Singh’s continued struggles with form, the skipper Dhoni needed to put together a new bowling combination which could be beneficial not just in the sub-continent but in foreign conditions as well....

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Friday, completed 8000 runs in One-day International cricket. He became the 7th Indian to reach the landmark, after Sachin Tendulkar,, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. The Indian captain is the 4th fastest to to get to 8000 runs in ODI history, which he accomplished in 214 innings. The 3 men who did it in quicker time – Ganguly, Tendulkar and Brian Lara – were all top-order batsman, something that makes Dhoni’s accomplishment even more special....

While viewers were able to enjoy plenty of great comic book-related content in 2022, there were a few offerings that shot above the rest with undeniable gusto. The movies are one thing, but superhero shows have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately, at least from a certain point of view. Sure, the CW may have axed most of its still pretty excellent DC series, but that possibly helped pave the way for other platforms to have a fair crack at it without getting viewers burnt out too quickly....

Goal counts down the most promising players from the top competitions in the Malaysian football season in 2017, and here’s number 4. Selangor’s financial instability in 2017 meant they had to rely on more young players as compared to the other sides. Head coach Maniam Pachaiappan generally did well with the team and the young boys promoted from their U21 side, but one name shined brighter than the rest....

Melber asked Meadows if he thought it was “a good idea to have Ukraine investigate the Bidens,” which Democrats allege Trump attempted to pressure Ukraine into doing in exchange for foreign aid. He also asked if the North Carolina congressman thought it would be “proper” for Trump to continue pressing for a Biden investigation if he is not convicted in the Senate trial. “You’re asking me a hypothetical,” said Meadows....

The MT Bulls will be led by Andrew Mansale, while the Mighty Efate Panthers will be opening their campaign under the stewardship of Joshua Rasu. Given the league stage structure of the tournament, expect both teams to produce quality cricket to get their campaign off to a positive start. Also read: Vanuatu Blast T10 League 2020: Full schedule, list of players, venue, time and start date of the tournament...

Spaniard Muguruza, the third seed, will need to sharpen up though after enduring a terrible start against 50th ranked teenager Ostapenko before the reigning French Open champion flicked the switch and won 2-6 6-2 6-1. Fourth seed Dominika Cibulkova also fell to Russian Ekaterina Makarova 1-6 6-1 6-3 to leave the draw wide open. American veteran Venus Williams proved more reliable with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine....