List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

There are Old Trafford debuts to savour. Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick against Fenerbahce, for instance, or Anthony Martial’s solo strike against Liverpool. A teenage Cristiano Ronaldo’s precocious display of trickery against Bolton. A similarly young Marcus Rashford’s two-goal emergence onto the scene against Midtjylland. Federico Macheda’s injury-time decider against Aston Villa was perhaps the goal that swung a title race. It is safe to say Andre Onana and Mason Mount’s United bows at Old Trafford do not belong in that category. They were introductions to forget, matches to be banished from the memory bank, moments that can at least be caveated with the knowledge that, as they happened in pre-season, there was an irrelevance to their ignominy. But these were inauspicious ways to start life at United’s home ground. Their £47 million goalkeeper was lobbed from perhaps 47 yards. Their £55 million midfielder missed an open goal. The £72 million striker, Rasmus Hojlund, was unveiled to smiles and applause but he is injured and will miss the start of the season. Erik ten Hag has landed his three major summer targets. They were not hired for one to be sidelined or humiliated. As United recovered to beat Lens 3-1, a three-goal comeback was preceded by a tale of three signings. The boyhood United fan Hojlund took the field first, though a problem sustained in pre-season with Atalanta means it is a few weeks before he does in earnest. He will be charged with converting chances. When Mount made a forceful run from deep into the box, the clearest of opportunities materialised. Bruno Fernandes’ cross-field ball was superb, Alejandro Garnacho centred and Mount only had to apply the finishing touch. But he swung his left foot and the ball hit his standing leg, his right. It was a glaring miss. Then came an extraordinary opener. United savoured a No. 7 lobbing a goalkeeper from the environs of the half-way line when it was David Beckham. Not when it was Florian Sotoca, a 32-year-old journeyman of a French forward. It was not entirely Onana’s fault, but it was a product of the shift in style since David de Gea’s departure. It was apparent from the off. There were cheers when, after barely 80 seconds, Onana came out of his box to get involved in a passing move. De Gea rarely did that. There was evidence of his confidence, too, with a cheeky header to Diogo Dalot when, had he held back a yard or two, he could have caught the ball in his box. On each occasion, his willingness to double up as the 11th outfield player showed the extra dimension he can offer United. But it was also a reason why Onana was on the edge of his area when Dalot misplaced a pass and Sotoca took aim with a combination of ambition and precision.c Backpedalling, flailing in thin air, Onana ended up in the back of the net. So did the ball. He had to untangle himself. It is a form of embarrassment that is an occupational hazard, part of the risk-and-reward equation for a footballing goalkeeper. De Gea probably would not have conceded that goal, because his starting position would have been five yards further back. Perhaps the Cameroonian has exacerbated the differences with his predecessor; his pre-season has been notable for how far he has strayed from his goal. United have gone from one of the most conservative keepers to one of the boldest. There is a showman in Onana; when a last-minute shot looped up off Lisandro Martinez, he made a flamboyant save, but if De Gea was undermined by his poor passing, the other issue was his errors. Meanwhile, a team who had lost their previous three pre-season games – albeit one with a youth side to Wrexham – went from a goal down to 3-1 up with a quick turnaround. First Marcus Rashford equalised with a deflected shot. The Mancunian operated as the centre-forward, a role that, with Hojlund injured, he is likely to occupy at the start of the season. Then Antony, who had provided the pass for Rashford’s goal, scored the second with a dink over goalkeeper Brice Samba following a ball from the electric Garnacho. Finally, Rashford’s header deflected in off Casemiro. They face Athletic Bilbao in Dublin on Sunday and return to Old Trafford to start their league campaign against Wolves. And then, Mount and Onana must hope, their first competitive action at Old Trafford will give them something to recall more fondly. Read More Manchester United complete £72m transfer of striker Rasmus Hojlund Marcus Rashford: Wayne Rooney wants me to break his Manchester United record A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League

Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui said his team was "on track" for the Rugby World Cup after beating Japan for their third win in...

The Cincinnati Reds roster could see some major shake ups, mainly with the pitching staff, before September 1st rolls around.Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds shocked the baseball world when they opted to not make many trades at the trade deadline. They made just one move, trading for Sam Moll ...

The best move the Atlanta Braves made at the trade deadline was not messing around with the rotation at all.All Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos needed to do at the trade deadline was to trust his gut, be patient and let things sort themselves out.While addressing some minor b...

Matchroom Boxing says that Dillian Whyte’s heavyweight rematch against Anthony Joshua has been canceled after Whyte returned “adverse analytical findings” on a doping test

Dillian Whyte's "adverse analytical findings" from a random anti-doping test have prompted the cancellation of his heavyweight...

The Netherlands and South Africa will face each other on Saturday for a place in the Women's World Cup quarterfinals, in what will be a historic occasion as Banyana Banyana's first ever knockout stage match at the World Cup.

Aaron Ramsey says the riches of the Saudi Pro League could not compete with his “priceless” return to Cardiff. The Wales captain had the opportunity this summer to become the first British player to join Saudi Arabia’s lucrative league, ahead of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson moving there last month. But Ramsey put family first and returned to hometown club Cardiff, where he made his senior debut as a 16-year-old in April 2007 to break John Toshack’s record as the Bluebirds’ youngest-ever player. “There was an offer and there’s plenty of benefits to that offer over there,” said former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey, speaking about the Saudi Pro League interest for the first time. “But for me, it wasn’t the right time or the right thing to do for me, my career and for my family. “It can be very appealing and probably depends on a lot of things, on what you’ve done financially, if you’re secure or not and things like that. “For another individual, it might be life changing, but for me, being around my family and things like that is priceless. So you couldn’t put a figure on that. It's a hot topic at the moment. Obviously, there are financial rewards for going there - probably very rewarding - and a lot of players can't see past that sort of thing Aaron Ramsey on the Saudi Pro League Saudi Arabia has emerged as a powerful influence in world football that has seen a huge influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League. It is estimated that Saudi Arabia’s football-related spending has exceeded £3.5billion in the past two years with a host of players following Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East kingdom. Ramsey told Sky Sports: “It’s a hot topic at the moment. Obviously, there are financial rewards for going there – probably very rewarding – and a lot of players can’t see past that sort of thing. “I think obviously it depends on the individual situation. I think I’ve been very fortunate in my career that I’ve done OK so far. “So there’s plenty of factors that go into people’s decisions, but I’ve made mine based on my situation.” Ramsey makes his third Cardiff debut – he had a short loan spell there in 2011 after suffering serious injury at Arsenal – at Leeds on Sunday with excitement swirling around the Bluebirds. Despite being under an EFL transfer embargo that has prevented them from paying fees for players, new boss Erol Bulut has strengthened a squad that flirted with relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season. Bulut has signed six players in total with former Reading striker Yakou Meite and West Brom loanee Karlan Grant among the arrivals. “I like the way the manager has come in and put down his own stamp so far,” said Ramsey. “He’s very positive and so is the style of football that he wants to try and play. “He’s managed Fenerbahce – one of the top teams in Turkey – and is used to the expectations and pressures at the highest level to be able to perform and to win games. “The club had some great years at the highest level and that is something we want to try and bring back here. “So hopefully not too long in the future, we can see Cardiff back in the Premier League.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Katie Zelem admits World Cup debut was ‘tough moment’ after Keira Walsh injury Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola expects Arsenal summer signings to take them to the next level

Manchester United have completed the signing of striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on a five-year deal for a reported £72million. The 20-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances and netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029. He becomes the third first-team signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, and was introduced to United supporters on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Lens. Hojlund, who leaves Atalanta after a single season since joining from Sturm Graz, told United’s website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player. “I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me. “It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players. “Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world. “Under his guidance and support I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new team-mates at this special club.” He began last season as a substitute for the side from Bergamo but later established himself in the team as a replacement for the injured Colombian striker Duvan Zapata. He scored four goals in four games in January to cement a burgeoning reputation in Serie A, as the team went on to finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League. United manager Erik ten Hag has been vocal about his team’s need for a striker this summer, particularly since the club pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham. After Lens the team travel to Dublin to play Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season outing before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Wolves a week on Monday. Director of football John Murtough said: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group. “Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Katie Zelem admits World Cup debut was ‘tough moment’ after Keira Walsh injury Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola expects Arsenal summer signings to take them to the next level

Doubts were raised about Spain's ability to go far at the Women's World Cup without a fully fit Alexia Putellas, but Aitana Bonmati's starring role in their 5-1 demolition of Switzerland showed that they are...

Real Madrid have dismissed claims president Florentino Perez is set to resign.

Norway coach Hege Riise said Japan will be hard to beat at the Women's World Cup after the 2011 champions powered into the quarter-finals on...