Carrick says it's 'crazy' but he's looking forward to Roma game

Michael Carrick accepts it might sound “crazy” but the beleaguered Manchester United boss says he is looking forward to the Champions League showdown with Roma at Old Trafford.

United go into Tuesday’s game without a win in nine matches in all competitions.

It is their worst run since 1988-89. They have not gone 10 without a win in a single campaign since 1977-78 and there is a growing feeling Carrick will lose his job during the forthcoming international break.

Roma’s only defeat so far this season was at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League last month, when they led 3-1 with seven minutes left.

United are 17th in the Premier League and after defeats by Atletico Madrid and Como have slumped to 21st in the Champions League table after three games, with only the top 24 making it through.

It is a bleak backdrop, but rather than fret over what lies ahead, Carrick is viewing it as a chance to change the narrative of the season.

“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but genuinely, I really can’t wait for the game,” said Carrick. “I’m really looking forward to it.

“Listen, I can’t look into the future, you never know what’s going to happen. That doesn’t change the way I feel. Whatever happens is going to happen in whatever direction it goes in, but we want to make it a big night tomorrow.”

Carrick watched over a lively open session of pre-match training at Carrington.

Striker Bryan Mbeumo and midfielder Carlos Baleba were particularly vocal, with Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez also fully engaged despite his red card at Chelsea, which triggered such a negative reaction.

While there have been calls for Martinez to be dropped for the Roma game, Carrick was more philosophical.

“Things happen in football,” he said. “Sometimes you do things; you make a decision, you make mistakes. Sometimes it goes well for you.”

He also dismissed concerns both about Martinez’s commitment, and that of his entire squad.

“Perceptions are a funny thing,” he said. “They can make things look all sorts of different ways. The dressing room is a good place.

“I’ve said it before, I don’t question the commitment of the players, to the club and to me and to each other. We need to play better. We can make better decisions. But commitment’s not a thing at all.”

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo sat alongside Carrick at the media conference and also stressed the strength of the group.

Mainoo returned from a four-match absence with a muscular issue as a second-half substitute at Chelsea.

At 21, Mainoo is one of the youngest players in Carrick’s squad. However, given he joined the club as a seven-year-old, he is also the longest serving and has a unique insight into the responsibilities that come with life in the Old Trafford spotlight.

“I’ve been at this club for a long time and know there’s always going to be ups and downs,” he said. “It’s never going to be plain sailing and smooth to the top. You expect bumps.

“Of course it’s been a tough season. We’ve not had the results we’ve wanted, but I feel like we’re one win away from changing that.”

United were last relegated in 1973-74. They have not been in the relegation zone after nine games or more since November 1986, when they collected a single point in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first two games in charge following Ron Atkinson’s dismissal.

Their lowest position after at least nine games of a season since then was 17th in 1989-90. They were 16th under Ruben Amorim after 37 games of the 2024-25 season.

Mainoo says the present position is unacceptable for a club of United’s size.

“United’s a huge club,” he said. “I think a lot of people know the values this club holds and have been passed down through the people who’ve worked here and played here.

“I feel like I take some responsibility in spreading the word of what Manchester United is, coming up through the academy, and I plan to send that message for as long as I can.”

Gordon wants to be more ruthless

Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon has vowed to be more selfish ahead of facing Aston Villa.

The England forward is preparing for the Champions League clash on Tuesday following his summer move from Newcastle in a deal worth more than £69m.

Gordon has helped Barca to the top of La Liga and has scored three goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, including one in Saturday’s 6-1 win over Alaves.

But the 25-year-old wants to do more to help Hansi Flick’s side complete a clean sweep of trophies this season.

“The challenge of joining Barca is different to what I’ve had before because I was fighting relegation for two or three years (at Everton), which was tough,” he said.

“At Newcastle we were fighting for the Champions League and to push up the table and now fighting for Barca for every trophy.”

“To be competing on every front for every trophy is definitely the most enjoyable. I think people think it’s more pressure but it’s actually less pressure than fighting relegation and fighting to push up the table for the Champions League.”

“I want to win every trophy. I want to be the best. This club allows me to do so.”

“I think I can do it more, I can maybe be a little bit more selfish sometimes. I think sometimes I maybe pass too much. I should definitely score more goals, but like I said, the reality is goals win games and I’m here to win trophies.”

Gordon has previously played Villa with Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League, scoring in the Magpies’ 3-0 win on Boxing Day in 2024.

“They’re one of the most physical teams in the league. They’ve got some great players,” he said.

“Certain things can motivate me more than others but I try to remain the same. I try to remain consistent with my motivation. So the fact they’re English doesn’t make it more motivating.”

“They have some great players, I know they all have had a great run as of late, so it’s going to be a difficult game.”

“They’re the type of team that regardless of the game, they’re always in the game, they wait for a moment. They seem to always be ready for any type of game, so we know it will be a tough challenge but we’re excited for what’s to come.”

Jeers again as home woes continue - Jaissle has big problems at Newcastle

If Matthias Jaissle was unsure what Newcastle fans thought of his team’s latest error-strewn performance, he certainly knew at full-time after a second defeat by Everton inside a week.

Despite another miserable showing by Jaissle’s side, the Toon Army had stuck by the team from start to finish before a chorus of boos echoed around St James’ Park at the final whistle.

The frustration and anger from the stands came after a 1-0 defeat which included a goalkeeping howler by Lukas Hornicek, a red card for substitute Jacob Ramsey and another blunt attacking performance.

“Big frustration, big disappointment,” said Jaissle after a fourth defeat in six Premier League games.

“After a performance like that I can understand the reaction from the fans. That’s the reality and I am responsible for that.

“We need to work on the things we need to improve and after today that is a lot.”

Newcastle’s final game before the November international break is away to Fulham on Saturday (15:00 GMT), before facing leaders and defending champions Arsenal at home on 21 November followed by third-placed Brighton away eight days later.

“It’s not my first time as a manager in this situation,” added Jaissle, whose side sit 13th in the table and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Everton last Thursday.

“The only way is togetherness and showing unity.”

Will the German - who became the Premier League’s second youngest coach in the summer - find the solutions to get Newcastle’s season back on track, with fans starting to run out of patience?

No Premier League side has lost more home games in 2026 than Newcastle (7), while they have now lost 16 of their past 18 league games when conceding first.

The unwanted stats do not stop there.

The Magpies have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their past 14 home league games - the longest run in their league history.

It all points to worrying times, with former Red Bull Salzburg boss Jaissle just three months into a four-year contract.

“I fear a little for Newcastle,” former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“They have a young manager and young players. You are always going to question the manager when the team is not winning.

“I think it is going to be a tough season. At home, especially, it feels flat and boring, and I never expected to say about Jaissle’s Newcastle. You expected it to be front-footed and exciting, coming from the Red Bull model.”

Newcastle are in the bottom half of the table, with 11 points from nine games.

It was always going to be a period of transition following Eddie Howe’s exit, after five years in charge, and the arrival of 38-year-old Jaissle, after successful spells in Saudi Arabia and Austria.

In addition, Newcastle lost a number of key players in the summer including Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

At the start of the year, Newcastle United’s chief executive David Hopkinson said he could put them “in the debate about being the top club in the world” by 2030.

That now seems a long way off amid suggestions the ambitions of the club’s Saudi Arabian owners, the Public Investment Fund, are running out of steam.

Jaissle was not helped on Monday by his goalkeeper, with Hornicek allowing a routine shot to squirm under his body for Thierno Barry to tap home the winner.

The Newcastle boss claimed Barry’s winner should have been disallowed for a foul on Fabian Schar in the build-up, but he conceded his players had struggled to show the bravery required to get back in the game.

“It’s almost like a negative spiral,” he said. “I’m not happy with the referee decision.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t deliver actually over the whole 90 minutes. It was not our game and our style of playing.

“That is something we are very frustrated and disappointed about. If you cannot deliver when it counts then you don’t deserve to win.

“We were not brave enough in possession, too many long balls.”

Jaissle admitted Newcastle are lacking belief in the midst of their miserable run.

“There are certain moments with not too much confidence, not only with the young lads but also with the more experienced ones,” he said.

“It’s a difficult period. We also know you can only overcome that as a unit. We worked hard and it looked good but unfortunately we couldn’t deliver.

“We will analyse in detail and try and make things better against Fulham.”

Newcastle have problems at both ends of the pitch.

While they have managed just 12 goals in nine league games, they continue to struggle to keep clean sheets.

They registered 17 attempts against Everton but only two of those were on target, and they have scored just once from their past 47 shots in all competitions.

Newcastle have faced the most shots of any Premier League team this season, including 15 or more in seven of the nine top-flight matches they have played.

While only Sunderland (6) and Hull City (5) have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, this was Everton’s first top-flight away win since February - when they won at St James’ Park.

“I’ve been a fan so I understand the frustrations when they’re not getting what they’re expecting,” said captain Dan Burn after the game.

“You can sense that nervousness in the ground.

“When you’re not winning games there’s always a lack of confidence. The fans weren’t happy. That doesn’t make it easy to build confidence when you’re in that atmosphere.

“Between the boxes we do OK, but we’re not ruthless enough going forward or defending our own box.”

Jaissle cut a forlorn figure at full-time as the autumn rain fell on St James’ Park and the sound of boos rang out around him.

“You have to stick together,” he said afterwards when asked how he intended to get Newcastle moving in the right direction after an underwhelming start to the season.

Kane would swap Ballon d'Or for Champions League victory

Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham in August 2023

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane says he would swap his Ballon d’Or trophy for a Champions League winner’s medal.

The 33-year-old became the first Englishman since 2001 to win the accolade, beating Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal.

But Kane, who is expected to sign a new contract with Bayern “within the next few days”, says winning Europe’s elite club competition is at the forefront of his mind after a “rollercoaster” week.

“Team trophies are why we play football. The team aspect of our sport is really, really important,” Kane told a news conference before Bayern’s Champions League fixture with Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital.

“The Ballon d’Or last week was one of the best feelings I’ve had in my life and my career.

“But to have moments with the team, celebrations with the club - to be able to lift the Champions League with Bayern would be an incredible feeling.”

When asked if he had to pick between lifting the European Cup and the Ballon d’Or, the England captain added: “I would choose the Champions League, but I have the opportunity to do both - let’s see what happens.

“The Ballon d’Or is a highlight, it puts me on an even bigger level, but you want to have these big finals, the Champions League, having that feeling of emotion with your team-mates as well.”

Kane was feted at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, becoming just the fifth Englishman to win the award, joining Michael Owen, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan on an elite list.

Bayern and their supporters also paid tribute to Kane before Saturday’s Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund.

The Bavarian club have not had a Ballon d’Or winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the award in 1981.

“It’s been a rollercoaster since the celebrations,” said Kane, who scored 73 goals for club and country last season as he helped Bayern win a domestic treble.

“It was a huge high for me, but also for the club. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life, without a doubt.

“But we’ve had some lows and a lot of extremes we’ve had to deal with. It’s brought us closer together and we fight for every moment.”

Kane said there had been “good conversations” in recent days over a new contract with Bayern and he was “extremely close” to putting pen to paper on a deal.

“A lot of the bigger stuff has been ironed out and we are happy with,” said Kane, who joined Bayern from Tottenham for £86.4m (100m euros) in August 2023.

“But in every contract there are loads of little things that go into it, small details that in the end the lawyers have to thrash out and figure out.

“So all in all I would say it is more days than weeks. From what I have heard, the conversations have gone well again today.

“Hopefully we will be in a place to do something within the next few days.”

Bayern’s preparations have also been overshadowed by the absence of head coach Vincent Kompany.

The Belgian was taken to hospital after collapsing during a training session involving Bayern’s reserve team on 23 October.

Kompany was discharged from hospital five days later and is continuing his recovery, with no definitive return date established.

Assistant Aaron Danks has overseen first-team duties in his absence.

Kane acknowledged the difficulty of being without his manager but insisted the squad were coping well.

“We’re missing our coach, but everyone has the opportunity to prove themselves and there’s a long way to go,” he added.

Tenerife striker De Miguel dies after on-field collision

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel has died after the 30-year-old suffered a serious injury during a Spanish second-division match.

The forward suffered head and chest injuries during a match against FC Andorra on Monday in a heavy collision with goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who was sent off for his challenge.

De Miguel’s condition was described as ‘stable but serious’ on Monday but his health deteriorated on Tuesday morning, with the Spaniard dying at 07:00 GMT.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that police in Spain have opened an investigation for possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death.

Under Spanish law, any death that is deemed non-natural automatically triggers a judicial inquiry.

“Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true” Tenerife said.

“There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can lessen this overwhelming sadness. We stand with his grieving family, with his loved ones, with all of Tenerife who mourn this cruel loss today.”

Tenerife and Andorra were drawing 2-2 seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred.

Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel.

The striker lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to hospital.

Players from both teams were visibly distressed by the incident, with a number of De Miguel’s team-mates in tears.

The referee showed Owono a straight red card before abandoning the match.

The goalkeeper, who had over 30,000 followers on Instagram on Tuesday morning, has since deactivated his account.

Spanish media, including Marca, reported De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics on the way to hospital.

Tenerife’s president, Felipe Minambres, says the club’s players will need “professional assistance” to help deal with the ordeal of one of their team-mates dying.

“We are all feeling vulnerable and deeply saddened right now. It’s hard to even believe what has happened,” said Minambres.

“We know, especially the players and the players’ partners, that we will need support. We’ve already begun receiving offers of help today, and that support will continue.”

“We will need professional assistance, but we also need the support of all our fans, because they are likely feeling the same way we are today.”

Minambres added it had been a “truly unbelievable situation” and “an enormous tragedy that we have had to endure”.

Andorra, Tenerife’s opponents on Monday, issued a statement later on Tuesday which spoke of the club’s shock and expressed condolences to De Miguel’s family, club “and all those who were close to him”.

“We are deeply affected by what has happened and we share the pain that the club is experiencing,” it continued.

“From the very beginning we have maintained contact with them and we are at their disposal for anything they may need.”

“What has happened has had a huge emotional impact on our players, the coaching staff and everyone at FC Andorra. These are particularly difficult times for everyone and we want to make sure that no one has to face them alone. That is why the club is providing psychological support to anyone who needs it.”

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who co-owns Andorra, said: “I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesus.”

De Miguel’s former club, Castellon, said: “It’s hard to find words when reality strikes in such an unfair way. We join with all our affection in the grief of his family and loved ones, whom we embrace in these terribly difficult moments and to whom we extend our most heartfelt condolences.”

Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, said: “Today, we all share the terrible pain of an irreparable loss. My deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, team-mates and the whole club.”

Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe wrote on his social media: “Much sadness, there are no words.”

Inter Miami and former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi said: “There are no words. My condolences and lots of strength to all his family and friends.”

The Spanish football federation announced following De Miguel’s death that Tuesday’s Spanish Cup fixtures had been postponed.

Two fixtures in the first round of the men’s Copa del Rey were due to be played, while Espanyol were set to take on AS Celtas in the women’s Copa del Reina competition.

De Miguel, who was born in Madrid, started his career at Leganes in 2015 and went on to play for eight different clubs in Spain.

After spells with Lugo Fuenlabrada and Internacional Madrid, he returned to Fuenlabrada before stints at Union Adarve, Navalcarnero and Unionistas.

He joined Castellon in 2023 and scored 16 goals as the club achieved promotion to Spain’s second division a year later.

The Spaniard joined Tenerife on a three-year deal in 2025 and scored 11 goals in 29 appearances for the side.

De Miguel is survived by his daughter, Carla de Miguel Fernandez, who was born in 2025.