Manchester

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For me, wherever I played, I'd always see where the first game was, where the last game was, and where we were at Christmas.

There is such a big difference between being at home on Boxing Day versus being away because, depending on what your manager is like, if you've got an away game there is a chance you're training on Christmas Day.

Some of the toughest times I had was when we had away games on Boxing Day and we had to come in to train at four or five on Christmas. That's when everything is just starting at home and everyone is really enjoying themselves and you have to leave.

If you lose you are sat in the hotel having walked away from friends and family all for no points. It's not the best feeling and as a consequence you bring home some of that disappointment with you.

But, in reality, you just know it is the busiest time of the year. The floodlights are always on for the games, the conditions get that little bit tougher, you've got games it feels like every three or four days.

I think it's an exciting part of the season because you can gain real, significant momentum but ultimately it comes down to are you winning games.

I think the Christmas period itself can be tough if you have got family but in reality it always feels nicer when you get that win on Boxing Day. The atmosphere in the stadiums is a little bit different, the atmosphere among the players is a bit different.

You're very thankful to get the chance to do what you do, but if you end up losing on Boxing Day or around that spell it is rubbish because it almost feels like it was a waste of time with all the efforts you put in.

But, I get it. The fans love it, there is a lot of clamour around it. You lose track of days just like everyone else does after Christmas and before New Year but it is great to play in front of those types of crowds and it just does feel different playing during that week or two.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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As 2024 stumbles to a close at Manchester United, let's take a brief moment to reflect on the highs rather than anguish over the lows.

In a year of plenty of the latter, moments don't get much greater than the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 25 May.

United's 13th FA Cup-winning run probably produced the club's two best moments of 2024, in fact.

The 4-3 quarter-final victory against Liverpool is the most emotional match I have attended at Old Trafford since becoming a season ticket holder in 2015.

But Erik ten Hag's heavy underdogs went one better by executing the Dutchman's gameplan to perfection against Manchester City in the final.

Dread was the overwhelming feeling in the build-up. Ten Hag was expected to lose his job, and you'd likely be able to count the number of the world's punters who backed United on one hand.

Two academy graduates - Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo - netting the decisive goals in a 2-1 victory made the occasion all the more sweet.

Rich traditions overcoming modern, state-backed dominance. Days like that sunny afternoon in May are the ones that Manchester United Football Club is all about.

Tears were flowing (and not just from my eyes) as I stood in the heavens at Wembley in disbelief. Dread quickly transitioned into immense pride.

Vengeance for that agonising narrow defeat in the first-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final a year earlier.

It just went to show that no matter how bad things stoop at this incredible football club, there will always be a chance of magic.

At the start of the sixth rebuild since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, that sparks desperately needed hope under Ruben Amorim.

Find more from Alex Turk at Stretford Paddock, external

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

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In a year that is now being marred by Manchester City's torrid run of form across the last 12 matches, it is very easy to forget the endless list of memorable moments that created history not only at the Etihad Stadium, but also across English football during the second-half of last season.

You could say that the calendar year as a whole has been a tale of two halves, and that brings us to our Moment of the Year for Pep Guardiola's side; the 2-3 win over Newcastle United less than two weeks into 2024 - the ultimate tale of two halves in a football match.

This was arguably the moment the direction of the Premier League title swung in the direction of City once again. It was the moment that many of City's challengers felt that they were becoming helpless and were about to witness Pep Guardiola's players steamroll to a fourth consecutive Premier League title - and that is exactly what happened.

Kevin De Bruyne made the ultimate return from six-months out to slam home an excellent equaliser before providing a stunning assist for Oscar Bobb to score an incredible individual goal of his own and firmly break through into the first-team scene.

This was not only a glimpse at the sensational quality that Manchester City have at their disposal, capable of delivering league title after league title, but also a look towards the future, and the constant conveyor belt of world-beating talent being supplied to Pep Guardiola through the academy system.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says a recent decline in form is not all about Erling Haaland but it would certainly be a big help if the Norwegian could rediscover his scoring touch.

Haaland has scored goals so regularly since his arrival at City, it seems bizarre to talk about a goal drought.

But one goal in six matches and four in 11 since he bagged the winner against Southampton on 26 October, since when City have managed a single victory, is, relatively speaking, exactly what it is.

Guardiola is right when he says a lot of little things, and a few big ones, are contributing to his side's form collapse.

But arguably Haaland's barren run falls into the latter category.

City have created a lot of chances at points in their present run and not taken them. An extra goal here and there would make all the difference.

City have scored three times in their last two home games against Everton. Haaland has got them all.

How Guardiola needs the striker to find the net again on Boxing Day.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Wolves (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He was asked about Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, a fellow Portuguese, and said: "He did a great job at Porto. He is a very good coach who will understand us."

• He was asked again about Marcus Rashford being left out and said: "When I feel that it is the right moment to change something [I will], until then I will continue to think what is the best for the team. I speak to him every day but not about the interview, about the performance."

• When asked if the situation with Rashford could become a distraction, Amorim told reporters: "I don't think so. Everybody in Carrington knows what I'm talking about and what I want from Marcus and everybody else. So it's not a distraction for us, maybe it's for the media but that is not my concern."

• He says he "doesn't want anything from the fans" during this tough period, adding: "It's just from us. I cannot say better things for the fans. I understand as a coach, I understand the moment, I understand the frustration, the disappointment. I understand and we will improve, it will take time. So it's just from us, they need our help, not the other way around. They are doing everything right."

• Amorim is not concerned with managing matches around the festive period, something he is not used to in Portugal, stating: "I don't care about Christmas and nothing. I'm just focused on - we need to win the next match. That's the only thing. It's very good for the fans. We are privileged. So we can play on Boxing Day to give some happiness to the fans and we want to win another game."

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He was asked if Matheus Nunes, Ederson and John Stones will be fit for Thursday's match: "We will see this afternoon. Right now, I don't know. We will talk to the doctor [about John Stones]."

• He was asked for the reasons behind Erling Haaland's lack of goal scoring form: "It's about us, not just one player. When Erling was prolific, it's because of the team. Erling is important for us and we will try to use him better."

• On Everton boss Sean Dyche: "He always has really good defensive structure, good patterns offensively, defensively. Good transitions, long balls really strong. One of the best in clean sheets in the top five leagues."

• He was asked if the players are training on Christmas Day: "We train today [Christmas Eve] and train tomorrow night. Stay over here and play Boxing Day. They will have been with the families for two days. Today home with the families, tomorrow home with the families. Hopefully they want to be here."

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Bill Rice
BBC Radio Manchester sports editor

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It's hard to imagine how the first few months of the season could have gone any worse for Manchester United.

Having ended the last campaign with an unexpected FA Cup win, they opted to stick with Erik ten Hag as manager, only to change their mind just three months and 11 games into the new Premier League season.

It was a costly mistake, with roughly £21m spent on sacking the Dutchman and his coaching staff, and paying the compensation to get Ruben Amorim out of Sporting.

Even this early in his tenure it's clear how the Portuguese wants his team to operate in an aggressive 3-4-3 formation, but he doesn't have all the personnel he needs to perfect it, and that will more than likely take more than one window to fix.

Marcus Rashford's future is the big one that needs resolving – and while Amorim appears to want him to stay, if he were to leave in January it would bring in much-needed funds for the manager to spend on his rebuild. Antony may also be sold, while Alejandro Garnacho is surely one the club want to keep.

Another centre-back, a left-back, a midfielder and a proven striker are sure to be on Amorim's wish list – with Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli's Victor Osimhen among the names being mentioned.

If United can get a proven goalscorer in - and some of those problem positions rectified in 2025 - they can start to move up the Premier League table, but it may be two years before we can talk about them challenging for the big trophies again, so patience is vital.

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On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, The Athletic's Rory Smith says he would rather be Ruben Amorim than Pep Guardiola at the moment, saying that Amorim seems "completely unfazed" about Manchester United's form.

On the other hand, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says he would rather be Pep Guardiola because of his superior squad and Amorim still needing "so many transfer windows" to be successful.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Are some players at Manchester United going backwards?

The team on The Devils' Advocate podcast have discussed the matter and wonder if getting rid of the biggest earners at the club is a first step that needs to be taken.

Take a look at the clips and listen to The Devils' Advocate here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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We all know that creeping feeling on the back of your neck, when you see something is going badly wrong and you slowly realise it might just be your fault. I wonder who is feeling this most at Manchester City just now.

As the first team creaks and groans with age, eyes must be on at least two of the perfect replacements, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, who had literally been available under their noses for free all along, and they let them go.

Pep Guardiola bats it off as best he can and there is the old PSR argument for having sold Palmer, but in reality it is an utter embarrassment.

It hasn't quite reached Chelsea proportions. They once thought getting rid of Kevin de Bruyne and Mo Salah for a combined profit of around £10m, was the height of good sense. That's the gold standard of short sighted business decisions, but City's recent howler looks bad enough.

Rogers was man of the match against City at the weekend and I have heard it said that all he has to do now is up his goal count. This misunderstands his particular brilliance completely. It is the fact that he is not a purely selfish striker that sets him apart from others and why the likes of Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins are desperate to work with him.

The pass for Duran's goal on Saturday was classic Rogers. Most other strikers would have shot themselves, but he knew that passing was the better percentage option for a team goal.

That is why it will rarely be Duran and Watkins up front together but always Rogers twinned with one of the other two. And it is why his goal scoring stats should never be considered the main thing.

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Manchester United are interested in bringing in 25-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, to the club in January. (Sky Sports Switzerland, via Manchester Evening News)

Tension between AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and France defender Theo Hernandez could lead to the 27-year-old's exit from the San Siro with Real Madrid and Manchester United interested in the left-back. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Ruben Amorim is under no pressure to pick England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, even if his continued absence could weaken their negotiating position over a January sale. (ESPN), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column