Sport

Sofyan Amrabat impresses fans on home debut for Manchester United — and the stats back it up

His passing, tackling and overall work rate were heavily praised.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th September 2023

Newest signing Sofyan Amrabat seriously impressed on his home debut for Manchester United and as well as winning over the Old Trafford faithful, he had the stats to back it up.

The Moroccan midfielder made a short cameo towards the end of Man United‘s 1-0 away win against Burnley over the weekend, being deployed as a makeshift left-back amid the club’s mounting injury woes, but it was Amrabat’s full home debut on Tuesday night that has got people talking.

Starting the game at fullback once again against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup fixture, many were concerned they wouldn’t get to see the kind of performance that the 27-year-old was brought in for, however, after taking control early on in a comfortable 3-0 win he drifted into his more natural position.

In fact, much to the delight of the Stretford End and everyone else watching back home, he pretty much covered every position and blade of grass imaginable. If you don’t believe us, here’s his heat map after just an hour on the pitch.

A frankly ridiculous amount of graft.
The defensive midfielder had quite the passing range on him too — and he barely misplaced any in 60 minutes of football.
Admittedly, it was the kind of game they should expect to dominate in, but that hasn’t always been the case of late.

Writing on social media after the game, Amrabat said, “Fantastic feeling to play and win in the Theatre of DREAMS. Thank you for the support! Looking forward to Saturday”.

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Chatting with MUTV after full-time, the dynamic CDM was also full of praise for his new teammate in the middle of the park, Casemiro — who also shone on the night with a goal and an assist — stating: “It’s clear that [he] is a fantastic player. He’s one of the best in his position so it’s nice to play next to him there.”

The Fiorentina loanee, whose contract also includes an option to buy for an estimated fee of £21.4m, also took the time to speak with Sky Sports after his impressive debut, telling the reporter that he had “worked for his moment since [he was] a child”.

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He also took his utility role on the night in stride, assuring the fans that he’s happy to play anywhere the manager asks him to — even going so far as to say he’d do his best between the sticks if it came to it.

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Safe to say, we expect the new number four to be starting most of the upcoming fixtures, especially with Erik ten Hag‘s squad depleted in various different departments.

United take on Palace again in the Premier League this Saturday, 30 September, before playing their first home game of this year’s Champions League competition against Galatasaray on 3 October.

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What did you make of Amrabats’s home debut, Reds?

You can watch the highlights of Manchester United vs Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup below:

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Featured Image — Sofyan Amrabat (via Instagram)/Sky Sports (via Twitter)

Sport

Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly

Danny Jones Danny Jones Ruben Amorim on Man United being booed off in Malaysia friendly

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.

The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.

Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.

In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.

For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.

What made things even more damning was that so many up in the stands travelled from far and wide to see Ruben’s Reds and what remains a beloved global sporting brand drastically disappoint, with some reported as having paid as much as $350 (approximately £260) for a ticket.

All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.

He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”

It’s also been claimed that Amorim has now told young winger Alejandro Garnacho to find a new club due to some of his recent public comments – a conversation which is said to have taken place in front of other teammates.

Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.

Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.

United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.

You can see his full post-match press conference down below.

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Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)

Sport

Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park

Danny Jones Danny Jones Stockport County safe standing next season 2025/26

Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.

The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.

In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.

Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.

As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.

With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.

Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”

The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”

Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”

This isn’t all they have planned for Edgeley.

Stockport County unveils grand expansion plans to nearly double capacity of Edgeley Park
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.

Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.

“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.

“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”

The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shot (via SCFC)

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