Key events
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Ruud van Nistelrooy speaks to TNT Sports. “Good memories … what is most important is to get the lads back at their best … a lot happened … the results were not good … there was a lot of pressure on them … there is no time for me to make big changes … my relationship with the team is very good … as an assistant manager you are closer to the lads than the manager … so that helps me a lot now … we really got it going together … come on, we have four games together, let’s make the most of it … get all the results we can … confidence is such a big thing in football … it affects performances and style … in the Leicester game we scored four in one half and wow, there’s a great attacking style again … it’s a silly thing, the confidence thing in football … when results come, it is like a million dollars for strikers … the lads have to believe … Rasmus is working hard on his hold-up play … Casemiro and Ugarte can communicate well together … they are in control of the moments we press … they are doing really well and we benefit from it.”
He’s also asked when he expects to hear whether he’ll be staying on under Ruben Amorim … and straight-bats his answer, just as you’d expect him to. “I focus on this and hopefully soon!”
There are a few old friends in the PAOK squad. The most notable for United fans is Shola Shoretire, the 20-year-old winger having joined PAOK in the summer after his Old Trafford contract ran out. He’s on the bench. Baba Rahman, formerly of Chelsea, and Wolves defender Jonny start, while another one-time Pensioner, Tiémoué Bakayoko, is a sub. There’s no room at all for erstwhile Southampton and Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, though.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s penultimate starting selection as interim manager of Manchester United sees the beloved former striker make three changes in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Victor Lindelöf and Jonny Evans replace Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez at the back, while Amad Diallo comes in for Marcus Rashford up front. All three displaced players are on the bench, alongside Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount, who return from injury.
The teams
Preamble
Manchester United have already had one big European victory to celebrate this week. You know the one. You know why. It’s not much of a leap.
That’s not to say they couldn’t do with an actual win of their very own, though. United are currently 22nd in the Europa League megatable, after draws of varying degrees of ropiness against Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce. The feelgood factor might be back at Old Trafford in the wake of Erik ten Hag’s dismissal and Ruben Amorim’s impending arrival, but that won’t stop the mood momentarily descending again should United fail to see off the Panthessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans, who may be the reigning Greek champions but are currently 30th in the Europa League table after two losses and a draw; have only won three of their last nine matches in all competitions, losing four; and are 190th in this season’s official Uefa rankings, a full 143 places below their esteemed hosts†. Having said all that, United can’t take anything for granted, given their own shocking form: just two wins in their last ten in all competitions. They’re hot favourites tonight, but then we’ve said that before. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
† For the record, the full Uefa coefficients are a much more healthy 49 and 15 respectively.
