Manchester United

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Southampton have confirmed they have "reluctantly agreed" to allow director of football Jason Wilcox to depart and join Manchester United.

Wilcox has long been linked with a role at Old Trafford, since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos secured a minority takeover at the Manchester club in December 2023.

Southampton will receive a compensation fee.

"Whilst the club is naturally disappointed that Jason’s stay at Southampton has only lasted nine months, it wishes him well for the future," said Southampton in a statement.

"The club will continue to work closely with Russell Martin and his back-room team to ensure they have all the support they require moving forwards."

Manchester United said Wilcox "will work with all technical areas of the football department to achieve the highest standards of performance".

Darren Fletcher will remain at Manchester United as part of the football leadership team working across the men’s first team and academy.

Wilcox will report to the yet-to-be appointed sporting director, who will have overall responsibility for football performance, recruitment and operations.

Dan Ashworth is earmarked for that role, although as yet, no compensation deal has been agreed with Newcastle for his services.

Sunday presents a massive day out at Wembley and it is by far the biggest game this weekend as far as I’m concerned.

All eyes are on Erik ten Hag with the uncertainty surrounding his future, but the manager deserves credit if he can lead Manchester United to a third final in his first two seasons.

Expectations are high at a club like United and some forget – after watching us overachieve last season – that Ten Hag’s job is an extremely difficult one and bumps were inevitable on this journey.

The lack of consistency shown by United means we are not going to become Premier League winners anytime soon, so after slipping in the race for a top-four finish, Ten Hag’s biggest challenge is to prove that, at the very least, we are a cup team. A team that, on their day, can beat anyone, which has rarely been the case in the Dutchman’s second campaign.

It would be a huge mistake to underestimate a side like Coventry City, especially when the FA Cup is United’s last chance to salvage something this season. Mark Robins, who needs no introduction here, possesses a team with enough firepower to cause problems to a depleted defence.

We’re on a march with Ten Hag’s army - we’re all going to Wembley.

Dale O'Donnell can be found at Stretty News, external

Remember when England was in a great position to secure a fifth place in the Champions League next season?

That possibility suffered a significant blow this week with clubs from the country exiting a host of European competitions. Their exits damaged the points tally England had amassed in Uefa's co-efficient rankings.

As a result, there is now a 1.1% chance that a fifth-qualifying place materialises.

Watch BBC Sport's Ben Croucher explain more in our clip.

Would defeat to Coventry City in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final usher in the end of Erik ten Hag's time at Manchester United.

"I think they need a fresh start," says former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown.

"It just needs the change. Whoever it is, they need to find that answer."

Watch the clip above or take in The Football News Show in full here.

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Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger says the club should take inspiration from rivals Liverpool for their recruitment strategy.

In a recent interview with former United defender Gary Neville on 'The Overlap, external', Schweinsteiger highlighted the club's recent failings in the transfer market.

"Sometimes you spend the money completely wrong. You have to adapt to how football is changing or not changing." Schweinsteiger said. "The easiest example that United should have learned from is 45 miles away in Liverpool.

"What did Klopp do. Did he sign a lot of huge money transfers? Look at where he got Robertson. It's the same as what he did at Borussia Dortmund. He found [Robert] Lewandowski, [Mario] Gotze, [Ilkay] Gundogan - all of those players.

"You just have to look 45 miles aside and see how they do it. It's stable, it's up there and it doesn't have a wave like United does."

The German also spoke to Nevile about the squad he played with at Old Trafford, beleiving they had the potential to compete for the major trophies.

"I call Paul Pogba one of the best midfielders I've played with." Scweinsteiger told Gary Neville on the Overlap. "I enjoyed playing with him so much. Him, Zlatan [Ibrahamovic] and Wayne [Rooney] - that was so nice.

"We had the right pieces. It was actually all there but you just needed to put the puzzle together.

On what team he would have picked to ensure success, Schweinsteiger said: "David De Gea, Valencia, Luke Shaw. The backline was not that important. You could play with Smalling, Jones or Rojo.

"A midfield of Pogba, Schweinsteiger, maybe Carrick. Up front Rooney, Ibrahimovic and Rashford. That's enough. 100 per cent."

Erik ten Hag has been speaking to the media before Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final with Coventry at Wembley on Sunday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• In response to Alejandro Garnacho 'liking' two well-read social media posts that were critical of Ten Hag around last Saturday's draw at Bournemouth: "Alejandro is a young player. He has a lot to learn. He apologised for it and we move on."

• The latest on Jadon Sancho, who has reached the Champions League semi-finals on loan with Borussia Dortmund after falling out with Ten Hag in September: "We know he is a fantastic player. That is not a surprise. That is not the issue."

• On Casemiro's form: "Last season he was fantastic. He never scored so many goals. This season he struggled with a bad injury but he is such a winner, all his career he won. Everywhere he was there was success. I trust he will also give us success. I am very confident in him. He is a fighter and an important player for us."

• On scrapping FA Cup replays: "It is very sad for British football culture but it is inevitable. It is due to the overload in the schedule, which is dictated by Fifa and Uefa. There is so much overload on the players and it has to stop. I feel really sad for English football. But for top players we have to make some space in the schedule."

• On facing Coventry: "They are dangerous, that is logical, they are in the semi-final. Last season they were not far away from promotion to the Premier League and we have seen the game against Wovles in the quarter-final (Coventry won 3-2 with two injury-time goals). The mentality is fabulous. We have to play to our best levels."

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Coventry City boss Mark Robins says the "normal occasion" of an FA Cup trip to Wembley for Manchester United means there is "expectation" on the club.

Sunday's FA Cup semi-final will be the first time the Sky Blues have played at this stage of the competition since they won the trophy in 1987.

On the other side, this will be United's third semi-final in the competition in the past four years.

The Red Devils knocked out rivals Liverpool in the last round, but have been on a difficult run of form since that game.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference, Robins said: "It is the first time we have been there [semi-final of the FA cup] since 1987 so it is not a normal occasion for us, for Manchester united it is a normal occasion for them.

"They have played at Wembley a lot of times. There is some England internationals in there, some other internationals that have played at Wembley on numerous occasions. It is an expectation for them and their supporters.

"I hear people talking about Manchester United, that they are this or they are that, but the truth of it is they have got top players. We have to be able to deal with the situation, but also deal with Manchester United and the threat that they pose which is a significant one.

"For us, we know they are clearly favourites to win this game by a million miles. They are expected to win, as simple as that."

Former United player Robins is often credited for 'saving' Sir Alex Ferguson's job at the club having scored the goal against Nottingham Forest that kept them in the FA Cup in 1988-89.

However, that is not something he is thinking about going into this game and added: "I have got no agenda other than trying to prepare the team as best we can to go and put a performance on that we can be proud of.

"So that we can go there and stand a chance in a game that we know is really, really difficult. For me it is nothing other than that, it is not about me for sure."

If Manchester United lose against Coventry on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-final then that is it - that is the ultimate low. I know it is only one game, but if the manager does not win that match then his position is untenable.

It has been said by some this week that Erik ten Hag is already "done" at the club, and I can understand why they say that. But I would hope from a Manchester United point of view that he goes away with another trophy. That is what success is and he will be hoping that is the case.

It is not just Ten Hag at United though, it is the recruitment that is all changing. At the top with the new ownership, everything about the club needs to get better and we are going to see big changes happening over the summer.

If they do not get European football this year then it is a blow, but I do not see with where United are at that it is the be-all and end-all for them to get some kind of European competition. That is not going to change the outcome.

It is going to be about how they build, who they sign, who is the manager and how they get into a position to finish in the Champions League spots next season. That is the most important. If they win a trophy this season then it is just a plus point.

Do I see Ten Hag still being there next season? No. Too many things have gone on and I do not think there is anything he can do now to save himself.

They need fresh players, a fresh start and it will be a new Manchester United with a new ownership.

It is not just Ten Hag's fault what has happened, but I feel a whole new bill of health will be good for the club.

How long do you think the manager has left in charge at Old Trafford?

Make your selection over here

Manchester United and Chelsea are monitoring 20-year-old RB Leipzig and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, who has a 50m euro (£42.8m) release clause. (Ben Jacobs), external

Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in Barcelona B defender Mikayil Faye, 19, but will face competition from Lille, Monaco and Nice for the Senegal international. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish, external)

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Former Premier League midfielder Cesc Fabregas spoke to the Planet Premier League Podcast about Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo: “Not only is he the future, he’s the present already. This talks about his personality, and his courage, because it's not so much about the quality and the talent.

"I always talk about how much you want the ball in difficult moments, because when you are winning 6-0, 5-0, it's very easy to throw in a young player and he will want the ball, he will want to prove himself.

"He plays without fear. And this is what I love about him, it's like he doesn't care. He just wants the ball. He wants to make things happen. I always talk about the attitude and the personality and this is what makes a really good player in difficult moments. He's showing that and hopefully he can go all the way because he will be great for football."

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha added: "He's going to be learning so much about the game of football over the next few months and years. I think this is a time when it helps to have the right people around you, showing you the little things that maybe you don't see.

"He's great, but you can always get better, especially when you're 18 years of age and you've played 20, 30 games in his career, so those around him can make a big difference.

"We're talking about the upside of him when he's on the ball and the personality he shows, which is flawless. But then we also talk about United constantly getting hit on the break in midfield. So maybe an understanding about positioning and helping those alongside you to try and slow those moments down.

"That's what turns him into the complete footballer because one side of his game we can definitely see the potential, but the other side, not so much yet.”

Listen to the full episode here

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Former Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger says forward Marcus Rashford may benefit from a move away from his boyhood club.

Schweinsteiger and Rashford were team-mates at Old Trafford from 2015 to 2016, lifting the FA Cup in the process.

"I would love to see him [Rashford] in a better team, where he gets the balls in the right moments," Schweinsteiger told ex-United defender Gary Neville on The Overlap., external

"In the past, you didn't really see that. If he played for a different team, maybe he would increase his level a little bit more. He is still the player who can decide the games but he doesn't show it many times. Maybe inside he's a little bit frustrated with how it is.

"He has to understand that he can be the example. You can handle frustration differently, but someone needs to tell him that it has to come from him. That's very important.

"Sometimes you have coaches who tell you to stay left or stay right, but you need to understand.

"For example, if you play for Pep Guardiola, you have to understand what he wants and you have to do it. He needs to understand why."

Listen to the full interview with Schweinsteiger on The Overlap Youtube channel, external

Manchester United will be firm favourites to overcome Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final, but they should not underestimate their opposition.

The pressure will not be on the Championship outfit at 15:30 BST on Sunday. Instead it will be on an Erik ten Hag side that is winless in four league games and might not qualify for European football at all.

If the Sky Blues take their chances - because they will almost certainly get them against this United side - then it could be a game of fine margins.

One player Harry Maguire will have to keep quiet is striker Ellis Simms.

Simms is one of the most in-form goalscorers in English football in 2024, netting 15 since January. He plays alongside the pacey USA international Haji Wright and the pair pose a dangerous threat.

Former United striker Mark Robins is at the helm for Coventry and it would not be an exaggeration to say he has worked miracles in his seven-year tenure.

Defeat by Birmingham City last weekend might have stalled their hopes of a top-six finish this season, but things are very much still on the up for a club that was 'homeless' just four seasons ago.

Notably, they were just one kick away from a return to the Premier League last season following 22 difficult years on and off the pitch.

And the current buzz around their club is a stark contrast to the vibe at Old Trafford.

The FA Cup is United's last chance of silverware in what has been another disappointing season.

Robins is credited for saving Sir Alex Ferguson's job in the season of 1989-90. Will he prove to be key in the downfall of Ten Hag?

The key facts and figures before the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Coventry City at Wembley on Sunday.

• Manchester United have won 13 of their past 15 meetings with Coventry. This will be the first game between the sides since September 2007, when the Sky Blues won 2-0 at Old Trafford in the League Cup.

• United are playing in their 32nd FA Cup semi-final, two more than any other side. They could reach the final for a record 22nd time (currently tied with Arsenal on 21).

• Coventry are playing in just their second FA Cup semi-final, previously beating Leeds United in 1986-87 on their way to winning the trophy.

• The Sky Blues have scored 19 goals in this season's FA Cup, more than any other side. The last club from outside the top flight to score more in a campaign was Wrexham in 1977-78 (22).

• Sides from outside the top-flight have lost their past six FA Cup semi-finals - most recently Sheffield United last season. The last side to reach the final was Cardiff City in 2008.

• Having failed to score in any of his first four FA Cup appearances, Ellis Simms has netted five goals in his past two. It is the most by a Coventry player in the competition since 1986-87, when Keith Houchen scored five as the Sky Blues lifted the trophy.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Man Utd v Coventry at 15:30 BST on Sunday