Manchester United want Mike Phelan to be their technical director

In the Mirror, they have a breakdown of how much money Manchester United took home from the Champions League success. United have for a long time budgeted a top-four finish and to go out relatively early in the knockout stages of the competition, so while they are on track in Europe, they nevertheless will probably fall well below the plans for next season given they are outside of the top four at the moment. Crystal Palace helped by tonking Arsenal yesterday, but Manchester City are United’s next opponent, which will be plenty of both.

In the Sun, there is promising news for those of you who want United to beat City. Kevin De Bruyne is out of the clash after injuring himself against Spurs at the weekend. While three points would go a long way to getting United a run at the Champions League again next season, it would also make Liverpool favourites for the Premier League season. And if that happens, the rivers will turn to blood and boil. Birds will fall from the sky. Cockroaches will hibernate. The end of the world will be here, and no mistake. Good team, though.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has apologised for letting down the fans in the 4-0 defeat to Everton at the weekend. It was total guff, and pretty much to be expected. The time has come to get rid of many clowns in the squad as possible and bring in some young players who are actually willing to try. United have a reputation to attract the best young talent which will endure for at most a few more seasons of struggle, so the change has to come soon. You can read about that in the Guardian.

And Mike Phelan, according to the Telegraph, is in line to become the first technical director at Old Trafford. Given his past with Alex Ferguson, it’s fair to say we might be getting the old rolodex out for all the agents that he gets along with. Two of them, then.