Dwight Yorke appreciates Harry Maguire is going through a tough phase but implored the centre-back to keep things simple to battle through his dip in form.

Maguire joined Manchester United in August 2019 for £80 million – a world record fee for a defender from Leicester City on a six-year contract, with the option of a further year.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the man to bring the England international to the club, though the Norwegian and the Red Devils have now parted ways with United eighth in the Premier League after a 4-1 humiliation at Watford.

Maguire was the first to admit the players must share the responsibility for Solskjaer s departure, with his downturn in form coinciding with United s struggles in recent months.

Former striker Yorke, who won…

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich would like to cut the loan transfer of Josip Stanisic to Bayer Leverkusen short and bring the Croatia international back to the Allianz Arena in January. However, as things stand, that s highly unlikely to happen.

Having risen through the youth ranks at Bayern, the 23-year-old was sent to Leverkusen for the season to earn some proper first-team experience to aid his development. However, it seems that Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel doesn t feel the likes of Noussair Mazraoui and Bouna Sarr provide enough on the right defensive flank, and he wants Stanisic back.

Leverkusen, on the other hand, have no intention of allowing the agreement to be cut short, being aware that the upcoming African Cup of Nations w…

Massimiliano Allegri said Juventus are like an Easter Egg, there s always a surprise as the Bianconeri head coach called for more consistency amid a stuttering start to the Serie A season.

While Juventus qualified for the Champions League last 16 as group winners ahead of Chelsea, the Italian giants are fifth domestically and already 11 points off the pace.

Allegri s second spell in the Turin dugout has resulted in eight wins in 16 matches, with five defeats ahead of Saturday s trip to Venezia.

[Saturday s] game is a high-risk one, if we interpret it in a certain way, Allegri told reporters.

I think the players have understood the importance of this match. Therefore, we will certainly put on a good display.

Let s see the game. It s always Eas…

Competition: Premier League

Market: Watford to beat Swansea

Odds:

The final matchweek of 2017 is here and each and every team will want to end the year with a big victory. The festive period has been massively hectic as usual, and there are some teams that will be disappointed to see the back of December, while others will be hoping that a new year can bring vastly improved fortunes with it. With this in mind, Watford host Swansea on Saturday.

Watford have been struggling lately and they are in need of a number of positive results to push on from their current position. After 20 games they have collected 25 points from seven wins and four draws. While this is a fairly good return, they could have taken even more points, but a very poor run of f…

Didier Deschamps believes Dayot Upamecano is going through a difficult moment after the defender was left out of the France squad.

Upamecano, 22, was overlooked for a friendly against Finland and Nations League matches against Portugal and Sweden later this month.

Deschamps said RB Leipzig star Upamecano, a three-time France international, would get his chances in the future.

There is a lot of competition in this position. He was with us before. He s going through a more difficult moment, the France coach told a news conference.

He knows he can do better. He was quite emotional during his first call up in September, and in October as well. He s a young player and he has the potential. He s playing many games.

Of course, if it s not him, it s an…

RB Leipzig s Angelino labelled team-mate Dayot Upamecano a beast as he hailed the in-demand centre-back.

Upamecano has been heavily linked to Premier League champions Liverpool and Manchester United following his exploits for Bundesliga side Leipzig.

German champions Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest in the France international, whose Leipzig contract reportedly includes a release clause of around £38million (€42m) at the end of the season.

Amid the transfer speculation, Leipzig full-back Angelino lauded Upamecano.

He is a beast, Spaniard Angelino told Diario AS.  The physique he has is brutal.

He takes the ball well from behind, takes risks and does it well. He is a beast and is also fast. He is a very complete centre-…

Jose Mourinho felt an unhappy Real Madrid turned in a soft performance in their 1-0 Clasico defeat to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ivan Rakitic s 26th-minute goal proved the difference as Barca won on enemy territory for the second time in four days following Wednesday s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final triumph.

Madrid are now 12 points shy of the Blaugrana at LaLiga s summit, calling into question whether Santiago Solari will be permitted to continue his tenure as head coach into next season.

Mourinho has been touted for a potential return to the post he left in 2013 and, speaking in his capacity as a pundit for beIN Sports, he identified low morale in the Madrid ranks.

It was not a happy performance, he said. It was not the performance of a happy tea…

Thomas Tuchel has been dismissed by Chelsea following Tuesday s Champions League loss to Dinamo Zagreb, ending a near-20-month stay at Stamford Bridge.

The German arrived midway through the 2021-22 season as Frank Lampard s successor, and steered the Blues to an improbable Champions League triumph just weeks later.

But despite success for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss in Europe, domestic glory has been harder to come by.

This week s defeat to Zagreb was the final straw for new owner Todd Boehly, after a slow start to the new Premier League season that has seen Chelsea win just three of their first six games.

In the wake of his departure, Stats Perform takes a look at the highs and lows of the Tuchel era at Stamford Bridge

HIGH: European gl…

Rafael Benitez had a bad philosophy and was never a good fit for Everton, according to Lucas Digne.

France international Digne left Everton in January, joining Aston Villa.

That move came after a falling-out with Benitez, with reports claiming that Digne – who did not feature for Everton after a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool on December 1 last year – had criticised the manager s conservative approach.

With Everton signing Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kyiv, Digne was sold to Steven Gerrard s Villa for a reported £22million, less than a year after the left-back had signed a long-term contract with the Toffees, who he joined from Barcelona in 2018.

Yet less than a week after the switch to Villa had been finalised, Benitez was sacked after a defeat to Norw…

Victor Valdes has returned to Barcelona to become head coach of the club s premier under-19 side.

The homegrown Blaugrana great and retired goalkeeper replaces Denis Silva on an initial one-year deal, which Barcelona announced includes an option for a second season.

Valdes, 37, made 539 competitive appearances for the LaLiga giants after debuting in 2002.

He left the club after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2014 and went on to have brief spells at Manchester United, Standard Liege and Middlesbrough, before moving into coaching at Madrid-based Moratalaz last season.

A legend returns to FC Barcelona
 Welcome home, Víctor!

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)

Valdes, who also won 20 caps for Spain, is scheduled to beg…