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United front

Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United can get revenge on Manchester City this Saturday — but only if they show an improved attitude.

The Red Devils were hammered 6-3 by their rivals at the Etihad back in October but have since won a remarkable 15 out of 18 games in all competitions, including their last eight straight. 

Speaking ahead of the derby clash, Ten Hag explained: "I think we can compete with every team but obviously Manchester City, when they are at their best, they are hard opponents for anyone.

"We have to play our best and then we have a chance. If we play like we did against City, then you don’t have a chance.

"So, it’s up to us to have a good team, the right co-operation, the right attitude on the pitch. Especially, if you talk about attitude, a winning attitude."

The 52-year-old coach puts his side’s dramatic recent upturn in results down to an improved spirit within the group.

He added: "Nobody is bigger than the team, everybody has to contribute to the team. That’s not about 11 players, but the whole squad.

"It’s the team around the team too. All the staff — the medical staff, the performance staff, the coaches, the analysts. Everyone has one aim and they’re contributing to that and working hard for that with togetherness. 

"When we keep this going, we can achieve a lot.”

White flag

Jesse Marsch wants referees to offer strikers more protection after the Leeds boss saw in-form Crysencio Summerville ruled out for a month.

The 21-year-old forward, who netted four goals in as many games prior to the World Cup break, limped off during the Whites’ 2-2 FA Cup draw with Cardiff last Sunday.

Wilfried Gnonto also bore the brunt of some tough tackles in the Welsh capital and Marsch, 49, has called on officials to step up their game.

He said: "The ankle injury sustained in the Cardiff match is a little bit of a talking point for me.

"Between Cree and Willy specifically, opponents have tried to bully them, they have a hard time containing them and I don’t think refs have protected those two well enough.

"It’s made them susceptible to injury. I’d like to see referees protect attacking players a little better."

Terrific trio

Lionesses Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Keira Welsh have all made the 14-strong shortlist for FIFA’s annual Best Women’s Player award.

It comes after the trio all played pivotal roles in England’s Euro 2022 triumph, with 27-year-old Mead scooping the tournament’s Golden Boot with her six-goal haul.

Williamson, 25, skippered Sarina Wiegman’s side to glory expertly while Walsh, also 25, caught the eye with commanding performances at the heart of her nation’s midfield.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is an overwhelming favourite to land the men's award after steering Argentina to World Cup glory, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland also nominated.

Voting for the awards closes on February 3, with the three finalists from each category set to be announced later that month. 

Keep the Nath

Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse hailed the impact of new boss Nathan Jones after the South Coast outfit stunned Manchester City.

The Saints dumped Pep Guardiola’s megastars out of the Carabao Cup with a shock 2-0 victory at St Mary’s last night, giving the Premier League’s bottom side a timely morale boost.

And England international Ward-Prowse, 28, was quick to dedicate the success to ex-Luton boss Jones, who is already under intense scrutiny following a tough start to his tenure.

The midfielder said: "The manager has been excellent and has given us fresh ideas and new energy. He wanted us to be bold and aggressive.

"We have been guilty in the past of having a result at half-time and dropping off. We showed a different part of our game and we thoroughly deserved the win."

On carrying some impressive cup form into their relegation battle, he added: "That’s the challenge now. To put in a performance like that means nothing if we don't get anything from Everton.

"It's massive. For the whole team. We've worked so hard under the new manager on being hard to beat. 

"We need to be a hard team to play against. On the back of the last two results, we can take momentum into the game on Saturday."

Red-y to shine

Matt Beard insists his Liverpool side are not far away from challenging the elite teams in the Women's Super League.

The Reds have taken only eight points from their opening nine league fixtures and face old foes Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Yet Beard, 45, has been encouraged by recent performances and fancies his side to run the high-flying Red Devils close.

He said: "It’s a tough start back for us but, as I’ve said before, there are no easy games in this division and we are looking forward to the game.

"We did a review of our statistical data over the break so far this season and we spoke about it with the players.

"We haven’t been a million miles away from the top teams. We're talking maybe 20 more passes and maybe 6% less possession. 

"Our biggest issue throughout the first half of the season has been converting the chances we’ve been creating.

"If we had converted those chances, it would have been a completely different story for us."