• Manager forgives Garnacho and says: ‘We move on’
• Wilcox leaves role as Southampton’s director of football

Erik ten Hag has denied claims of ­factions within his Manchester United squad, while attempting to put a line under a string of recent controversies.

On a day when Jason Wilcox was confirmed as United’s technical director, joining from Southampton, Ten Hag sought to further cool waters after Alejandro Garnacho apologised for the faux-pas of liking a social media post critical of his manager .

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• Winger liked posts on X criticising Manchester United coach
• Argentinian withdrawn at half time in 2-2 draw at Bournemouth

Alejandro Garnacho has been spoken to by Erik ten Hag after the Manchester United winger liked tweets that criticised his half-time substitution at Bournemouth and suggested he had been “thrown under the bus” by the head coach.

Garnacho quickly removed his like on the two messages, which the club believe shows contrition, and any further action will be decided internally.

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For Manchester United, is there a more damning indictment of their current state than the fact they have faced more shots than anyone else in the division this season? André Onana’s goal was peppered again here and they have now conceded a league-high 574 shots. The other teams at the top that list? Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley, a trio mired deep in relegation trouble. It is so easy for sides to ruffle United and it seems Erik ten Hag does not know the solution either, though Bruno Fernandes scored twice at Bournemouth to prevent a humbling defeat. Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert struck for Andoni Iraola’s swarming side and the hosts thought they earned a stoppage-time penalty, only for VAR to rescue Willy Kambwala from further pain.

There were nine minutes of first-half stoppage time and while Fernandes, the United captain, clipped the crossbar with a dipping shot from 25 yards as he went in search of an equaliser, when the fourth official indicated as much it was the visitors who badly required some respite.

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• Updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off at the Vitality Stadium
• Get in touch! Share your thoughts in an email to Barry

Referee: Tony Harrington,

Assistants: Matthew Wilkes and Derek Eaton.

Fourth official: Graham Scott.

VAR: Jarred Gillett.

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• ‘A lot went against us this season’
• Dutchman accepts responsibility ‘like a minister’ for struggles

Erik ten Hag claims Manchester United have suffered huge bad luck but accepts that, like a government minister, he is held responsible for how his team perform.

After last season’s Carabao Cup triumph and third-place finish, Ten Hag has had to contend with myriad problems. These include uncertainty regarding Mason Greenwood’s future, Jadon Sancho’s refusal to play, Antony’s off-field issue, serial injuries and the club’s state of flux owing to Sir Jim Ratcliffe becoming a part-owner at Christmas, then conducting a structural overhaul.

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• West Ham playmaker was close to City move last summer
• Timeframe for resolution to FA investigation remains unclear

Manchester City are likely to capitalise on Lucas Paquetá’s desire to leave West Ham this summer, as long as the Football Association’s investigation into alleged betting breaches by the midfielder has been dropped before the transfer window shuts.

Paquetá, whose contract is understood to contain an £85m release clause that becomes active in June, is keen to find a fresh challenge after two seasons at the London Stadium. The Brazil international was on the brink of joining City last summer, only for the FA’s inquest into suspicious betting activity to derail the transfer, and Pep Guardiola has not dropped his interest in the playmaker.

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Welcome returns at Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa juggle ambitions and Guimarães’s discipline under scrutiny

Should Bruno Guimarães be booked against Tottenham at St James’ Park the Newcastle and Brazil midfielder faces a dilemma. Given that Guimarães is on nine yellow cards, a 10th would trigger an automatic two-game suspension, depriving Eddie Howe of a key player for forthcoming games at Crystal Palace and at home to Sheffield United. Alternatively, Guimarães could make sure he collected a second yellow card, ideally late in stoppage time, and be sent off. In such a red card scenario, the sanction would merely be a one-game ban. Considering that Guimarães has managed to avoid a booking in 10 games since mid-January the best solution would be to extend that run to 11 matches and then relax in the knowledge that the accumulated bookings slate will be wiped clean after the Premier League’s 32nd game – Tottenham’s visit to Newcastle. Yet if the Brazilian transgresses do not be surprised if he follows Anthony Gordon’s example.Gordon has remained on eight bookings, despite acquiring his ninth and 10th yellow cards in his team’s recent 4-3 home win over West Ham . The collection of the second, deep in stoppage time, dictated that yellow became red and, despite Gordon being sent off, the England winger stayed on eight bookings. The current rules certainly seem ripe for manipulation. Louise Taylor

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• Club believe Dan Ashworth’s arrival could be months away
• United want Southampton’s Wilcox as technical director

Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox have been lined up to lead Manchester United’s transfer market strategy this summer because Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes Dan Ashworth’s arrival as the sporting director is still a while away.

Ashworth has agreed to join from Newcastle to lead the football department but compensation is yet to be determined and it may be some months before he can replace John Murtough, who will leave United by the end of the week.

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Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Jonathan Wilson , and Dan Bardell to discuss all of the weekend’s Premier League action, along with paying tribute to the late Joe Kinnear

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud , Audioboom , Mixcloud , Acast and Stitcher , and join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and email .

On the podcast today: the panel discuss all the weekend’s Premier League action, including the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Liverpool . Were the visitors wasteful, or was it all part of Erik ten Hag’s plan to play on their opponents’ complacency?

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