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Louis van Gaal feels Donny van de Beek made a mistake in joining Manchester United from Ajax earlier this year.

Van de Beek forged an excellent reputation at Ajax as an energetic central midfielder, and it earned him a transfer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United in September of this year.

However, it has been tough going for the 23-year-old Netherlands international, as he has made only two starts in the Premier League - with the majority of his playing time coming from the bench.

Van de Beek was handed a rare start against West Ham earlier in December, but was withdrawn at half-time with United trailing 1-0.

The Red Devils improved markedly after the interval to beat West Ham 3-1, and it could be some time before he is given another opportunity to show what he can do.

Van Gaal says he foresaw the problems Van de Beek is facing, and believes there were better stylistic fits for his fellow countryman.

"I hope his time will come, but I don't think he made a good choice," the former United boss told Dutch television channel Ziggo. “I said that right away. 

"If you have Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, what position should Van de Beek be in?

"He doesn't have the qualities of Pogba and Fernandes. And now you see that Pogba often doesn't start. Where should Van de Beek play then?

"I think you could have seen that beforehand. There are so many teams, which could have done better justice to him, also in the top division. He is a boy with many qualities."

It is early in his United career, and Van de Beek would not be the first player to struggle on making the move to the Premier League - only to blossom further down the line.

With the season so congested on account of the late start due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are likely to be chances in the future for Van de Beek.

United are heading into the busy festive period, and have five games - Sheffield United, Leeds United, Everton, Leicester and Wolves - before the turn of the year.

With Solskjaer likely to rotate heavily, Van de Beek should get his chance and needs to show he has the quality to thrive at Old Trafford.

Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Lucien Favre following Saturday’s 5-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Stuttgart.

Defeat leaves Dortmund fifth in the Bundesliga, five points off the pace of leaders Bayern Munich, whose 24 points are matched by RB Leipzig.

By contrast, Dortmund have earned only four points in their last five matches, although they did make impressive progress in the Champions League, finishing first in Group F ahead of Lazio.

In a statement, the club said: “Borussia Dortmund have parted ways with head coach Lucien Favre.

"The club would like to thank Lucien for his dedication and wish him success in his future.

"Assistant coach Edin Terzic has been appointed as interim manager until the end of the current season. Terzic’s coaching team will be joined by Sebastian Geppert and Otto Addo."

Club stalwart Mats Hummels had been critical of his coach's tactics following the 5-1 humbling, telling the press after the match: "The goals for 2-1, 4-1 and 5-1 all came from us losing the ball in a way that we should never have allowed to happen.

"Stuttgart played really well for the 3-1 lead, you have to say. They had a good plan, were aggressive and determined. We weren't. We were lacking concentration, among other things.

"We always try to play tiki-taka through small gaps. We lose the ball so often when we try that. If it works, it looks good. Unfortunately, it works in very few cases."

Favre had been in charge since taking over in the summer of 2018 and had led the club to two second-placed finishes in the Bundesliga as well as the last 16 of the Champions League on three occasions.

In 2019-20, he helped them to win the DFB Supercup, the only silverware he would claim at the helm.

This term, however, has proven more complicated amid the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and also the flux brought about by transfer speculation regarding Jadon Sancho.

The young England winger was linked with Manchester United throughout the summer but no transfer materialised. Sancho has not been able to regain his top level, with the 20-year-old waiting on his first league goal for the season, although he has posted three assists.

Dortmund are next due in action on Tuesday with an away match against Werder Bremen, while they face a trip to Union Berlin on Friday. They also have a DFB Pokal second-round encounter against Eintracht Braunschweig to play before the Christmas break begins.

South Africa woke up to the sad news that the late Mamelodi Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha tragically passed away.

This sparked some reaction from fellow Premier Soccer League players, clubs and Pitso Mosimane also joined in mourning the player.

Tributes continued pouring in.

Kenya international Clarke Oduor was an unused substitute when Barnsley picked up a second consecutive victory with a 2-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Cauley Woodrow and Dominik Frieser's goals ensured the Tykes got the win away and climbed to the 13th position while the loss means Tony Pulis' men remain at the bottom of the Championship table after 18 games.

The only goal for the Owls was scored by midfielder Josh Windass, who raced to intercept a pass from Barry Bannan and chipped the ball over Jack Walton and into Barnsley’s empty net in the fourth minute.

The visitors fought and equalised in the 14th minute after Matty James’ corner landed on Woodrow’s path and the forward headed a strong shot into the net from close range.

Friesar scored the final goal for Barnsley in the 35th minute when he took aim from close-range and fired home to complete a nice move that involved James, Callum Brittain and Conor Chaplin.

Barnsley manager Valerian Ismael made a change to his starting team as Frieser replaced Luke Thomas, who dropped to the bench as Oduor's wait to return to the first team continues.

Ismael lauded his charges for how they got the win away from home: “It's a big three points,” the coach said after the match as per Sky Sports.

“We are very happy with the performance and we can enjoy, we reacted perfectly to going a goal down. You have to be focused if you make mistakes. The second half was a big fight but we are delighted with the win.

"We had to stay compact and press. We struggled a little at points but Jack Walton did his job but we are in good shape.

“The momentum is on our side and we need to recover for our next game on Tuesday. A big win gives us good confidence. We are a young team and we showed that we have the capability to come back in a game.”

On his side, Sheffield Wednesday's Pulis said his team went down because of lack of confidence.

“It's all about confidence,” Pulis stated.

“We switched off twice and gave two really poor goals away. I really do think the players are giving their best but we just needed a little bit of luck.

“The players are what they are, it took the boys a while to get to grips with the Barnsley team, who play well on the front foot. I thought we were the better team in the second half.

"We changed it around and there was much more positivity. The players responded better. The group needs a little bit of inspiration and we need to bring one or two players in.”

The next game for Oduor and Barnsley will be on December 15 against Preston North End.

Coach Livingstone Mbabazi has hit out at Kyetume FC, saying the club is in shambles and there is no respect for anybody.

The team made numerous signings in preparation for the 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League season but are yet to get a win. They have so far managed to get three points from draws against Kitara, Wakiso Giants, and Busoga United.

The tactician has now revealed what the situation is at the club which might be affecting the players.

"The club is in shambles, there is no respect for anybody, somethings I have seen happen here, I have never seen anything like this in my football career," Mbabazi said as quoted by Football256.

"Everything is wrong, there are people at the top who are against the progress of this club and are fighting against me; they are driving us back."

The 40-year-old has further stated the working environment in some teams is not friendly, which contributes to frequent changes, especially on the technical bench. However, he has vowed to soldier on hoping things will eventually change for the better.

"People have judged me for moving from club to club, but they do not know how big a struggle it is to coach at some of these clubs," Mbabazi continued.

"What we are facing right now as a team is challenging, and difficult especially for the players, but I will not throw in the towel just yet.  

"We have a great group of lads and despite the shortcomings, we shall fight on and try to win games and perform well not only for ourselves but for the club’s fans as well who deserve better.  

"What is going on off the pitch has affected us, but the season is still young and only a couple of games old. It is not yet a deep hole, we can climb back."  
 
The team settled for a 1-1 draw with the visitors Kitara FC before drawing 2-2 away to Wakiso Giants.

The recent game against Busoga United ended 1-1.

As a result, Kyetume are placed seventh on the log and will hope for a better outcome when they play UPDF FC in their next league assignment.

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha has died in a car accident in the East Rand, Johannesburg, in the early hours of Sunday.

Madisha passed away aged 25 and his death comes two days after his former Downs teammate Anele Ngcongca was laid to rest, having also perishing in a car crash in Durban on November 23.

“It happened around 02:00 at Zuurfontein Road, Chloorkop next to ABC Auto parts. A scene of accident of a white BMW… Two occupants in the car were burnt and one of them was beyond recognition and were certified dead by Ekurhuleni Emergency Services,” Police confirmed as per Far Post.

“The car was travelling from the direction of Kempton Park towards Tembisa. Seemingly, driver lost control and the car hit a steel board displaying pole with the backside and caught flame.”

Various reports also confirmed the tragic incident but Sundowns said they will release an official statement "in due course".

"We have become aware of certain media reports concerning Motjeka Madisha and will make an announcement in due course," the club said.

The South African Football Players Union as well as some Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs sent in condolences.

The accident occurred just after Sundowns celebrated their 50th anniversary on Saturday night.

Madisha was a key Downs player this season, featuring in five PSL games and the MTN8 quarter-final defeat to Bloemfontein Celtic.

He was also part of the Bafana Bafana fold.

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba has blamed fatigue for his team's 2-1 loss in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) game against URA FC on Saturday.

The Jogoos had taken a deserved lead in the 16th minute through a penalty converted by Derrick Ndahiro but Nyakoojo Benjamin brought the Taxmen level in the 31st minute after jumping the highest to power home a perfectly-weighted Kyeyune Saidi cross from a free-kick. 

With the match headed for a 1-1 draw, Kyeyune scored the winner with a beautifully taken header after an inch-perfect cross from Majewga Brian.

"Yes, we lost and still we did not have a good game generally and it is resulting from fatigue," Kaziba said after the game.

"We really never had enough time for recovery, because surely there was little time between when we last played and Saturday's game.  

"Whereas our opponents played on Tuesday and at least for their case had some time to recover, you could see from the field of play fatigue cost us."

Meanwhile, Police FC coach Abdallah Mubiru was impressed with the way his charges played in a 5-0 win over Kitara FC.

Ben Ocen grabbed a hat-trick while Hassan Muhamood and Yusuf Ssozi scored as well to help the Cops to a deserved win.

"We are now targeting and focusing on our next opponents on Tuesday and we ask God to guide us in that one too," Mubiru said after the huge win.

"Praise goes to Allah, the most gracious and most merciful for everything he has enabled us to do, we thank him for the gift of life, for the effort in that we have played the entire 90 minutes without any injury.

 "We thank him for the results, it has been a very good goal margin and a relatively good performance as we have some areas that still need to be rectified, but at least it is promising. 

"I thank the boys for the effort and commitment they put it in, it has been a very good performance by everyone."  

The 2005 league champions have now managed to collect seven points from the three games played.

They will host Busoga United in their next UPL game.

Kuala Lumpur United have made the bold decision of hiring a former player to a top post, when on Saturday the club announced the appointment of ex-player and former Malaysia international Stanley Bernard Stephen Samuel as their chief executive officer (CEO).

The club formerly known as Kuala Lumpur FA made the announcement on their social media accounts, although they added that more details on the appointment will be provided later in an interview with him.

The City Boys were Stanley's first professional club when he turned out for them between 2004 and 2008. He then played for several other clubs, including a stint in the Indian league. He returned to Kuala Lumpur in 2012, but a severe injury in the same year led to the premature end of his professional career.

He then embarked on a career in match broadcasting, and in recent years has developed a reputation as one of the best match commentators, if not the best, in Malaysia, thanks to his insight as a former pro as well as his ability to call matches in both English and Bahasa Melayu.

Malaysian outfits have been regularly criticised for rarely appointing former players to administrative positions, preferring career sports administrators and political appointees instead.

United's decision to appoint the 34-year old Stanley, which followed their privatisation/separation exercise under the Malaysian FA's directive, is a bold step in a promising direction. Next season they will return to the top-tier as the 2020 Premier League second best non-reserve team club.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that Manchester United should be handling the Paul Pogba situation better.

The midfielder was shot into the spotlight last week when agent Mino Raiola revealed that the World Cup winner’s long-term future does not lie at the club.

The news broke 24 hours before a critical Champions League match with RB Leipzig, which United subsequently went on to lose 3-2.

Pogba, amid a storm of criticism, was left out of the starting XI on that occasion and made a positive impact when he arrived on the field, almost helping his side secure an unlikely point after they had trailed 3-0.

And fellow Frenchman Wenger believes that the Red Devils’ man management of the 27-year-old, who continues to be linked with a move back to Juventus, should have been stronger.

“I believe that you have to explain to a player that no matter what his future plan is, his interest and his job is to perform at the present club,” Wenger told ESPN’s 'Caught Offside' podcast.

“It’s the best way to prepare your future, to play well in the present.

“When I saw Pogba coming on on Tuesday night at RB Leipzig, I was sorry he didn’t start the game because straight away he made a huge impact.”

Pogba, meanwhile, started Saturday’s Manchester derby, which ended in a tame scoreless draw that does the title hopes of neither club any good.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, meanwhile, has praised the attitude of the club’s academy product.

“There’s been other players refusing to train and refusing to play – they’re not here any more, of course – but Paul’s not once done that,” he said.

“He’s got the quality and the desire to do well when he comes on, like he did against Leipzig, when he had a positive impact.”

"I’ve always fought and will always fight for Manchester United, my team-mates and the fans," Pogba said via an Instagram post on Saturday. “The future is far, today is what matters and I am 1000% involved!”

He has been hampered by injury and illness over the course of the last 18 months, including a bout of Covid-19 earlier this season.

Pogba has made 15 appearances for United this season and has scored two goals.

Owen Coyle took the Indian Super League (ISL) by storm when he turned around the fortunes of a then beleaguered Chennaiyin FC and guided them to a runner-up spot last season. Over the summer, he jumped ship to join Jamshedpur FC and after suffering a defeat in their season opener to Chennaiyin FC, they have been unbeaten in their last four outings. 

On Monday evening, Mumbai City FC will come up against Jamshedpur FC and coach Sergio Lobera has urged his team to be guard and not take any team lightly. On being specifically asked about Coyle's impact last season in ther ISL, Lobera replied, "We need to go step-by-step. I think the past is the past and we need to focus on the future. 

"Every team is different but I think it's possibly going to be similar to facing Chennaiyin FC because Jamshedpur has a very competitive team. They are a good team with and without the ball. They are a dangerous team because when they have the chances, they usually score goals. So we need to work on the balance on the offensive and defensive aspects because it's very important for tomorrow's game." 

The games are coming thick and fast and Mumbai will be playing their third game in eight days, which makes it paramount for coaches to rotate the squad. Lobera agrees that recovering players in such a short time is difficult and hence, he would have to rely on the depth of his squad.

"It's not easy. We have a big challenge every day in this season and we have to adapt quickly. The most important thing is that I have a good squad and it's not only about the 11 players who played in the last game," said Lobera.

Mumbai are in a rich vein of form as they have won four games on the bounce and are gunning for the fifth win. But the former Las Palmas manager believes that his team still has room to improve. 

"Obviously, we need to improve day-by-day and game-by-game. Winning four games in a row is not easy. Now in a normal situation, we are probably at the end of the pre-season. Obviously, as a team, we need to improve a lot."

Lobera also confirmed that Mandar Rao Dessai is yet to join the squad after he had to leave the bio-secure bubble due to personal reasons.

Japanese midfielder Cy Goddard is enjoying training under the 43-year-old tactician and has adapted well to Lobera's style. But the footballer expressed his displeasure over having a short pre-season as it made matters complicated heading into the fixtures. 

"I've grown up watching Spanish football. So for me, it wasn't so hard going into this style of football and I've enjoyed it very much. We get on very well off the pitch which makes it easier for us to develop a relationship on the pitch and I think it can only get better. I wouldn't say that the style of football makes it harder but the style of football that we play probably makes it easier. This is because we're the ones trying to be in possession of the ball and the other team will have to do more of the work as we dominate the game. 

"I've enjoyed my time very much. Of course, it's a difficult situation being in the bubble and without fans but the group has treated me well. We had a short time together (in pre-season) and all of a sudden we were thrown into the fixtures straight away. So that was probably the hardest part," stated Goddard. 

Yanga SC coach Cedric Kaze has revealed he went to encourage Mwadui FC goalkeeper Mussa Mbise in order for him not to be negatively impacted by the number of goals conceded on Saturday.

Yacouba Songne played a starring role as Timu ya Wananchi defeated their hosts 5-0 at Sokoine Stadium to open a 10-point gap on top of the Tanzania Mainland League table.  

The Burkinabe scored a brace and set up goals for Deus Kaseke and Tuisila Kisinda before Lamine Moro scored the fifth.  

"Football is about friendship and encouragement," Kaze told reporters after the match.

"I was just encouraging the player after he conceded the goals, telling him it should not negatively impact him in his career. 

"These are usual things in football and he will bounce back and be one of the best."

The Burundian was impressed with the way his charges played, stating the result will boost the confidence of the 27-time league champions.

"Another three points that we came for, and I am glad we have managed to get them," Kaze added.

"The players showed their quality and it is true scoring goals increases the confidence of the team and players, individually, and it will help us to confidently approach forthcoming matches."

The Tanzanian transfer window will open on December 15 and the soft-spoken tactician has explained the process he will be engaging in before deciding to bring in a new player.

"Regarding the transfer window, I will sit with the board and decide because we do not want to sign a player for the sake of it. We want to sign a player who will bring quality to the team," he revealed.

"We do not want to make panic buys or maybe sign players because people are pressuring us to do so.

"We will analyse the team and see the department that needs to be strengthened and see the players at our proposal. If we get a good player who fits in the needy department then we will go for him but if not, we will do with what we have."

After Saturday's win, the unbeaten Wananchi are on 37 points while second-placed Azam are on 27. 

Former Manchester United man Gary Neville has put the boot into the club following their scoreless derby draw against Manchester City.

The point leaves the Red Devils eighth in the Premier League, four points off leaders Tottenham and Liverpool.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, though, do not have the look of a team capable of mounting a prolonged title challenge, having crashed out of the Champions League with a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig last weekend.

A succession of managers have come and gone since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and Neville says it is the responsibility of the board that United have lost their place at the forefront of the game in England.

“I've still got a thing in the back of my mind with this club that to allow a manager to win a title, you have to arm him with the players to do so,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“And have the ownership, the recruitment department, whatever you want to call them, done that?

“He needed another centre-back, he needed a right winger. They had to play Pogba left wing today, Greenwood on the right wing. They're still fudging it.

“They have six midfield players and trying to fit them all in.

“It is square pegs in round holes all the time - I don't think they have given any manager in the last five or six years a team that can win the title. That's the job of the people above.

“For me, there is dual culpability in terms of why Manchester United aren't successful.

“Ole's lack of success in not winning a title will not just be down to him but he's got to get close with that group of players and start dominating matches.”

Neville believes that Solskjaer is currently doing a firefighting job.

“He won't think that first half against West Ham [in a 3-1 win] is anywhere near the standard that is going to get Manchester United to a title,” said the former Red Devils defender.

“He obviously will keep putting a positive spin on it and today said it's the best they've played against City but the reality of it is he'll know they're not performances that will win titles. They're not; they're nowhere near.”

Solskjaer takes his side to Sheffield United then hosts Leeds in their pre-Christmas Premier League fixtures. They also have a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Everton to play on December 23.

Matt Doherty said his competition with Serge Aurier at Tottenham Hotspur is to make each other better.

The duo is battling for the right-back spot in Jose Mourinho's team this season, however, they have both delivered impressive performances whenever they are called upon.

Earlier this season, Doherty got the nod to start on the right side of the defence but tested positive for coronavirus in November which led to Aurier's return to the starting XI.

The Ivory Coast international has helped Spurs keep three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League - their goalless draws against Arsenal and Chelsea, and a 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

Aurier was reportedly linked with an exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer with AC Milan and Spartak Moscow reportedly interested in his services, following the arrival of Doherty from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ahead of Sunday's London derby at Crystal Palace, the summer-signing welcomes the competition for playing time as a healthy fight.

Doherty told the club website: "I love it here. I came here in the summer and we're fighting it out, driving each other on, whether he plays or I play, we've pretty much played half-and-half this season, so we try to get the best out of each other, and any competition is going to improve the team.

"You want to play as many games as possible, you want to stay sharp, and there is nothing like game fitness.

"Fortunately, people who haven't played one game have managed to play the midweek game, so everyone is fresh enough.

"I guess whatever the team is, we're all in pretty good nick."

Aurier missed Thursday's Europa League victory over Royal Antwerp due to a knock as Tottenham advanced to the Round of 32 as Group J winners.

The 27-year-old defender remains a doubt to make his sixth Premier League appearance at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Jamshedpur FC coach Owen Coyle praised the Mumbai City FC set-up and coach Sergio Lobera ahead of their clash against the Islanders on Monday evening. 

The Men of Steel are coming into the tie on the back of a goalless draw against SC East Bengal, before which they handed ATK Mohun Bagan their first defeat this season.

"A fantastic game to look forward to. [Mumbai City is] a team with fantastic players and a terrific coach (Sergio Lobera). With the City [Football] Group involved, they have spent a lot of money to bring in players that they require. Fair play to them as it enhances the league. 

"What we have to do is exactly what we did against ATK [Mohun Bagan] - we were talking about a team undefeated who haven't conceded a goal - we have to get that level of performance. You always want to play against the best players and the best team and Mumbai City affords you that opportunity," he said.

Mumbai City are currently on a run of four wins on the trot while Jamshedpur are undefeated in their last four games.

Coyle continues to miss the services of injured players such as Narender Gahlot, Joyner Lourenco and Nick Fitzgerald while Laldinliana Renthlei will miss out on account of picking a red card in the last match.

"We have a number of injuries and when suspensions come around, you have to adjust, and that's what you got a squad for. We know that when we are at our best, we can stand toe-to-toe with any team and that's what we have to do. So once we have our best team (full squad), we will get even stronger," the Jamshedpur tactician claimed.

Coming up against a distinctive attacking style of play that Lobera adopts at Mumbai City, the 54-year-old put in, "I've already played against Sergio Lobera's teams. We have to be very respectful of Mumbai City but we have to bring in our game. We have to nullify the threats from Mumbai, which are many, but we have threats of our own. So we have to make sure that we impose what we do at Jamshedpur."

Ghana's Emmanuel Boateng, Jonathan Mensah, and Harrison Afful alongside Nigeria's Fanendo Adi and Morocco's Youness Mokhtar have won the 2020 Major League Soccer Cup with Columbus Crew after their 3-0 victory over Seattle Sounders.

Caleb Porter's side ended their 2020 season on a high, a week after they defeated New England Revolution 1-0 to win the Easter Conference play-offs.

Ghana left-back Afful got the hosts off to a flying start at Mapfre Stadium by assisting Lucas Zelarayan for the opening goal in the 25th minute. Derick Etienne doubled the lead for the Crew in the 31st minute as Zelarayan bagged his brace eight minutes from full-time.

Mensah also produced a sold shift in the defence to help Porter's men keep a clean sheet in the emphatic victory.

Cameroon's Nouhou Tolo featured for Seattle Sounders while Boateng, Adi and Mokhtar were unused substitutes for the Crew.

Saturday's triumph secured Columbus Crew's second MLS Cup having clinched their first title in 2008. It was also a second MLS Cup for Adi who previously won it at Portland Timbers with Porter in 2015.

The Nigeria forward has struggled to make an impact in Columbus since he left Cincinnati to reunite with his former Timbers manager in January.

He was limited to just a start in the 12 league matches he featured in this campaign without scoring a goal.

Mokhtar, on the hand, contributed three goals in 19 MLS appearances to win the first major silverware of his career.

Ghana duo Mensah and Afful established themselves as key players in Porter's defence this campaign with over 25 league appearances under their belt while Boateng, who left D.C United to team up with the Crew in August, ended the 2020 season with 12 league games.

As a reward for winning the MLS Cup, Columbus Crew become the fourth American top-flight club to qualify for the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. They join Supporters' Shield winners Philadelphia Union, MLS is Back Tournament winners Portland Timbers and 2019 US Open Cup champions Atlanta United in the tournament.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has opened the door for Mesut Ozil to return to the squad in January.

The former Germany international playmaker has been frozen out of the Spaniard’s plans since March and is not involved in either of the Gunners’ squads for the Premier League or the Europa League.

In the meantime, he has been involved in a battle with the club on social media, undermining them by offering to pay the wages of mascot Gunnersaurus, who was sacked by the club earlier this year as they made cutbacks due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Ozil’s deal is up at the end of the season and his Arsenal career seemed over – but there may be another twist to come in the tale.

“He’s not in the squad right now,” Arteta told the press on Saturday ahead of a Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday. “I’m focusing just on the players we have here.

“But, whatever happens in January, we have some time to decide.”

Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger recently spoke out in defence of the former Real Madrid ace, claiming he is not a difficult character to manage.

"He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun," the legendary former Arsenal boss told ESPN.

"He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive.

"They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best."

Wenger offered Arteta some advice to get the best out of Ozil.

"You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same. The same intensity of work, the same defensive work or you find a compromise," he added.

"You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies.

"That is what you have to think about."

Sofapaka coach John Baraza believes his players did not display the kind of game he was expecting from them when they suffered a 3-0 defeat against AFC Leopards in a KF Premier League match on Saturday.

Batoto ba Mungu came into the match seeking to end their poor run of three defeats against Ingwe and were in control of the game for most of the first half.

However, in the second period, the game turned against them as Ingwe took control of the match played at Kasarani Stadium to score the three goals courtesy of striker Elvis Rupia, and help the team move top of the league table and with an unbeaten run.

The former Harambee Stars striker has now blamed his players for failure to use the chances they created in the first half, and also questioned their attitude, especially in the second period, when they conceded two quick goals which killed their hopes.

“It is true, the two quick goals from AFC Leopards spoilt our plans, because we were on top of the game in the first half, played very well and failed to use our chances and AFC got two good chances in the second half to punish us and spoil our plans,” Baraza told Goal.

“I did not expect my players to play as they did, especially in the second half, that is not my team, I don’t know why they played like that, we had planned well for the match, they started well and created one or two good chances to score but we did not use the chances, in football, it is all about scoring and you see when AFC got their chance and scored, it lifted them.”

Baraza continued: “The first goal gave them [AFC Leopards] the urge to search for another and it demoralised my players and killed our plans, but most of my players have not displayed the kind of football I know they can do, and I don’t know why, I will expect to hear from them later on what was the problem, but they did not play well.”

On managing to secure only three points from the opening three matches, Baraza explained: “It is not a good start, we must get back to the drawing board look at what we have not been doing right and rectify the mistakes then get back to the road of winning our matches.”

AFC Leopards broke the deadlock in the 48th minute when Rupia, who had scored a brace against Bidco United in the last game, aimed at goal and Kevin Omondi could do little to stop the ball from getting into the net.

It took the former Nzoia Sugar and Wazito FC striker another six minutes to add the second for Ingwe as the league giants looked a solid, resolute, and a more determined outfit in the second half.

The day went from good to better for Rupia as he scored the third for AFC Leopards four minutes after the hour mark.

The defeat is now the second Sofapaka, who had earlier lost their season opener by a solitary goal against Bandari but recovered to beat Western Stima 3-1 in their second match.