A STAIN ON OUR GAME
Six-game bite ban for O’Hara
ANOTHER DAY, another incident bringing shame to football.When will it end?
Football has been hit by a second incident involving fans viciously abusing a player.
After Eric Dier went into the crowd to protect his brother, Manchester United and police are looking to identify individuals who targeted Jesse
Lingard with vile abuse
following the club’s FA Cup tie at Pride Park.The midfielder was subjected to a storm of foulmouthed abuse as he walked to the team coach after the victory over Derby County on Thursday.
Old Trafford have condemned those involved – understood to be United fans – believing they crossed the line. Derbyshire Constabulary also confirmed they are investigating and are studying the ground’s CCTV footage.
Lingard did not appear to react as one fan shouted “zero goals and zero assists in 2019” referring to a lean spell stretching back to December. Another shouted for Lingard to “f*** off”, and calling him “s***” and “w***”.
On Wednesday, Dier charged into the stands to confront an abusive fan involved in an escalating dispute with his brother at the end of Tottenham’s FA Cup defeat by Norwich.
United face Manchester City at Old Trafford tomorrow, three months after the derby at the Etihad where Lingard and Fred, above, were allegedly the target of racist abuse.
YOUNG Manchester United goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara has been banned for six games and fined £2,500 for biting an opponent.
The 23-year-old, who has been on loan at League One side Burton since the start of the season, was charged with violent conduct following the 1-1 home draw against Peterborough last Saturday.
O’Hara was alleged to have bitten the arm of Peterborough forward Sammie Szmodics in the 44th minute.
Considering the record of his team before he joined, the odds against that statistic would have been fairly long.
But in Fernandes’ six starts and one substitute appearance, United have won four games and drawn three, conceding twice.
His influence has been obvious – United fans are seeing Fernandes call out team-mates if he feels they need to step up a gear.
And manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not surprised. “Bruno has come in as a leader and he has shown he’s a leader,” said Solskjaer. “He is a winner. He doesn’t take 99 per cent as good enough.
“I like to see that in a player. He doesn’t change coming into a new team.
“He’s the same as he was at Sporting and that is a boy with confidence, with quality and form. That’s his personality and he’s allowed to be himself –