
'Thinking the unthinkable is part of the plan'
It is impossible to imagine what state Manchester United would be in now without Bruno Fernandes. Relegation might have been a real fear.Ruben Amorim has also said he wants to keep his best players and Fernandes is one of them.However, Amorim said the club had to be "brave" when it came to assessing future decisions.Fernandes is at his peak. But United need to manipulate their finances to build something for the future. Thinking the unthinkable is part of the plan.Fernandes' exit - given clear interest in him elsewhere - might have to be part of that.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Airbnb bill' aimed at taxing Cornwall's second homeowners
A bill proposing a law change aimed at second home owners looking to "dodge council tax" has been presented to parliament by a North Cornwall the "Airbnb Bill", it proposes homeowners be required to seek planning permission before short-term letting their Democrat MP Ben Maguire said it would "close a loophole" which allowed property owners to avoid council tax by reclassifying their second homes as business Brown, CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said the bill "was not a silver bullet, but a start". 'Tougher regulation' Mr Brown added: "It must sit alongside tougher regulation and a robust registration system for short-term lets. "If it deters those looking to extract profit from Cornwall without putting anything back — good. "If it helps restore housing stock for local people, even better. "And if it ensures our hospitality and tourism sectors can find workers with secure housing, then it's a win for all of Cornwall.".Describing a "surplus" of Airbnb homes, he said there were 14,000 second homes in the county, while 22,000 people were on the housing waiting list. The bill follows a campaign led by Mr Maguire, who put the proposal directly to the Housing Minister in order to "deliver deep change for North Cornwall".He added: "The bill is about restoring fairness in our system and giving local people a better chance at owning their own home," he added. Double council tax In January 2023, Cornwall Council approved plans for owners of second homes in the county to be charged double council September 2024, Airbnb called for Cornwall Council to be given more data, powers and tools to regulate short-term US online rental platform said it had written to local MPs and councillors across Cornwall to inform them of its support for new rules being implemented in the also said it also supported the introduction of a registration scheme for people who wanted to let their homes to BBC has contacted Airbnb and the The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment.


BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chancellor to announce £1bn for Teesside transport improvements
Teesside is to receive £1bn towards improving its transport network, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce the projects earmarked for the funds is a new platform three at Middlesbrough train station to increase the number of services it can Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said the award meant political leaders in the area could "deliver on our list of absolutely vital transport secure growth and jobs".In all, the government is to award £15.6bn to areas across the UK in a move it claims will "make all parts of the country better off". The chancellor will make the announcement during a speech in Greater Manchester and it is billed as forming the biggest ever investment in buses, trams and train is expected to say "a Britain that is better off cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country," adding the "result of such thinking has been growth created in too few places, felt by too few people and wide gaps between regions, and between our cities and towns".It comes ahead of the government's spending review next week. 'Get on and deliver' Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the funding "marks a watershed moment on our journey to improving transport across the North and Midlands".Houchen described it as "the right move", saying it was confirmation of money promised to regions by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he announced the cancellation of the West Midlands to Manchester leg of HS2 high-speed rail in autumn 2023."We've been tirelessly making the case for this money, announced by the previous government, to come to us," he said."I'm pleased our message has hit home, and it means we can get on and deliver on our list of absolutely vital transport projects - agreed by cabinet - to secure growth and jobs for people across Teesside."We've already taken action to transform our major stations at Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Darlington."Unlocking another £1bn of funding will allow us to get on and bring the better roads, better stations and better transport links we deserve." Luke Myer, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said the funding would be "transformative"."This is fantastic news and long overdue. Every week, I'm hearing from people who are desperate for transport improvements - from more reliable public transport to proper road maintenance."Finally we have the cash to deliver."Elsewhere in the North East, £800m will go towards extending the Tyne & Wear Metro network to link Washington with Newcastle and Sunderland. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hereford bypass scheme can begin in earnest, says finance leader
The long-awaited Hereford bypass scheme can now begin in earnest, a Herefordshire leader has council is due to approve next month what it calls "the procurement route to enable the Hereford Western Bypass to move to it's construction stage".The route will link the A465 and A49 southwest of the city with a second proposed phase across the River Wye and up the west side of the member for finance, councillor Pete Stoddart said diverting traffic out of the city will "let Hereford breathe again" and enable a more diverse transport mix within it. "Currently lorries come up the A465 into Hereford and out to Rotherwas," he said. "This will take 15% of traffic out of the city."Phase two, the bypass "proper" will then be "a growth corridor for employment as well as housing" – the case for which is only strengthened by the government's higher demands on the county to build more new homes, he said."We will meet that demand, but they have to help us provide the road and the infrastructure" – while the developers of all these new homes "will assist us in paying for the road", he to £30m has been earmarked this year alone on phase one with the council previously saying it hoped work would start by dismissed opposition parties' preferred option of an eastern crossing over the Wye as "a road to nowhere", adding: "From Rotherwas, most traffic wants to go north, not east."Councillor Terry James, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the county and supporter of the bypass, said he believed there was "a strong chance the government will fund the first phase", but added: "We have to show we are keen to do it anyway."Hereford Civic Society chairman Jeremy Milln, also a Hereford city councillor, said that aside from the cost, there remained "an awful lot of bureaucratic bridges to cross" before the bypass can the long timescales involved, there was a "lively possibility" that a different administration in the county following elections in 2027 could "rethink" the whole plan, as had previously current Green and Independents for Herefordshire groups were asked for comment. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.