One might imagine that, given the background and potential importance of the fixture, Manchester United’s top brass would have been at Watford in big numbers on Saturday.
But no. Agenda understands neither Ed Woodward nor the man touted as his successor, Richard Arnold, were at Vicarage Road as the club lurched to another low under their watch.
The 4-1 drubbing confirmed what everybody outside the Old Trafford corridors of power already knew and it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final game in charge.
Neither Ed Woodward (R) or Richard Arnold (L) were present at Vicarage Road on Sunday
The absence of executive vice chairman Woodward raised eyebrows, given he is the key decision-maker and is based in Barnes, south-west London, which is hardly a million miles from Watford.
Spare a thought for directors John Murtough and Michael Edelson, who were left to watch the shambles, accept their hosts’ commiserations and then report back to HQ.
But at least United’s popularity off the pitch continues. Various sizes of their shirts are unavailable until mid-January both from United Direct, adidas and a number of retailers including Kitbag and Sports Direct.
The Premier League League are lining up Peter McCormick as the interim replacement for outgoing chairman Gary Hoffman, who announced last week he is to step down .
Harrogate-based lawyer McCormick, viewed as a safe pair of hands, has a similar role at the FA ahead of Debbie Hewitt, who is taking over at the same time as Hoffman’s departure.
McCormick, 69, has previously been acting chairman at the Premier League and would again remain in place until a permanent successor is found. He stepped into the breach at the FA to replace Greg Clarke, who resigned following the language he used when talking to MPs about diversity. Hoffman announced his decision to depart after it was made clear he would not survive a vote from clubs following his role in the Newcastle takeover.
He retained the support of some, who took the view that his hands were tied and that he was a scapegoat.
Gary Hoffman announced last week he is to step down as chairman of the Premier League
Everton defender Michael Keane has bought a £3million home next to former Burnley team-mate Tom Heaton.
The England centre back’s luxury six-bedroom pad boasts a gym, steam room, cinema, study and summer house. Now he wants to splash out on a rear swimming pool extension and has applied to the council in Mere, Cheshire, for planning permission.
The lack of a hard-hitting statement from the International Olympic Committee over missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has been widely criticised. The IOC have been urging ‘quiet diplomacy’ to resolve the issue, which some say is an attempt to appease the Chinese and minimise risk to next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
Their stance is, fortunately, at odds with many others in Olympic sport. Last week Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, broke ranks,
