Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labels Manchester United players a 'joke' after Southampton draw

After Manchester United’s slog to a draw against Southampton on the weekend, The Sun reports what went down in the dressing room. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was reportedly furious with his players, telling them it was ‘embarrassing’ that they could not finish teams off, and that they were playing like a ‘joke’ with a match against unbeaten Leicester City next.

Paper Round’s view: Solskjaer’s three signings of Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire have been impressive compared to the rest of the squad. They have shipped out countless underperformers but there are still too many mediocrities left in the squad. That will continue to hamper his efforts until more signings can be made - but will he still be in a job by then?

Former Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa remains available after failing to sign for a team in the summer, reports the Mail. He had been at Rennes last season, but with no deal he was linked with a free transfer to Fiorentina, West Ham and Fenerbahce. He explained his failure to find a new club by saying on Instagram: 'It's like a woman... if she doesn't excite you, let it go bro'.

Paper Round’s view: Ben Arfa scored nine goals in 41 appearances last season which is a pretty respectable haul, but top sides will obviously be wary given his past problems at Hull City and PSG. The next problem is that Ben Arfa is now 32 and clubs may prefer to take a gamble on younger players with resale value, rather than be stuck with the former Marseille man if he blows up again.

The police have launched an investigation into potential fraud at recently expelled League One club Bury. The Telegraph paper reports that the police have confirmed an investigation has taken place. In a statement, they said: “No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.” The club could be readmitted to the league at the start of next season, dropping down a division to League Two.

Paper Round’s view: The situation at Bury seems extremely complex, but the paper makes little clear over what is alleged to have gone on at the club. The European Union authorities have recently made it clear that they believe the football industry is vulnerable to fraud and money laundering, so in general terms there is clearly more work to be done on the sport’s business side.

The Guardian tells Shinji Okazaki’s peculiar story in Malaga. Towards the end of deadline day, the now-former Japanese international confirmed a transfer to Malaga, who play in the second division in Spain. Six minutes after the window closed, he was released because the club were unable to manage their salary limit, meaning he is on the lookout for a new club. “I regret nothing,” the 33-year-old striker said.

Paper Round’s view: Okazaki showed at Leicester that he is a useful squad member to have. He may not be the best goalscorer, but he is clearly willing to work across the front three positions, and does not appear to be suffering from a lack of fitness despite his age. He could even make a Premier League return in a few weeks.