Manchester United Banter
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17 Mar 2026 22:18:46
Mazraoui now an AFCON champion! Others may disagree but I think CAF have made the right call eventually. Senegal walked off the pitch. That's a forfeit. Simple as that really.
17 Mar 2026 22:32:21
Did you watch the tournament? The number of dodgy decisions that went Morocco's way was ridiculous, the most obviously fraudulent excuse of a tournament in history.
There was absolutely no need for all the players to travel, train, and spend so much time away from their clubs, as Morocco's name was on the trophy from before the first ball was kicked.
17 Mar 2026 22:38:11
I did, Shappy. But they walked off the pitch. That's an abandonment. You are conflating that with a separate issue. One does not excuse the other. And one is the suspicion of corruption, which we cannot be sure of.
Senegal walked off due to a correctly disallowed goal, followed by a correctly allowed penalty to the opposition. At least that was my judgement of those incidents, which I did watch, fwiw. Did you?
18 Mar 2026 06:32:04
It's a joke of a tournament. It's even more corrupt than FIFA.
18 Mar 2026 06:33:58
I agree, they should be stripped of the title. It sets a dangerous precedent if they aren't. Teams can just walk off before a penalty is taken and leave the player 15 minutes before he has to take it otherwise.
Whether the decisions were correct or not (I think they were soft but not exactly the worst decisions you'll ever see), you can't just walk off. If you suspect cheating, don't play the game.
18 Mar 2026 07:21:00
Brahim Diaz for Ballon d'Or!
Make them play again, I say.
18 Mar 2026 10:04:56
They should have been stripped the day after.
17 Mar 2026 11:27:08
Hi Eds, poll please
Who would you prefer as first choice right back.
RB: Munoz, Ryerson, Kayode, someone else
Who would you prefer as first choice left back
LB: Livramento, Hall, Robinson, Vanderson, Di Marco, Grimaldi, someone else.
{Ed033's Note -
RB poll
LB poll
17 Mar 2026 18:44:42
Livramento is a rb, no?
17 Mar 2026 20:46:27
Yes Rwwd, that's my bad. 😬 😬 😬
17 Mar 2026 20:52:11
I think Vanderson is a rub too.
17 Mar 2026 04:08:01
Midfield is critical.
Just sign Anderson and Tonali on day 1 of the window and be done with it.
Drop the 200m that is required to fix the problem.
17 Mar 2026 10:33:18
So, two right-footed 8s?
17 Mar 2026 11:42:47
Literally does not matter what foot they are, what a stupid view.
17 Mar 2026 13:33:18
Agreed, WhiskeyRed. Made the same comment elsewhere. There's far too much fixation on 6/8. Two box-to-box midfielders that complement each other is what is needed. As I said then, if we analysed Keane on his Forest days, like Anderson, we'd say he was an 8, which no one would say after his career finished.
17 Mar 2026 14:01:33
Mmm, like the right-footed Keane and Scholes.
Or like the right-footed Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets. Or De Bruyne, Rodri and Silva.
How on earth did they win all those CL and league titles and trebles? If only they had left-footed 8s, they would have won the World Cup, the Grand National and Wimbledon too. 🤣🤣🤣
17 Mar 2026 15:51:06
Whilst unlikely, I think these 2 would improve the overall central midfield drastically.
Tonali has the ability to play holding midfield on his own if we try 433, and can play alongside Anderson in a 4231.
We would then have Mainoo as part of the rotation for central midfield, or Bruno, especially as we will have lots more games next year.
Not sure how real, but we are apparently looking at Casado from Barcelona as part of the Rashford deal if they can't pay the money. Still raw, but looks like a quality player for us and, like Mainoo, could form part of the rotation group.
17 Mar 2026 19:58:40
No doubt, we all have our particular favourites as to who we would like to sign, and would have to say my 1st choice would be Anderson.
It would seem the major stumbling block would be, if as being reported, City want him, then it could be difficult because of the wages we would offer.
Given the new wage structure we are operating, City could blow us out of the water, would hate to lose him that way, but on the other hand, discipline in our wage structure has to be a good thing. It's OK to pay big buck's, but they have to have justified it by performing for us.
17 Mar 2026 20:48:40
It is imperative we have a wave structure, and those who earn an elevated salary at the top end of that structure have stood the test of time and earned it.
If Anderson wants a payday, let him go to City. He would be stand out number 1 in centre mid for us.
17 Mar 2026 20:50:05
Brad, Bruno can never play midfield again. He is a 10, and a good one at that. Leave him there, no more square pegs.
Mainoo as back up, along with one more midfielder like Gomes from Wolves, who gets mentioned a lot.
17 Mar 2026 21:48:16
Jimbo, it made perfect sense to play Bruno in CM with Licha out. This stuff about round pegs isn't sensible. That isn't what was happening. People seem to be trying to argue it into fact, but ignore we're playing Mbeumo as a striker!! Bar Bruno, name one player who was out of position.
And, a full back or a winger as a wing back clearly does not count.
17 Mar 2026 21:57:13
We agree on a lot, DonRed, and especially in the RA tenure, but I have to say, Amorim's stubbornness to play Bruno in the middle, and not where he could be more influential, cost us points.
I don't think Mbeumo should be a striker when you have Sesko, who is actually contributing to outcomes on the bench.
On the other points on fullbacks/wingbacks, etc, we clearly did not have the cattle to play Amorim's preferred way.
What do you do in that situation.... find a way to get through and slowly build the team to suit the way you play, or do you stick to your guns?
I like that he stuck to his guns, and there were times when it was working, and I could see where he wanted them to get to. But the fact remains, the cattle were not appropriate for his system. The players, on the whole, were incapable of playing that way.
17 Mar 2026 21:59:03
Bruno has to play as he's been doing recently... as a proper number 10.
My concern is if he gets injured for a while. We have nobody as creative as him.
17 Mar 2026 22:12:49
I think it was a mixture, Jimbo. I think he needed to learn the league, and that he definitely needed a couple of players. We still need players, though. I find it hard to gauge where we are. I feel we've regressed in our play in general, but our results are obviously better. There are two ways to view that: either we've just been lucky, or Carrick understands the ebbs and flows better and has the team set up to punch at the right time. Or it's a mixture of the two.
But I see very little of the difference as having to do with the formation. I see as many people in the wrong positions now as I did before, and see that we continue to have to play 2 or 3 players that aren't really at the level we need to progress in every game.
I thought we were better at progressing the ball under RA, but less efficient in taking our chances. And that summarises the pros and cons of where Bruno was playing. Nothing to do with anyone else or the system being played.
But back to Bruno. I definitely prefer him in the 10. I do agree with you about that. But I understand why he was put in the middle. Against Villa we actually saw him rotated into the middle a lot. He did that in the second half because we had no tempo setter. Again, in the absence of Licha, I think it's perfectly sensible. But I'm definitely not advocating that as a long term position.
17 Mar 2026 22:35:45
While I agree that you don't need a right foot/left foot combo in midfield, I do want to call out a clear error in this thread.
Both Bernardo Silva and David Silva are, in fact, left-footed, so did give some balance when playing alongside the right-footed Rodri and KdB.
16 Mar 2026 21:08:39
Let's assume for the moment that we make top 4. Carrick certainly gets his hat in the ring. Unless there's a clear standout and available candidate, it would not surprise me if they eschewed the manager option entirely and made Carrick the head coach, not giving him anything more than an advisory role on transfers in and out.
While the new management team probably delayed too long before getting rid of ETH and made a mistake hiring Amorim, they have done extremely well in the transfer market with Sesko, Mbuemo, Cunha, Lammens and Dorgu, as well as hiring Carrick as the interim manager. And they also made the correct decision to cut their losses on Amorim.
Perhaps then they're thinking that the key to the future is more tied up in the quality of the players rather than in the experience of the manager. It's a risk, of course, but perhaps one worth taking. Roy Keane was adamant that Carrick should not get the job. He's entirely right that there is an enormous difference between taking over for half a season with only league position to play for. It's an entirely different proposition to manage a whole season with European competition, maybe some cup runs and two games a week with more pressure and injuries.
16 Mar 2026 10:55:28
Lots of talk about the manager's job, for the only good candidate would be Enrique at PSG, geat experince, won trophies, and plays attrative football. There was huge pressure at PSG, but he got rid of the big egos and built a very good young team. My fear is if Pep goes, City will go for him.
16 Mar 2026 11:30:10
Ooohh, we better be careful if there is only 1 good candidate. Absolute nonsense.
16 Mar 2026 11:30:38
100% nailed on for City.
16 Mar 2026 11:32:18
You didn't fancy joining the thread below then?
16 Mar 2026 11:44:28
We finish top 4. Carrick deserves it. Get him a couple of good mids and beef up other areas and we are good to go. Many big names have come and gone with us and elsewhere and stunk it up.
16 Mar 2026 12:28:42
Lots of candidates. None guarantee success.
Carrick has done well as interim, no doubt.
I think we still need to widen our net and take others into consideration.
Lots of good coaches out there.
There is no magic wand, no right or wrong answer at this stage.
There is no need to panic or make any knee jerk appointment.
Bide our time and wait.
Appointing Carrick may be the way to go; it's 1 option. Im very calm about it. No need to rush or panic.
Looks like we will get CL football next season, so that will help for both player and manager recruitment.
It looks like at least 1 of Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea will miss out. Ideally Liverpool, as it makes their recruitment more difficult.
16 Mar 2026 13:53:53
If Carrick gets top 4, then he deserves a shot at the full-time job.
There may be better qualified coaches out there, but nothing is guaranteed. We need someone who fits our club, and there is no obvious candidate.
16 Mar 2026 14:17:40
I don't get the Zidane love, and neither he nor Simeone speaks English well.
Enrique feels special, and his English is excellent, but I don't see him leaving PSG.
16 Mar 2026 14:20:45
Just leave Carrick as the interim, on that basis.
16 Mar 2026 20:47:43
AJH, hearing Bale talk about Zidane as a manager was interesting. He intimated that Zidane's success was primarily down to the respect for his playing career. More of a motivator than a tactician. Worked at Madrid because he had world class players capable of working things out on the pitch for themselves.
Not sure if he'd be much use at a different club, probably why he hasn't coached in 5 years. I can see him as a future France manager.
Enrique is a different class. Seems to be more interested in the character of his players than over complicating things tactically. Would be a dream manager for us.
16 Mar 2026 22:31:45
I'm with Ken on this one. Let's see how the end of the season plays out and go from there. There's pros and cons to keeping Carrick or replacing him. Do our due diligence on other candidates, and then, when the season is over, make an informed choice.
If it's Carrick, then I'd have no qualms, but the same goes for Nagelsmann etc. I'm just enjoying us atm, and as long as that continues, then I'm happy.
15 Mar 2026 18:53:13
This does feel like a poor league this year with a lot of teams being very inconsistent. Liverpool and Chelsea have been erratic, City look unconvincing, and even Arsenal have flattered to deceive.
Our teams looked good in the Champions League initial league, but are getting found out now they are facing knockout games against big teams.
That has presented an opportunity, one Carrick has seized pretty well. This weekend's results strengthen our position and we are now looking up and chasing City, instead of panicking who might be catching us.
So back to the continuing question about the new Manager. I have not heard a name that excites me, and we currently have Carrick delivering League winning form, 7 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat. I know many are not convinced, but tell me who you think would do better? I'm struggling to think of anyone.
Managing United is a unique role, and character is key. Carrick is not fazed by it and understands the club, he is an inexperienced Manager but right now he's delivering.
Glassner and Iraola, think Frank going from Brentford to Spurs, a whole different ball game. Emery, good with underdog teams but one where he is expected to win things? I'm not so sure.
De Zerbi, really? I think he would be out of his depth. And Nagelsmann, he intrigues me but brief success in one role brimgs great risk, and Bayern dumped him.
Martinez, not for me, failed with Belgium with an amazing team, and aamcelotto. Is well. Pastnhis best, in both ability and moti action.
The one manager I would get excited by is Klopp, but we all know that isn't going to happen.
Let's assume Carrick continues to deliver, so tell me, who would be a better fit than Carrick?
15 Mar 2026 19:10:32
Hoeness, Pochettino, and Nagelsmann, to name 3. Carrick has done well but there are plenty of amber flags. Those were ignored with Ole, and we cannot afford to do that again. Results are great, and I know plenty just want to focus on that, but it would be foolish to ignore the other metrics, especially those that have better long term predictive value.
15 Mar 2026 19:26:19
Ole, it's always Ole.
Poch, I used to like that idea, but again, what has he achieved?
Hoeness, never managed a big club, huge risk. I know you and I might disagree here, but I think Amorim struggled with the scale and size of our club, the same way Frank struggled going to Spurs, and, in my view, how Rosenior will be found out at Chelsea.
Nagelsmann, I think, is an option, Bayern dumped him, but he wasn't the first they've dumped, so perhaps it was them, not him.
I get the amber flags with Carrick. We have had a few lethargic games, but the 9 games overall have been, at worst, solid, and a massive step up from what we were seeing before.
15 Mar 2026 19:26:42
Not convinced by Poch at all. Hoeness is getting a lot of praise, but is it too soon for a manager who has never managed in the prem? Luis Enrique would be the obvious choice, but not sure he wants the move.
I like Iraola, and he has prem experience, but would the step up be too much?
Massive decision the club needs to get right. Not an easy one to make. Interesting months ahead.
15 Mar 2026 22:27:35
For goodness sake, are we really going down the Ole route again? I despair. A couple of games, and some are willing to throw everything up in the air.
Carrick was Boro manager, judge him on that. Stop being enticed into this dreamy nonsense.
I really can't be doing with another year of give it Carrick, he has the DNA.
16 Mar 2026 04:08:20
Enrique, Flick, Xavi, Zidane, Nagelsmann, the list is endless, but it will probably be Martinez; he is high on the list of the powers that be, the plan is with Carrick being his number 2.
Does it thrill me? No, a bit foolish to say, cos he's done nothing with Belgium.
If you're going by that route, virtually every manager everywhere fails somewhere. It's a matter of finding the right fit, same with players.
16 Mar 2026 05:54:25
By the way, in answer to Ajh, who would be better than Carrick? Quite a few. Understand the club is not a requirement. Nagelsmann, Enrique. I agree with Keane, he said it a few times. Simeone has done wonders year after year, and broken up the big two in Spain. Time for a new challenge.
16 Mar 2026 08:15:29
I'm finding it difficult to name a preference, but I'm very much with DonRed and Red Man re the amber flags and the Boro experience.
16 Mar 2026 08:25:23
I also don't have anyone I see as exciting and a strong choice. I would include Carrick in that bracket. So, in summary, I think we have a problem. The bigger question I would ask is whether we think the club has a plan, a shortlist, a timeline, and where they should be, and where they are in that process?
16 Mar 2026 09:44:03
If Martinez gets the job, I give up. Biggest fraud in football.
16 Mar 2026 10:18:31
He's thrown his name into the hat, but I think overall we need a strong manager with a proven track record. Luis Enrique is my 1st choice. I'd have Simeone over him, and possibly even Iriola, or maybe even Nagelsmann. All more experienced managers who are probably ahead of Carrick.
16 Mar 2026 14:04:03
Nagelsmann has just signed a contract till 2028 with Germany, so he isn't an option. Enrique is signing a three year extension with PSG, so expect lots of United rumours until he gets the money he wants.
Poch is going back to Spurs, hopefully.
Martinez, er, no. Iraola is in talks about extending his contract. Zidane will take over from Deschamp in the summer. Flick is at Barca, not likely to move, and Xavi is just the Spanish version of Carrick.
The pool of potentials isn't that big.
16 Mar 2026 14:33:23
Grim, that's not a new contract. His existing one runs till 28.
17 Mar 2026 06:56:50
Also Grim, there are rumours of Klopp becoming Germany manager after the summer. Suspect Nagelsmann may move on.
I would go Simeone, he definitely has the strength of personality.
17 Mar 2026 13:19:17
But he doesn't speak English, just Spanish and Italian.
17 Mar 2026 13:40:04
Being interim and permanent is a whole different thing. We don't know how Carrick can cope with pressure and setbacks, because that's what matters.
Amorim, although he had a very difficult job, many setbacks, and a lot of pressure, had the team playing good attacking football with energy and intensity.
I don't say Carrick can't cope, just we don't know.
That said, there are not many standout managers, so I would also be ok with Michael, as this is not the worst scenario. I prefer him to Anceloti, Tuchel, Martinez, De Zerbi, and, of course, Palace's manager.
17 Mar 2026 20:47:00
Ajh,
How do you know he hasn't had English lessons or is getting them before summer?
15 Mar 2026 16:07:36
Genuinely, is there anyway Casemiro can stay?!
15 Mar 2026 16:57:39
He's too slow now.
15 Mar 2026 17:47:44
Not been too slow 7 times this season.
15 Mar 2026 18:29:47
It'd be great if he could stay, but it'd obviously need to be at vastly reduced wages, as either way he shouldn't be a regular starter next year.
15 Mar 2026 18:32:14
Too slow and still our best midfielder! Not always about speed, it's experience and class... and scores much more than Kobbie, who everyone raves about, and besides, Mainoo is not exactly Linford Christie!
I would also say Cass is one of the best headers of the ball at the club; his timing is impeccable.
I would keep him another year if at all possible, in a heartbeat.
15 Mar 2026 18:54:28
What strength of Mandela effect has happened to this Realm?
I am finding myself agreeing with Maze, n9re, and more, recently.
Is this the troll effect? If you are the troll long enough, you become the enlightened one?
(Just s***s and giggles, Maze. No bad feelings. Your opinion is as valid as anyone's. Your tone has changed, though. Reacharound?)
16 Mar 2026 14:04:39
The one game a week suits him, let's not ruin his Indian summer.
16 Mar 2026 18:49:20
He can stay if he drops his wage demands by at least 70%. Then it would make sense to give him a rolling contract.
17 Mar 2026 01:41:07
Hit the nail on the head, Grim. One game per week, and still subbed every game. He should be allowed to go to a fans cheer, and we need to recruit very well in midfield over the summer.
15 Mar 2026 13:01:39
Hey Jimbobred, hope you are around.
I have just come on to site for first time since Thurs pm, have been unable to visit since then.
First thing to say is sorry, but we were both talking about different things with my post about Schlotterbeck! Having read the responses it seems you were actually referring to Licha when you commented about being injury prone. As I meant my post as principally about Schlotterbeck, my assumption upon reading your response was that it was he you were referring to!
I thought it was a wrong thing to say so my follow up post, detailing an injury record, was therefore not about Licha but Schlotterbeck. Hence the ensuing confusion.
Anyway, just wanted to clarify, it was not meant to be having a go at you and sorry if you thought so.
Finally, I agree that, sadly, it might be the time to move Licha on, although it will be a huge disappointment as like with many others he is one of my favourite players. Oh, and how anyone could think the injury profile I posted related to Licha is surprising, it bears no similarities.
15 Mar 2026 18:02:49
All good, mate, no need to apologise, I was more concerned you were having some kind of medical episode, it made that little sense what you were saying across them both. 👍
13 Mar 2026 20:44:11
Ed033, could you run 2 polls please.
First poll: keep Shaw, demote to back up, sell
Repeat the poll for Dalot.
Looking at the fullback discussion and want to get a general feel of these two.
{Ed033's Note -
Shaw poll
Dalot poll
14 Mar 2026 00:06:44
Cheers Ed!
{Ed033's Note - ok thanks.
14 Mar 2026 11:58:27
In an ideal world we sell Shaw, but to be honest, no one will be willing to come close to matching his wages. He turns 31 in the summer, and he has an awful injury record.
He will have to be kept, but probably as back up, rather than first choice, as we simply cannot rely on him to stay fit next season. We should go into the season with the mentality that if he stays fit then that's a bonus.
Personally, I'd sign both a LB and a LW, as Dorgu is young and still developing and could end up settling in either position. While I'd send lads like Amass and Leon out on loan again next season to get more experience, then whoever does best can be the Shaw replacement when his contract expires in 2027. That'd give us Shaw and the new LB, Cunha and the new LW, along with Dorgu who can cover/challenge for both positions.
Dalot, I'd keep at RB. Yes, he can be limited at times, but he is an excellent professional, a quiet leader, and rarely injured, an all-round good player to have in the dressing room. He's mostly solid in his performances (especially at RB), and I feel his reputation has been a little unfairly tarnished by playing a lot at LB and wingback.
If you ignore those performances and only judge him on his RB performances, he has rarely let us down.
I really rate Mazraoui as a player, but his injury record isn't great. We also don't have as many potential options at RB. Even if we sold Dalot and bought a new RB, an injury to the new guy and can we really trust Mazraoui to be available? I don't think so.
If we get 2 or 3 midfielders, a LB, a LW and possibly a CB, then I'd look to see if we can sign a promising young RB who can challenge for a starting spot. But in truth I think RB has to be below those other options in order of priority.
I look at it like this: what would limit us the most next season, starting Dalot at RB or with Ugarte in midfield, or playing a youth player at LB, or having to regularly start both Yoro and Heaven together at CB, or not having any width or variety of attacking options on the left?
For me, Dalot stays and probably starts (until we can solve other more pressing issues), and Shaw stays as back up (because we can't shift him).
14 Mar 2026 12:57:32
We're not going to be signing defenders and midfielders this year. It's a pipe dream, as the club is skint. It'll be a midfielder, and wouldn't surprise me if they signed backup for Sesko.
I'm not saying I agree with it, but it's what we seem to do.
14 Mar 2026 18:28:46
I think the order of importance is
Midfield X 2/3
Fullbacks X 2
Centre back X 1/2
Left wing X 1
Striker X 1
Goalkeeper X 1.
14 Mar 2026 18:53:39
The polls currently suggest Dalot to be sold and, marginally, Shaw to be kept as back up rather than be sold. Both are suggested to be removed from the first team, although, surprisingly, Shaw is, percentage-wise, close to being retained as first choice.
Almost 100 votes in both polls, which is a nice spread. Well done.
15 Mar 2026 04:07:47
Not quite as easy as that, though, is it? Too many variables come into play. Like Shappy says, who would buy Shaw? Plus, you move him to 2nd choice, he will be injured again. Also, after the World Cup, he will be injured anyway.
Dalot is a solid professional.
I have no problem with him. Yes, there are better out there, but I doubt we are getting them.
So, if we are being realistic and not dreaming, we won't get 2 shiny new full backs. We may get 1 or 2 potentials, as we now seem to be in that market, with a small club mentality.
15 Mar 2026 07:59:41
If Shaw was sold in the summer, it would be classed as our profit for Utd as well, which may well act as an incentive for the club to look at cashing in on him.
The question is, as stated above, who would be willing to buy him, given his injury record. Well, a club that isn't in Europe. With fewer games, he appears to stay fitter.
15 Mar 2026 09:39:35
Shaw has had a good season. He is also versatile and can play as a centre back, plus he adds attacking thrust down our left wing, which we badly need. He should be retained.
Dalot has had a reasonable season. Not great, but no disaster, especially considering the failed Amorim experience.
We don't have obvious ready-made replacements for both, so at the very least they need to be kept as backups to anyone we sign in their position, especially with European football a real prospect.
If we sign decent midfielders, they will be less exposed too, and midfield is the position which we have to get sorted, as it's been long overdue.
16 Mar 2026 13:43:22
Pspence,
We aren't skint and we will be signing players in the summer.
16 Mar 2026 18:58:08
If we go into next season with either of these two as first choice, we have a problem.
The polls with double the votes since last count are unchanged in their outcome.
Shaw demoted
Dalot sold
Personally I'd prefer it the other way around on availability alone. Shaw is probably more consistent and with less error, but he is equally less attack minded at this stage of his career.
I've always maintained Mazraoui is retained and this works well.
Both results indicate we need new fullbacks on both sides.
Eds, poll please!
If the names mentioned in original post on fullbacks we have the following names for first team.
RB: Munoz, Ryerson, Kayode
LB: Livramento, Hall, Robinson, Vanderson, Di Marco, Grimaldi
Vote away everyone.
Feel free to make wildcard suggestions within the poll.
{Ed033's Note - For a poll:
1. create a new thread post
2. ask for a poll
3. include a poll question in the post
4. include possible voting option in the post.
12 Mar 2026 17:54:58
Oh dear, Licha has picked up an injury in training and is out of Villa match.
It's getting concerning all these knocks, we really miss him playing the ball out so well and instigating attacks.
Don't care what anyone says. The absolute necessity for a title challenging side is a top, top class Goalkeeper and a quality Centre Back. We are on the way with the keeper but not so with a centre back.
You won't do as well with top class strikers and poor keeper/centre back as you will the other way around. Look at our teams of the last 30 years. When did we win league titles without them. Look at when we did NOT win leagues and the keepers we had.
I do think both Yoro and Heaven are very, very promising. We must remember that Yoro is not long turned 20 and although over recent times he has struggled he made his debut at 18 and for the majority of the time, until recently, looked good. Longer term, I would be hopeful of both players coming good, but the concern is now.
A player I think who could come in and succeed would be Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, 26 years old, 6'3'' excellent in the air and very quick, also strong and very aggressive in the tackle. A left footer who has top quality passing skills. He is also known to have a strong ''warrior'' mentality.
He ticks all the boxes and I would love us to do all possible to sign him this summer, his contract expires next year (Dortmund very keen on getting him to renew but not achieved yet). Despite this, I would be prepared to make a significant offer to try and sign him.
Real Madrid are also very keen but as is their way they want a cheap deal, so we need to blow them out of the water. Only my view but I think he would be very much worth it.
The foregoing all sounds perfectly reasonable to me, but sadly, I have just remembered I am not the one making the decisions, so I hope someone there agrees with me!
12 Mar 2026 18:24:56
He is too injury prone to be relied upon for the first team, same as MDL, really. It does change things in the CB if this is a longer term injury or just a niggle.
12 Mar 2026 21:11:19
Jbr, you have not backed that up in any way. Let's have a look at the facts, shall we?
2025.
He had a meniscus injury last year that kept him out from 7th April until 17th October, obviously a major injury, apart from that, excluding cold/flu, he had 5 days of injury.
2024.
He missed 14 days in total from 3 small injuries.
2023.
A total of 70 days from 6 injuries (3 injuries accounting for 60 days).
2022.
12 days in total from 2 small injuries.
2021.
22 days in total from 3 injuries.
2020.
Hamstring injury from 3rd October to 14th January, obviously a more serious issue; apart from that, 6 days in total.
So, over a 6 year period, apart from the 2 significant injuries, this is a history that could hardly be described as ''too injury prone'' and the ''same as Mdl''. There are many, many players who could match and even exceed that record. I have no doubt you would welcome them to the club.
I do not accept your assertion as valid.
12 Mar 2026 22:17:08
Time to get rid of Martinez and de Ligt, both always injured.
13 Mar 2026 07:43:59
It is valid he had missed 50% of the games we have had since he signed.
Whether you accept it or not, iwotb, which is irrelevant, he has been unavailable for selection for over half of our games.
Get rid, he is too small and will always pick up injuries; he is batting above his weight physically, and in this league gets exposed.
Pity, I really like both his character and ability, but he has to go due to his availability.
13 Mar 2026 07:46:17
Strange response, that IWOTB.
Licha spent a lot of last season out, and Mdl has been out since November.
You have listed 14 minor injuries in 5 years and one major one in that same time.
Make your mind up, fella, either the injuries are a concern or they are not.....
IMO, his injuries are a concern, as are Mdl's and Mount's. As are Shaw's, whose injuries will come back post WC. Get rid of them all would be the correct way forward.
13 Mar 2026 08:10:32
In his 2 seasons in Argentine top division, he played 21 and 24 games respectively.
In the Dutch top division, in 2 seasons he played 24 and 24 games per season.
Here: 27, 11, 20; this season: 14.
Of those appearances, 13 as a sub coming back from injury.
Really poor availability, mystery less than 50% fully fit.
Not available enough.
I'm still laughing at "he's all good injuries but he is not injured much". 🤣🤣🤣🤣
13 Mar 2026 09:08:08
I mean, apart from his first season with us, Martinez has missed more games than he has played. Obviously a quality player, but relying on him over a full season is foolish.
You only have to go back two seasons, and Jonny Evans was our starting centre back.
He was originally brought back in to train with the team and spend more time with his wife. That is not how a top football club should be run, imo.
13 Mar 2026 09:13:51
I think we need to prioritise our resources over the next 2 summer transfer windows. This may mean we need to make do in certain areas, or bring in some cheap/free transfers as other positions take priority.
If we could have kept Casemiro, the midfield would not have been as pressing; however, we would still have needed at least 1 top player, but likely 2. Now we are looking for at least 2 top players, maybe 3. Then what do you do with Ugarte: keep him as a reserve player and develop him, or sell and replace him? Can we bring in anyone from the youth to take a position?
So, with all that in mind, I think we will be looking at Mdl/Yoro (RCB), Martinez/Heaven (LCB).
Heaven covers both, and can Shaw do a job? We can hope that injuries will be better for us next year. Schlotterbeck would be perfect, but I can't see the money being available. So, is there a free agent that could be brought in, Antonio Rudiger for a year? The following window will then be looking at defense/full backs.
We need to be realistic and pick where the biggest upside is.
13 Mar 2026 09:20:57
He's one of my favourite players and characters, but he misses far too many games and, sadly, it's always been the case.
13 Mar 2026 12:16:57
I am sadly coming to the same conclusion re Martinez. I love the player when fit, but that's the catch, unfortunately.
We have too many injury prone players in the squad. I would look to offload at least 2 of MdL (like him too), Martinez, Mount, and Shaw this window, depending on what we can get for them and the price of replacements.
My own preference would be Shaw and Martinez first.
13 Mar 2026 14:46:22
I think he is a lot of people's favourite. Amen, he does play. But he will always be injured in this league. He is only a little chap, and he writes cheques his body can't cash.
13 Mar 2026 17:27:33
The midfield should be the priority over everything else.
We have been lacking in that department for years. It needs sorting out in the summer urgently.
14 Mar 2026 12:12:10
The problem we have is that we have several key positions that all need work.
Midfield has to be the priority, as we lack numbers as well as quality in that area.
Yet, just like last summer, we spent big on one area (attack) and massively upgraded it. Yet there still remain other parts of the side that are holding us back. We could solve midfield this summer and still have several areas that need attention.
CBs are one of them. We are in a weird position where, on paper, it does not look like we have an issue at CB. MdL and Martinez are a really good starting duo; in fact, there probably are not many better starting CB duos in the league. We then have Maguire as a veteran (and someone who has gotten better with age), along with two top-quality young lads in Yoro and Heaven.
On paper, that looks like a very solid selection. But, on the pitch, we struggle to keep MdL and Martinez fit, while even Maguire, as he ages, picks up more knocks, potentially leaving just the two young lads as starting options.
We need to invest in another CB this summer, whether we keep Maguire or not.
The problem will be that we will need to spend heavily in midfield, along with at least a LW or a LB depending on where we think Dorgu will play; ideally, though, we need both given Shaw's age and injury history. Yes, he's been fit most of this season, but he's also played most of this season in a less physically demanding LCB position of a back three.
Personally, I'd be looking to do a deal for Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth. He's been one of the best and most consistent CBs in the league this season, and is available on a free. While at 28 years old, he's in his peak years and wouldn't be a long-term road block to Yoro and Heaven. Are there better CBs potentially available this summer? Absolutely. Are there any better options available for free or fairly cheaply? Absolutely not.
We could go and spend 70m on MvdV from Spurs, and then have the very real question of whether he even starts if both MdL and Martinez are fully fit, while that's also ignoring his own iffy injury record.
14 Mar 2026 18:34:46
Agree, Happy! Senesi had been outstanding this year.
15 Mar 2026 04:22:31
I don't get the love-in with Martinez even when he is fit. I think he is about an average CB in the Premier League. Yes, great win-at-all-costs attitude, but that doesn't make him a great CB. He is very rash, dives into ridiculous tackles, gets caught out of position too often, and just needs a physical battle, that's about what he is best at. Like I have said for some time, we have not got a decent top CB at the club.
I got shot down when I said de Ligt is an injury-prone player all his career, and the stats guys come up with the usual, but my eyes come over all those stats and look how that's turned out.
de Ligt, decent CB but always injured.
Yoro, too weak, needs much more time.
Heaven, our best potential.
Martinez, not for me unless we're happy mid-table team.
Maguire probably our best CB, but lacks pace, something chronic.
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