Manchester United Banter
Use our rumours form to send us manchester united transfer rumours.
The real time Manchester United Live Chat page will be open for you to talk to each other 1 hour before and during today's Manchester United game.
15 Sep 2026 23:59:41
With Max Dowman getting a run and the spotlight at 15, I'm sure JJ thinks the same... But Max has a bigger frame and can hold himself. JJ, for all his skills, is very thin. I hope the club can find a solution.
16 Sep 2026 08:42:42
Sky Sports: JJ Gabriel has requested the cancellation of his registration; Man Utd are understood to be shocked by the request but believe the situation can be resolved.
16 Sep 2026 10:24:44
It feels like this may have been ongoing since last season, when they talked about leaving but stayed for the season. Also, I read that he is able to negotiate/move abroad once he turns 16, and that is at the start of October, so I would expect that will be his next move.
Absolutely a talent; whether he is quite ready for the physicality of the Premier League, I am not sure... Unfortunately, we may never know.
16 Sep 2026 10:31:47
I was at George Best's debut back in 63. He looked way thin. Was wafer-thin. Busby used brutal training sessions, and Best survived. As JJ will!
The full story will come out, but I suspect talks have been going on behind the scenes for some time with other clubs and his father.
If he is so good, and I suspect he is, United need to pull their finger out and sort it.
16 Sep 2026 10:49:12
My young lad played for our local Irish League team's academy from under 10s to under 16s. He won a few leagues and an All-Ireland trophy.
Trai Hume and a few others currently at English and Scottish clubs were in the team.
In the U16s, they played a pre-season friendly against one of the local men's teams. Obviously, the men had been told to go easy, but you could see the worry and nervousness among a usually confident group of lads as they walked on to the pitch. The men did hold back a bit, but even something like a shoulder charge would have one of our lads on their backsides.
My boy was 6ft 3 then and fairly solidly built. Much more adult looking than Gabriel. But he still looked exactly what he was standing beside the opposition players. A boy. The only game where he admitted that he hoped he'd be on the bench. 😁
Maybe JJ is a generational talent, but look at him. All the trickery and skill in the world won't save you from a clattering tackle. Look what Ronaldo had to face, and he was much more robust than JJ.
And that's just the physical aspect. Mentally, a 15 year old boy is still, generally, quite immature. Who knows how he'd react to a couple of choice tackles, or a bit of booing for the first time in his gilded life?
Most importantly though, for the club, no 15 year old should be making unrealistic demands, trying to pressurise the club into playing him. If that's how he behaves at 15, then there's likely to be a lot more problems down the road, especially, going by the rumours, with his dad in charge.
I thought Greenwood was going to be the best thing out of our academy in years. He's gone and life moves on. It'll be the same with JJ. Keep investing in the academy and another one will come along.
15 Sep 2026 20:56:58
There are a lot of whiny doommongers at the moment so here's a few hypotheticals:
1. Which available manager would you prefer to get in tomorrow to replace Carrick? Why? What makes you think they will be a guaranteed success?
2. What formation and style of play do you think we should be moving towards to establish a league-winning approach? How is this different from the style of play that you've seen under Carrick and is it significantly different from anything that any other Premier League team is doing?
3. Name two players that you think would transform our team into consistent serial winners? Beyond improving the player that they are replacing in the first-team squad, what makes you think they will change the overall dynamic so that the team has the right mental attitude to be winners?
15 Sep 2026 21:33:39.
Amorim.
343.
Truffert and Munoz.
16 Sep 2026 08:16:10
🤣
If only Amorim hadn't got himself sacked on purpose, eh!
15 Sep 2026 19:37:02
The boy is only 15, I'm sure we will hear lots of excuses about no opportunities etc. But this kid is playing with the 18s, 21s and is doing very well, he has even trained with the senior squad. But money will always dictate I'm sure his agent has been calling all round to get the best deal possible. He can hardly expect to be playing with the first team at 15.
The lad needs protection and time to grow and develop before he plays against grown men. You can imagine the opposition team waiting to deliver a few strong 'welcome to the big leagues' tackles on a young boy. His career could be over before 18. We don't know the full details obviously but the boy needs protecting.
15 Sep 2026 20:25:42
The boy needs to play in the first team, and lift the spirits of the entire fanbase.
The club is absolutely shot to bits, across all levels.
What a disaster this club has become.
15 Sep 2026 20:36:25
Jbr, he's not 1st team ready. He's still a little boy who goes to school. Yeah, a few appearances and minutes, but he has to earn his stripes. Shea Lacey has been earning his stripes, and deserves a proper chance before him. Shea Lacey also looks a lot more ready. You don't hear him demanding to play or to be released; he understands.
15 Sep 2026 20:44:30
If you are good enough you are old old enough. I don't think anyone is saying he should be playing every week or even for full games, but a few appearances would do him no harm. Indeed, it might make him realise it's a different level again, and that he does need to develop more, both mentally and physically.
Arsenal have relatively recently given two 15 year old minutes on the park.
15 Sep 2026 20:46:38
The boy has no chance of getting protection and a chance to grow when his dad is a headbanger.
15 Sep 2026 20:54:13
But, having said that, I should add that if he doesn't want to be here, then let him go. The last thing we need is another distraction from a disinterested player with a lot of media attention.
15 Sep 2026 20:55:14
Ffs.
Keefy, you have nailed it. Just let him be amongst it, and the others mentioned in a separate post reply.
Our current first team is so predictable and uninspiring from the coach to the players.
I said ages ago, we don't have the funds so use the academy to bolster the squad etc because the current crop is garbage.
Here we are.
Play the kids, they can't be any worse than current players.
15 Sep 2026 21:04:51
I agree, Bioko. His old man had 16 clubs in 10 years, so there is a bit of an issue there, I would say.
16 Sep 2026 05:34:21
He should have been in the squad against Saba, and should have been given the feel of coming on at OT for the last 10 mins. It was like playing a bunch of kids, so he would have held his own, and it would have made him realise how tough it is.
Plus, he would have gone home elated, having 75k fans calling your name; it would have been the carrot needed. But Carrick and others think they know best. That's poor management.
16 Sep 2026 07:25:29
He is miles away from being ready for the first team; he is a child. Comparing him to Dowman is laughable; Dowman is way ahead physically. If Gabriel plays for the first team, he would be flattened.
It's good to see so many posters get it.
Here is another talent who is going to be ruined by those around him.
Yes, Carrick is conservative, but to then use this as the reason a 15 year old wants to leave is a stretch.
15 Sep 2026 15:31:32
There have been reports that JJ Gabriel has asked to leave Manchester United. If this is the case, it would be a shame to lose such a prospective talent but this is the way things are going where players want to run before they can crawl.
Hopefully there is no substance in it or it can be sorted very quickly. Apparently his father does his negotiating and is a tough nut to crack.
15 Sep 2026 15:52:12
Great decision by him and his father. If I were a parent of an academy player, having watched Sunday's display and seen the direction the club appears to be heading in, I'd be thinking twice about wanting my child involved as well.
He'll become a free agent and, if he's as highly rated as people say, he'll be snapped up by a club like Barcelona or somewhere else that's moving forward rather than backwards. Unless, of course, he ends up at Spurs.
15 Sep 2026 16:08:14
He won't become a free agent unless United agree to release him. Otherwise it will go to arbitration to make a decision.
I feel like he is giving an ultimatum: first team football or he'll leave.
It's a difficult position for United to be in. On one hand, a 15 y/o demanding first team football is ridiculous, and giving in to him sets a dangerous precedent. On the other hand, he has huge potential, and, at the very least, could bring in a lot of money if he's sold a few years down the line.
However, it also has to be noted that Carrick seems a bit hesitant to give academy players a shot. If a player like him thinks he should be in the first team, and has an agent in his ear talking about bigger clubs, it's easy to see how this can happen.
15 Sep 2026 16:09:10
Shocking comments, obviously a troll rather than a fan who wants the best for a team. The team certainly won't improve if they were to follow you r advice.
15 Sep 2026 16:43:35
Not sure if that was aimed at me, but I've supported and posted about the club for years, so the "troll" accusation is a bit off.
I want what's best for United, but I can absolutely assure you that if it came down to choosing between what's best for my child and what's best for a football club, my child wins every single time.
That's not trolling, that's being a parent.
Feel free to disagree with my opinion on the club, but don't confuse that with a lack of support.
15 Sep 2026 17:26:34
The rumour is he's going to City as well.
15 Sep 2026 17:28:00
Can't say I blame him. The club have shown no faith in our younger players over the past few years. Even the ones we've paid to bring in from elsewhere have been left to rot on the bench while players like Maguire and Shaw continue to be offered new contracts.
We are a club in decline whose sole ambition seems to be to qualify for the Champions League and keep revenue flowing. If he's as good as people say he is, he deserves better.
15 Sep 2026 18:27:32
The dad changed his name to JJ Gabriel to make him more "brandable". That's what you're dealing with. Not everything has to be the club's fault. Great talent but surrounded by wronguns. Better out the club and be someone else's problem if he's not committed.
15 Sep 2026 19:20:24
I said weeks ago he would be off if not given minutes. You all laughed at that and said not a chance. How's that looking now?
15 Sep 2026 19:42:25
👋🏽 👋🏽 👋🏽.
15 Sep 2026 20:02:18
Amorim would have given him minutes and a pathway to first team.
Carrick is absolutely garbage, especially for the youth players.
We are crying out for new ideas because our first team is where it deserves to be.
We should be playing as many academy players as possible, especially JJ.
This club is a shambles and will never return to any former glory, ever.
15 Sep 2026 20:15:32
Who cares? He's nowhere near ready for 1st team action in the PL.
As Klopp said... "The whole world plays football".
We can find plenty of players to replace him.
Make him wait.
15 Sep 2026 20:17:13
Club is a shambles, but people on here want the club to bend over backwards for a 15 year old and his dad?! 15 years old, playing U21s and involved in senior team preseason, due to be in squad for tomorrow night and refuses to train.
15 Sep 2026 20:36:40
No one wants the club to bend over backwards for him. At all.
But get him in the mixer. On the bench. Whatever. Show him the pathway.
It is the same with all the players we sign that are the future. They get so close and then the doors shut, and they are obstructed by the glory boys.
Heaven
Yoro
Amass
Leon
Obi-Martin
Lacey
Ogunneye (left for Arsenal)
Kamason
Overy
Kukonki
Thwaites
Devaney
Just get them in and around the first team.
Our bench is absolute garbage.
15 Sep 2026 20:59:22
Anybody who thinks that we should be bringing a 15-year-old into the first team for a Premier League match is deluded.
He'll be absolutely massacred, humiliated, probably injured, and potentially on the scrap heap before he's 18.
15 Sep 2026 21:04:30
JBR, that's not how things work. Buying a young player is one thing, and him being ready is another. Everyone knows that, from all the talents we buy (or produce), very few can go into our first team. That's football at the highest level. Maybe they are good enough for a midtable team.
Gabriel doesn't seem ready at under-18 sometimes, I mean physically, of course, because the talent is there. I am sure the same people would moan if we give him chances and he couldn't cope. As someone said above, the welcome tackling would be there.
15 Sep 2026 21:45:04
Dowman isn't ready for a full 90mins of EPL grade football. But there he is, on the bench every game, getting minutes.
That's the difference; even when he can be there, on the bench, he doesn't get minutes.
No one is saying he is ready.
I am saying there is no pathway, and surely you cannot disagree with that?
He is good enough to be knocking on the door.
There is no pathway from today to when he could be ready for 90mins of EPL footie.
I don't blame him for going, and I don't blame his father/family.
The blame is with the club for not clearing a path, and the manager for not making him confident that any possible pathway to the first team isn't a web of lies to just keep him here.
He will leave, and it will be spun that the opportunity was there, etc etc.
I wish him well, and hope he goes on to have the illustrious career he is destined to have, and collects multiple Ballon D'Ors and winners' medals.
Make no mistake, he isn't completing that path at United under the current regime.
What an absolute disaster of a club.
Carrick is gone before Xmas, and we will bring in someone else. My money is on Eddie Howe.
He will scrape the lower European positions, be slightly backed but not enough next summer, and we will be looking for the next ex Utd player within 2yrs to steady the sinking ship through choppy waters, etc etc.
That's not being a doomsmonger, or whatever others are saying; that is the club today.
Pathetic, without any substance whatsoever.
Until the current regime is changed, this club is going to be fortunate to stay in the EPL long-term.
15 Sep 2026 21:46:54
I will add Heaven.
Man Utd are not an elite-level club. Let that sink in.
We are a mid-level club.
We should be producing talent and either getting back to elite status or paying off the debts with profits from producing talent.
The best way to increase the value of said assets is to play them.
15 Sep 2026 23:47:46
I don't see Dalot as ready to play PL matches, but there he is, every single match. 😔
15 Sep 2026 23:25:14
We have elite expectations JBR. We can't throw kids at 15 to play. That said, how do you know about our plans for the kid ; If he took his chances well, then he would be at least at the bench like Downman. The season just started.
15 Sep 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - thefutureisoldgold3 has posted a new article entitled, Wolves Ratings v Sheffield United
14 Sep 2026 15:13:14
Looking at yesterday and our inability to break down City's defence one cannot help but consider that despite the fact that they splashed out a record £450m+ this summer City's net spend was only around £40m more than us without counting the obligation for Spurs to complete the purchase of Marmoush. They spent lavishly on Anderson, Enzo and Bouaddi, establishing a top quality midfield for the next 5 years. City raised £300m from selling players, while we were virtually unable to sell anyone. The one major sale, at an overall loss on the purchase price, was the Hojlund obligation negotiated last year.
On the final day they acquired N'diaye who is without doubt better than either of the two full backs we had on the field yesterday. In fact I'd say he looked at least as good as Hall. Why weren't we considering him? Why on earth didn't we try to sell the useless Dalot? It would have been all profit.
Berrada set a goal of winning the title by next year. How on earth does the club expect to achieve that end if they cannot, or will not spend what's required to get the best players and manager in? One might argue that at least they payers we've been bringing in are better than they were under Woodward, but have we yet shown any real ambition to be much more than an upper middle of the division club?
Words are cheap. Top players are not.
We all know the problems they face with the debt and an inherited group of players who seem to be unmarketable given the amount we paid for them and/or their high salaries. But that said, the reality is that the club's actions do not mirror their words. The only way out of this double bind is for the club to be recapitalized so that it's no longer hindered by debt. But are they going to do that either by selling up or investing more cash? Or is the real estate of more importance than the football club they purport to be bringing back into contention? Ineos is also heavily debt laden and struggling so my guess is Ratcliffe has little to no capacity to invest any more.
As I noted below the women's team is also going downhill. So, until the club's actions match their platitudinous words, as far as I'm concerned we're just being fobbed off with lies. The banner yesterday sums it up: "The way you treat us is a disgrace."
{Ed001's Note - Ndiaye is not a full-back.
14 Sep 2026 16:34:53
We had the chance to buy Elliot Anderson and were very much in the race. The simple reality is that we didn't want to spend the £100m it would have taken to get him at the time.
Instead, we spent £85m on Santos, who couldn't even get off the bench yesterday, and Tielemans, who is okay. That's it, just okay.
The old saying couldn't be more true: if you buy cheap, you buy twice. The "best in class" people running the club are replacing our players by gambling on cheaper, slightly worse alternatives, rather than going after the top-quality talent that's actually needed to compete.
It's been said before, but just look at INEOS' record at Nice.
Their transfer policy shifted away from heavy spending towards a more value-driven recruitment model based on lower individual transfer fees and finding bargains. How did that work out? A slow decline season after season, narrowly surviving relegation last year, and now sitting 19th on two points.
I'm saying it now: things will only get worse under INEOS. This idea that you can continuously replace quality with "good value" signings is fine if your ambition is survival. If your ambition is competing for titles, eventually the drop in quality catches up with you. At the current rate, we'll be fighting to survive long before we're fighting for a title.
14 Sep 2026 17:23:56
£85m on Santos? What are you talking about, we paid £48m for him.
He is a player of great promise. He was pretty much the best player in pre-season. He needs a bit of patience and obviously more playing time.
It's not easy, as a youngster coming straight into the 1st team. Remember Senne last year. Let's let him settle.
14 Sep 2026 17:31:23
I don't think we ever had a chance at signing Anderson. Forest would have liked a bidding war to drive the price up, but I don't think, for a single second, that he would have considered us when City was an option.
Same with Semenyo, who was fantastic yesterday. We tried to sign him, but didn't stand a chance when City showed interest.
There was a time when players like Anderson and Semenyo would be delighted to come here. When United had their pick of the best players at most other EPL clubs.
Those days are gone. We're not contenders, and have to make do with what the likes of City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and even Chelsea aren't bothered with.
This means that we need smart signings. Ones that can push us closer to competing with City and Arsenal for titles. After finishing third, we had a chance to close the gap on City, who changed manager and lost their most important player. On the evidence of yesterday, we've completely botched that opportunity.
14 Sep 2026 17:41:28
Anderson wanted to go to the kings of Manchester. Why would he come to us, the court jesters of Manchester.
14 Sep 2026 17:52:50
IWOTB, I'm well aware of what we paid for him. I was clearly talking about the £85m combined outlay on Santos and Tielemans. But thanks for volunteering to fact-check the sentence you misunderstood.
14 Sep 2026 18:28:59
Buying players like Yoro Heaven Santos is pointless unless you are going to play them. These players won't kick on if they aren't getting the experience. Yoro signed as a wonder kid, for a high fee, beating Madrid to the signature, and he can't get in ahead of Maguire, who shouldn't be playing. Trust the youth if you're going to sign them.
14 Sep 2026 18:43:57
You can only sell players, or indeed anything, if someone wants to buy them!
We have so much overpaid dross that we'll never sell any of them!
Who would you genuinely sign from United if you were in charge of any club in the Premier League?
14 Sep 2026 18:56:22
You have no idea if Madrid was genuine about Yoro. Seeing him play, I would say that was hogwash; far too weak for the EPL and he has not kicked on at all, gone backwards. Certainly would even put Maguire in front of him or Heaven every day of the week.
We've got a poor team, a poor manager, and I am not over-ecstatic with the coaching team. The play is far too slow and methodical, and it does not help buying players who have no pace whatsoever like Tielemans.
Santos looks no better. Looks like we are again pinning our hopes on another kid, Baleba. Quite how he plays in midfield with Bruno and Mainoo, I have no idea, but sure our top-class manager will figure it out. We keep buying potential, and that potential sits on the bench, but it's ok, we saved a few quid.
14 Sep 2026 15:40:42
Thanks ed, I thought I was going mad or I'd od"ed on morphine.
14 Sep 2026 16:52:38
Okay Ed. missed that. Thought he was playing as a back yesterday.
Kurtis, Santos cost us £48+ 2m add ons apparently. But I agree. Yes, we've been on the "there's no value in the market place" thing now since SAF towed the Glazer line by using that as an excuse not to invest what was required to reinvigorate our midfield. Having then gone into a period of overpaying for mediocrity and seriously aggravating the debt bind, we're now back to not being able or willing to invest what's needed.
It's hard to see any upside from a supporter's point of view.
14 Sep 2026 21:36:38
Newname, you say Glazers don't want to invest. But could they? Can an owner just put his own money into transfers? I think, with FFP rules, that's not possible, but happy to be corrected if I am wrong.
14 Sep 2026 22:34:33
They can invest in the stadium. You know, the one with more leaks than there are leeks in Wales?
15 Sep 2026 02:13:36
I know they can invest in the stadium. The conversation was about transfers, that's why I asked.
15 Sep 2026 03:22:17
They can pay off the debt, and then the club can use the interest money saved to invest in the team. So yes.
15 Sep 2026 11:13:15
I think frailties and uncertainty in defence, in Dalot and Dorgu, unnerved the whole team and tended to sap confidence. Why couldn't we have played Yoro and Heaven, who are both athletic and would run all night? Dorgu has promise, though not as a defender. Dalot is a poor player, defensively in his decision-making, and offensively.
It's such a pity that these glaringly obvious weaknesses were not addressed during the transfer window. It seems that those influential people at the club either ignored this, or are not aware of it, which is more than a little worrying.
15 Sep 2026 14:28:36
Dodgy, I know. But I don't know that's an option, I am sure they don't have 1+ billion in cash to pay the debts, even if they wanted to. My question is simple, can they invest in the squad?
15 Sep 2026 15:29:44
Heaven, No, they cannot invest directly. The only way to reduce the debt is to raise money by issuing more shares. Everything else, including them loaning the company money, simply replaces one form of debt with another. If they did issue more shares - which they won't because the value today is less than the value per share of their existing shares - the company's debts could be reduced by the cash brought in.
250m shares @£20 would raise £500m. Debt would then be entirely manageable.
Ordinary shares don't attract interest, but the board can declare that shareholders will receive dividends out of profits.
So, basically, we have to recapitalise to get out of this debt bind, which means either the company is sold to a third party, or more shares are issued and sold, either to the public, to themselves, or an investment group.
15 Sep 2026 15:40:27
Thank you, Newname.
14 Sep 2026 14:02:25
£73.7million for Sesko. Only to be dropped to the bench for a player that the leadership made every effort to sell during the summer.
I'm done with Carrick. Never bought in to him from the beginning but he deserved a chance after earning ECL.
Now we're reaping the dividends of another bad managerial appointment compounded by clumsy budget buys.
I've been trying to bite my tongue on Carrick, but after yesterday I've hit tipping point. His neglect of Amass, who is clearly the second best left-back in the squad, is criminal.
Done with ex-player caretaker managers. Done with Wilcox. I fear Vivell will walk as a result of this clown.
Make any of this make sense.
14 Sep 2026 16:06:05
Gets even worse when you remember that all this is being filmed for Amazon, so every opposition fan can see just how poorly we are run and have a good laugh.
14 Sep 2026 15:58:59
You know BRD, I was kinda feeling the same as you until I braved a look at the table. Apart from Arsenal and City, there is not much between any of the teams, we are not dead and buried just yet!!
Yesterday I feel was a case of they have far superior defenders than us plus, a focal point of a striker. We hit the post twice, Mbemo had a glorious chance at the death and their goal should not have stood, even ref pro or whatever they're called now, have apologised!
Carrick has a tough job on his hands this season, trying to get a tune out of that defence plus, we have a rookie striker. Personally I'd try playing Cunha as the striker and not a false one, not sure it would work but playing him as a false 9 certainly isn't.
I'd have left out Maguire and persisted with Yorro, again no guarantee.
15 Sep 2026 19:27:37
To be fair, I think Carrick has been shortchanged. Priority was given to midfield, which was fair enough, but not addressing both full-back positions was a monumental error. The squad is full of average players who really don't deserve to be at the club. Three or four peripheral players should have been moved on to generate income.
14 Sep 2026 12:56:35
I have our fullback pairing of Dalot and Shaw sat at either 14th or 15th from the 20 teams this year.
I have our centre back pairing of Maguire and Martinez a touch higher in 12th or 13th.
How have we managed to get to this point without seriously addressing the problem areas?
14 Sep 2026 17:55:55
de Ligt + Martinez is a top 5 or 6 pairing, but unfortunately we never have them. It's painful to see Maguire and Dalot lining up. I think Shaw is good enough. Others don't. But right back, to my mind, is our weakest position.
14 Sep 2026 19:06:22
de Ligt and Martinez are a top 5 or 6 pairing. Even if that were true, which I strongly disagree with, is that what we are supposed to be happy with nowadays? No doubt we will finish 5th or 6th, but blimey, how the mighty have fallen.
For the EPL, foremost you have to have pace & power; neither of those two possess both.
Then a brain and experience, and a good injury record; that’s all debatable.
I have no idea what Carrick is trying to do with what he is assembling. If we are a counter-attacking team, how on earth did we buy Tielemans and Santos and the slowest back line we already had? Even Cunha is slow, but that’s how we seem to approach every game.
14 Sep 2026 21:11:56
I'm repeating what I said a few weeks ago and got shot down...
When Baleba is fit, the best way for us to salvage this season is to revert to a 343 formation, of sorts.
Amad at RB.
2 CB, and my preference is Yoro and Heaven.
Dorgu at LB.
Baleba shielding them, and dropping into CB when we attack either flank. If Dorgu goes, York covers that space towards LB. Same for Heaven to RB, Baleba drops.
Play Mainoo and Bruno, or Mainoo and Tielemans.
Then have the front 3. For me, it is Mbeumo, Sesko, Rashford.
Cunha off the bench.
Lacey off the bench.
I would actually consider giving Lacey a start to give Mbeumo a kick up the behind, too.
Some will say that formation doesn't work. I will disagree.
What doesn't work is whatever Carrick is feeding this mob, and it has to change.
15 Sep 2026 02:31:31
So it's not a 343, you're suggesting a 253? I'm confused about what you are doing with Baleba.
15 Sep 2026 05:57:54
I would be seriously concerned with that back line, 2 cb, so young and inexperienced, always making mistakes, Dorgu, who can't defend to save his life, that makes Dalot the best and most experienced defender... Are you really convinced of that? Then we have to hope Baleba is Makaleley in the making and running on Duracells to cover what he would need to do.
Teams would walk through that midfield.
Be entertaining though, and Lammens would get good work out.
15 Sep 2026 08:43:21
It is 451 when defending and 343 when attacking. Baleba is in the DM role when defending and the CB role when attacking. It is pretty simple.
There is no mention of Dalot. Not sure where that comes from.
14 Sep 2026 11:16:23
You need legs and aggression in a midfield in the Premier League. Don't think you can have Bruno and Tielemans together, both are creative but not ball winners, both over 30 too. He was a strange purchase to be honest.
Santos is still young but needs to play to improve. Hopefully Baleba will make a big difference when fit. Very bad start to the season. Carrick is already under serious pressure.
14 Sep 2026 12:53:09
Tielemens is 29.
14 Sep 2026 14:19:24
I have said since those two were signed they are just not good enough to take us where we need to be. You see, Tielemans was good enough against Saba, but in the EPL, far too slow and never going to take us where we need to be. Santos, same. Cunha or Mbeumo can't play through the middle.
Dorgu is an athlete, not a footballer. If Bruno not on game, we have very little.
Terrible in-game management by Carrick too, subs too late, and very strange indeed. I say it again, this is a weaker team than last season.
Yes, goal was diabolical, but that don't mask that performance... shocking.
14 Sep 2026 14:28:00
Spot on, Je Suis Unite.
We were poor end of.
14 Sep 2026 22:57:47
Maguire, Dalot, Dorgu are all miles off being good enough for a club with league title ambitions. They aren't top half of league level. Now, you can get away with one of them in any game, or, even better, lucky enough to get away with it for a few games, but ultimately that's where we are.
I do think Tielemans will improve us, and Baleba in big games will be an important piece. I'm eager to see De Ligt back and hope Yoro gets a chance at right back. We've had a bad start, but I think the negativity is too vehement on this forum in general.
15 Sep 2026 02:33:04
How is Tielemans now not good, after being good for Villa last season? Do players just become bad as soon as they put on our shirt?
15 Sep 2026 09:14:15
Tielemans is average, imo.
He can't defend transitions. His passing is good, though.
15 Sep 2026 15:37:31
I never, ever thought Tielemans is good enough for what United are supposed to be and want. He looks like he is running in treacle, he is so slow. ok, he can play a pass sometimes, but that is not enough for what United needed.
He may be good enough for Villa. What does that actually say? We now judge ourselves against teams like Villa, that is really disheartening. We would have been better getting the Villa manager than Tielemans. Santos is another poor buy.
We now pin all our hopes on Baleba being Makelele and powered by Duracell... More fingers crossed, it was a terrible window.
What's more, Carrick looked more and more devoid of any ideas, and his in-game management was shocking.
As we are speaking of Villa, look what a good manager can get out of average players. Carrick gets nothing out of so-called superstars. That is a concern. Cunha looked terrible. Mbeumo, glimpses. All our defence is trash.
14 Sep 2026 08:13:11
I missed the game yesterday but the start of the season has been massively underwhelming.
Losing to Hull wasn't great, irrespective of how well they have started, we would expect to beat them. Losing a lead twice to Everton was criminal, and then losing to 10 men yesterday was embarrassing. Let's not use the offside as an excuse, we should have beaten 10 men.
Even when we won a league game, it was down to a short spell, other than that the play has been slow and ponderous throughout.
Then there is the team selection. Sesko needs to start, but that means dropping someone, one from that would be Cunha, or move Cunha wide and drop Rashford, but there seems to be a reluctance to do that. The same with Heaven who isn't getting a look in despite his obvious potential.
It's early days but right now this team and Manager need a Futa.
14 Sep 2026 09:18:51
Agreed, Ajh.
Everything after the game seemed to focus on the goal and the red card. The reality is that even if the red card hadn't happened, we probably still would have conceded three or four based on that performance. Pro Ref don't need to be apologising; the club and players should be apologising to the fans for putting in such a poor display.
Carrick has started the season with very little positivity and is already showing some of the traits that frustrated supporters under previous managers. He sits on the touchline looking completely detached, shows little urgency, and his in-game management has been poor. The 74,000 people inside Old Trafford could see that Sesko needed to be introduced at half-time, yet he waited until there were 20 minutes left and then took off the wrong player.
Cunha needs taking out of the starting XI. So far, he hasn't shown anything to justify keeping his place.
And, before anyone says he's being played out of position, those same people are usually suggesting he should be playing on the left, which isn't his position either. He's a No. 10, and right now he's not doing enough wherever he's playing.
Dorgu is a waste of space at left back. Luke Shaw hasn't exactly been pulling up trees, but Dorgu is making him look like prime Evra. While we're at it, I'd be culling three of the back four. Mazraoui, Yoro, and Amass should all be starting in midweek.
Most importantly, Carrick needs to grow a spine. Stop being a yes man, make the difficult decisions, and drop players who aren't performing. The squad needs fresh energy, accountability, and a few bold calls. If we get another stubborn, one-dimensional team selection in midweek, then serious questions will start to be asked. Early days or not, fans need to see signs that lessons are being learned and changes are being made.
14 Sep 2026 10:05:18
We have missed a real opportunity to hit the start of the season hard. Results have not been as hoped, especially with the opportunity that yesterday gave us.
Hard to know whether it is early season malaise following the World Cup, yet other teams are performing better. It can't be new players bedding in, as only Tielmans is in as a starter.
Whilst we look good on the ball and Tielmans/Mainoo are controlling it well, we seem to lack the transition to the attackers to offer a large, continued threat.
The false 9 works in some games, but we need an actual 9, so hopefully Sesko will start soon.
I would like Carrick to also be brave and give Yoro a go alongside Martinez. We need to see how he can perform. Dorgu at left back is getting exposed. He is a forward option, and we should give Amass (or Mazouri) some time. Sesko in from the start and have Cunha coming on when the game is opening up a bit. None of this is ideal, but none of the current options is working at the minute, so why not try something different.
14 Sep 2026 11:25:51
I just don't get how slow and regimented our play is. There is no expression or creativity in anything we do, other than fleeting Bruno moments. When we move forward, you can predict pretty much every action we're going to attempt.
I don't understand how it's been this way with pretty much every manager post-Fergie. Then, you pluck out a 'smaller' team like Hull or Brighton, and every player is playing out their skin in a formation they've bought into.
14 Sep 2026 12:44:57
Honestly, I found yesterday completely embarrassing. Even more than the 6-1. At least in that game we were battered by a top-class side. Yesterday, we simply rolled over against an opposition that seemed genuinely confused at how bad we were.
It almost felt that we were the ones disrupted by the sending off, that the team was only prepared to counterattack and had zero idea what to do with the advantage of an extra man.
14 Sep 2026 12:51:18
No point in starting Sesko to be fair, because not one of those idiots is able to put in a decent cross. Every cross yesterday (when there was one) was either over hit or hit the front man at the front post.
We have a 6 foot 5 striker who makes runs into the box and he never gets any service. I have to say that Dalot just seems to get worse every game, we are going to be in serious stuff if we don't buy two new full backs in January.
Dorgu was very poor, but to be fair, isn't a full back. The whole game was poor, the build up play was so slow and pedestrian, nobody looked like they had any hunger to get the game by the scruff of the neck. Awful display, this is going to be a very long season.
14 Sep 2026 12:58:29
Utd are a counter-attacking side. Both OGs and Carrick have tried to copy Fergie's football style. Football has progressed. Utd are still stuck in the past.
14 Sep 2026 13:03:17
We are now regimented because Carrick is at the wheel. That was his whole ethos as a player. What do you expect.
14 Sep 2026 13:16:22
But it was regimented and slow with Ten Hag, who was bought in on the strength of his Ajax team. Did he seriously have better players at Ajax? Debatable.
Did Ole have better players at Molde? Actually, don't answer that one...
14 Sep 2026 14:33:13
But Dorgu was bought as a left back. I said at the time, he is an athlete not a footballer, no point him playing left wing either cos he can't cross a ball.
I say again, Tielemans is far too slow and not what's required; at best a squad player. Santos, same, not good enough.
All our CBs are poor.
Both full backs need an upgrade.
Cunha or Mbuemo can't play through the middle. It's quite clear Carrick did not push for a CF because he doesn't really want to play one, so he's happy with Sesko as back up.
One saviour is Mainoo, as he's kicked on.
But if Bruno is off his game, this team is nothing.
Carrick's in-game management is shocking; no plan B and pedestrian paced football.
I said before the season kicked off this team is weaker than last season. I know we only spent 150m, but to spend 150m and go backwards takes some doing... but they managed it.
I was never happy with Carrick, but he is worse than I imagined he would be. I honestly don't know what he watches. Why not rest Bruno on Thursday night against Saba, even if only for 45 mins, when you got City 3 days later? He could have played Cunha in that position. Why not try Lacey yesterday too, run at 10 men? Why leave Sesko on the bench till 65 mins plus? Why not change approach after the sending off? Some poor decisions in that game. Carrick personally had a terrible start to this season.
14 Sep 2026 15:51:43
We dominated City last year from start to finish. We went to Arsenal and were awesome.
Why are we so slow and lethargic? It's very odd.
14 Sep 2026 16:40:37
Carrick been found out, that's why... Last year was a surprise to teams. This year nothing changed, he trying same ol crap, but we slowed play even further by adding Tielemans. Our CBs have no pace at all and are another year older with more injuries.
Carrick seems void OG anything new, and as for his in game management, it's a joke.
That's the 2nd game out of 4 this season; the in game management has been diabolical, as has the team selection.
Still everything rely solely on Bruno, it's a joke. Like the win title by 2028, it's an April fools.
14 Sep 2026 18:57:28
Dorgu was bought as a LWB, was he not?
15 Sep 2026 00:11:45
I assume Dorgu's versatility was seen as his strength. Amorim played him everywhere on the right, and Carrick has stuck with the left.
I'm not opposed to players who can play various positions. I think Lewis-Skelley would have been a good shout.
A few fans asked why we'd buy square pegs for round holes, instead of specialist players for each position.
Arteta solves his RB and CB problems by signing Konsa, and it's ingenious. Bizarre.
Manchester United Banter 2
Manchester United Banter 3
Manchester United Banter 4
Manchester United Banter 5
Manchester United Banter 6
Manchester United Banter 7
Manchester United Banter 8
Manchester United Banter 9
Manchester United Banter 10
Manchester United Banter Archives
