Manchester United banter 10

03 Jan 2026 16:23:00
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 19 - Quick Round Up

03 Jan 2026 09:23:33
Sounds like all is not well, there seems to be some misalignment with the January transfer window between Manager and above. It doesn’t sound like Amorim will get what is desperately needed.

Our Centre Mid is dire, we only have one striker. We are desperate but you half expect them to come up with a cheapskate option.

Three things come to mind

1) This doesn’t bode well for Amorims long term future.
2) Are the owners cutting back on spending to make a profit and get their hands on dividends?
3) This is so short sighted, we surely will struggle to stay in 6th with that midfield

Get the Glazers out.

03 Jan 2026 09:50:08
Is this information reliable, Red Man, or just clickbait in the media?

03 Jan 2026 10:14:29
Fizz

As reported

“Amorim was far more definitive and downbeat:
• “The transfer window is not going to change. ”
• “We have no conversations in this moment to have any change in the squad. ”
• “There is a process, there is an idea that is going to continue. ”.

03 Jan 2026 10:24:58
We will see come the end of the window Red Man. Right now, I've only seen some piece from a daily mail columnist. Maybe you can share some more information.

But the proof will be in the pudding come the end of the window.

But we have invested heavily over the last 2 summers, and we also have AFCON players to come back as well as injured players.

IMO he has more than enough but it's about getting the best out of the current squad which I believe he has struggled to do.

03 Jan 2026 10:44:31
Angel

Midfield has not been properly strengthened since Keane left, Hargreaves was unfit. We are left totally exposed in that area so I don’t think Amorim has anywhere near enough.

Yes I read the Mail article about the concerns in the upper echelons about the formation and how the youth formations have not been changed to match the first team. The concern the system is too easily read and countered particularly after the Fulham managers comments.

Another mess and a feeling the manager, another manager is being hung out to dry. Hope I am wrong.

03 Jan 2026 11:23:15
Perhaps a smokescreen to allow us to get done the deals we need to get done without media buzzing around.
Fergie used to pull this stunt and then we ended up with players regardless.
If that is the case, I like it.

03 Jan 2026 11:45:37
It could be many things, including the manager just tempering expectations.

Typically managers tend to think more short term (as they don't tend to have a long shelf life at clubs) while the club should be thinking more long term. Sometimes things align that work ideally for both the club and the manager, but more often they don't.

Amorim will be thinking about the aims and objectives he has for this season. With the injuries and the AFCON we are at a real risk of being cut adrift in the pursuit of top 4.

The club have aims far beyond this season, and they need to take a slightly longer term view of things. They won't want to make the same mistakes of the previous management team, thinking too short term. Panicking and wasting money on short term fixes to long term problems. Ultimately that always ends up with problems piling up and loads of issues end up needing to be dealt with at the same time, while the money is no longer available as it's tied up or already spent.

The mess we are in right now is due to the previous management team thinking too short term, leading to us having to rebuild the entire squad almost in one go, but having limited money to do so.

100% for the short term aims bringing in one or two players in January would be massive and if they work out they could be the difference between getting UCL or not this year.

But that's the gamble, if they don't work out, or are unable to make the difference and we don't get UCL football then we not only lose the money from that, but we also have less money to spend in the summer on long term targets.

Ultimately signing 1 or 2 of the wrong players in January to try and boost our chances this season, could ultimately put us one or two years back on the project overall.

The only players we should be signing in January should be genuine long term targets. Players we have extensively scouted, and are highly confident that they will work out and how they fit into our long term plan. If those players aren't available then we should keep our powder dry and stick to plan.

Much like managers fans tend to only consider the short term, we want to win the next game. That is why fans should never actually run their football club. It's the equivalent of allowing your young children to do all the meal planning. They'll pick the same few meals, and nearly all of it bad for them. They do this because they are chasing what they want, not what they need.

03 Jan 2026 11:48:56
Red Man, "As reported" does not equate to 'not clickbait'. We shall see come the end of the window, but it's obvious that strength is needed in midfield.

03 Jan 2026 13:45:45
I'd imagine much will depend on outgoings for our January window
Zirkzee
Mainoo
Ugarte
Are 3 players who we might try and find a move for if any of these 3 go I'd imagine we might see a singing coming in in place of them
Baleba also seems like one who a deal could be done for hasn't really been great this season in and out of the Brighton team they might let him go for a decent sum for them to strengthen and he wants to come as we all know.

03 Jan 2026 14:18:14
We have midfield targets, if they aren’t available in January, why would we go for a short term solution.
January is well known as a difficult time to do business, I would rather we not waste money go for our targets come the summer.

03 Jan 2026 15:14:10
I think January is about opportunity.

I think we will buy 2x players.

03 Jan 2026 18:24:35
Shipping out Ugarte to Galatasaray and putting in a £90m bid for Anderson or Wharton would be good business in January.
Both short and long term fix.

Baleba is not the answer for our current midfield woes I don’t think.

Despite what anyone thinks, the board will surely be wondering whether they want to give Amorim any more money other than for a CM.

If that position is addressed to a degree in January then he has to show he’s the man for the job for the remainder of the season.

03 Jan 2026 18:35:39
We all know midfield is a priority. The manager and club must do too. I really don't think we should be thinking about a champions league place as being realistic this season.

Collyer is back and he adds numbers to the midfield. Bruno will have had his enforced rest and should be better for it. Hopefully Mainoo gets more game time. I would take Garner if available but prefer Utd wait and get the best players they can in the summer if not possible now. If we miss out on Europe again so be it. We should be building for long term success.

03 Jan 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Svkick has posted a new article entitled, Is Arne Slot's Time At Liverpool Running Out?

03 Jan 2026 09:12:46
Hope not. He's doing a fine job.

02 Jan 2026 15:13:29
We are two days into a new year and we are yet to see a post about someone's uncle's pet rabbit's vet whose brother in law house sits for the rich and famous telling us that mateta and/or co are house hunting in our neck of the woods.

02 Jan 2026 18:05:11
I heard it from a reliable meerkat that that signing will mean no worries for the rest of our days.

02 Jan 2026 19:20:49
There’s a few rumours knocking around.

Wharton, Anderson, Baleba, Neves, 2x Diomande (RB Leipzieg and Sporting), Blato (kid at sporting), Mateta, Smit, El Mala, Mokio, Guehi, Gomes. There’s more.

Hoping we invest and aim for UCL.

02 Jan 2026 19:34:42
The last rumour I saw was that RA is hacked off as we won't be buying anyone in January.

02 Jan 2026 19:55:28
You support your manager by giving him the tools to succeed, not through PR releases.

He knows he needs signings desperately as he is unable to get the best of this squad.

02 Jan 2026 20:42:54
But we’ve also said we aren’t going to make mistakes like we have made in the past, panic buying an overpriced player that you’re then stuck with on the wage bill that’s nowhere near good enough. We have players we want to sign, if any of them become and option in January we will move for them, if not then it will be the summer.

I’d assume we might get a loan signing in this month and would be surprised if we signed anyone, we’ve got a lot of players coming back. Mainoo couldn’t even get a game for most of the season.

03 Jan 2026 09:16:17
I have it from a guy ITK and well-connected with the club that we are in advanced talks with Wesley Sneijder. You heard it here first.

03 Jan 2026 11:49:09
The targets we are being linked to are mostly the same targets we had been scouting and planning around last summer. Which is actually very encouraging, at least in the long run.

If we can secure a deal for a long term target this January then great, but we shouldn't be looking for the kind of short term fixes that have ultimately lead to us being in the mess we are in right now. Didn't Einstein say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results?

03 Jan 2026 14:32:22
No Shappy.
It was civil rights campaigner and feminist writer Rita Mae Brown.

03 Jan 2026 15:15:42
I only listening Ornstein. rn.

02 Jan 2026 08:52:28
A tough run of fixtures ahead with Leeds away up next, going to be a tight match as they are compact and well organised, exactly the type of teams we struggle against. We will do well to come away with a draw.

02 Jan 2026 10:30:52
Least we are starting the new year with high expectations lol.

As a club we are taking the “under promise and over deliver” thing too far if we can not expect to beat a newly promoted team.

Whether we will or not is a different story but am getting more and more confused how low expectations have fallen at the club.

02 Jan 2026 10:44:36
DSG,

Without any players back we go into this game with a number of players who wouldn’t get a game for Leeds, that’s just where we are at with the players out, so it will be a tough game. Leeds have been good recently, they played well to beat Chelsea and looked a threat yesterday at Anfield, they will be a very tough game. Also, if we win we go 4th, and whenever that is the case we tend to draw or lose.

I’m really hoping De Ligt, Mainoo and Mount are back, it would make a huge difference. I’m gutted that Mbeumo and Amad both made it through the group stage at the AFCON, we need them home ASAP.

02 Jan 2026 13:16:58
Without Mbuemo, Amad, de Ligt, Bruno, Mount, Mazroui and even Maguire we would be a relegation candidate. There's no reason to expect any fixture will be easy. Any team in. the process of rebuilding with known weaknesses at the best of times, if deprived of its best players and all of its experienced ones, would struggle.

02 Jan 2026 14:20:16
Okay understood, good points made on the missing players and rebuilding phase.

Just checking is there a specific date in the future when the club can expect to beat newly promoted teams?

02 Jan 2026 15:58:52
DSG. Most of us are expecting a substantial improvement after next summer. The PSR rules change. The club should hopefully be able to get rid of more players raising some cash, and the be able to spend £250m+ staying well within the new FA total squad cost requirements, If we're still producing the same level of play my guess is the Amorim experiment will come to a quick end.

02 Jan 2026 16:31:04
Im assuming that any players purchased will be for the long term of the club not to suit this managers particular requirements. Spending another £250m on players specifically for a 3-4-3 would be a mistake in my opinion.

02 Jan 2026 19:38:07
This is ho2 far we have fallen. Rationalising a poor performance against the worst team in the Premier League, and now making excuses in advance of playing a newly promoted team.

But don't worry everyone, our xg is up.

02 Jan 2026 19:56:44
AJH, we have been beaten down by over the years and this crap has become acceptable. But it's okay, posters on here think it's all a part of the master plan.

02 Jan 2026 20:40:00
Not sure anyone has said it’s acceptable, just realistic, not sure what the point is in pretending our team is better than a Leeds team who are playing well at the moment when it’s likely to contain kids who recently lost to league 2 teams in the EFL cup.

Fingers crossed we perform well and get the win but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if we didn’t. Certainly no need for huge overreactions, but we will likely get one as always.

03 Jan 2026 09:18:19
Indeed GDS2.

03 Jan 2026 10:06:12
Pretending our team is better than a leeds team playing well?

This the Leeds team with 5 wins in 19, we are 9 points ahead of and 16th in the table?

03 Jan 2026 11:53:25
It's the EPL, the toughest and most competitive league in the world. They are all tough games, the problem is that as United fans we have had our expectations set incredibly high due to us having a generational manager who brought "unprecedented" levels of success to us over a prolonged period.

Most of us are yet to fully understand or accept that, which ultimately sets us up for disappointment, and sadly ends up making us not enjoy supporting our football club.

03 Jan 2026 19:31:30
Shappy, right now our expectations are incredibly low, hence why many are accepting of our current form. To me, it's ludicrous. He has spent a lot and is struggling to get the best out of the squad. He is not pragmatic in his tactics, consistently putting square pegs into round holes.

I get that this is a competitive league, but it's not been good enough for amorim or the team during his tenure. 38% is abysmal and we had relegation form last season, relegation form! I mean, what are we talking about here.

01 Jan 2026 14:24:54
Enzo Maresca sacked by Chelsea, Berrada and Wilcox both worked with him at city and they like bringing in staff that previously worked with them at City.

Could be a go as a politically safe way of letting Amorim go for Berrada and Wilcox without them looking incompetent.

01 Jan 2026 15:19:16
Out of the frying pan into the fire springs to mind.

01 Jan 2026 16:20:49
Amorim is going nowhere, whether that’s good or bad depends on who you’re talking too.

01 Jan 2026 17:18:26
Maresca should be nowhere Utd. Ask most Chelsea fans and they are baffled by his tactics. They have got some top players and he constantly misuses them.

I want RA to succeed but if he is to be replaced get the Palace manager.

01 Jan 2026 18:15:50
Salford, that might very well be what happens.

02 Jan 2026 08:48:18
Are we looking for a new manager?

02 Jan 2026 09:07:17
Lets all be realistic maresca or glasner aren't the solution to our problems both are poor managers I know many on here won't agree but it's the truth.

02 Jan 2026 10:45:51
John,

What exactly are you seeing that makes Glasner a ‘poor manager’? He won the FA cup with Crystal Palace, he’s done an absolutely brilliant job there improving a number of players.

02 Jan 2026 11:09:21
I just don't see the hype gds2 his palace team have never impressed me maybe that's just me. I'd love to hear ed001 thoughts on glasner because I think he had reservations too.

{Ed001's Note - not a fan at all. Even putting aside him as a person and constantly having to jump ship as he burns bridges behind him, as a coach he plays awful football. He is a new Moyes.}

02 Jan 2026 12:47:59
I would take Mr Tumble over Amorim.

02 Jan 2026 17:13:15
Similar to Tuchel, Ed?

{Ed001's Note - yes.}

02 Jan 2026 17:32:36
I certainly wasn’t saying I want him, we have a manager that I’m happy to keep, but he’s clearly doing a good job at Palace. That might be his level I guess, but a poor manager doesn’t win the FA cup with Crystal Palace.

02 Jan 2026 17:48:22
I’d esather keep Amorim.

01 Jan 2026 10:57:30
Happy new year lads??.

01 Jan 2026 13:03:12
Right back at you Mal.

01 Jan 2026 13:34:29
Happy New Year Mal.

01 Jan 2026 17:18:52
Back at ya Mal and to all here.

02 Jan 2026 06:41:11
Happy new year mal.

01 Jan 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Perspective Needed as Manchester United Navigate a Difficult Phase

01 Jan 2026 10:17:45
Not once have you discussed RA's performance.

I accept all the points you highlight, but that doesn't give him a free pass. I'm not convinced even when we win, there have been probably 3 games this season where we seemed like a proper team, the others have been a mish mash.

Yes, it's a journey and not a simple linear one, but RA needs to reflect on his obsession and why he is so obstinate. I also think he talks b0ll0x half the time.

01 Jan 2026 18:55:14
Our standards are in the toilet from top to bottom.

Something has to change. Club is desperate for a different feel around the place. Formation, new players, new coaches, change RA. Whatever it is, something has to change to refresh this football club. We have dropped so many points that we should have won. We should be in the top 4 easily, and UCL next year would make the necessary recruitment much easier.

We need bold leadership that embraces the change we need. Does Amorim interviews that state he was scared of media pressure send the right message? Do defensive substitutions at home to Wolves send the signals that we are trying to win the game? How about taking an exciting performance from dorgu at RW only to send him back to LWB? Leaving Obi on the bench when bringing him on would have lifted the crowd based on last years excitement alone.

I am not necessarily saying RA should go. But if he can't start being the bold leader we need, he can't get the team up and playing with spirit and heart, then he is basically silent quitting. Hopefully he can step up in 2026 and grow a backbone.

31 Dec 2025 15:26:44
So the last 2 games our xG has gone down, our shots on goal have gone down and almost all our statistics have gone down. What was the common factor? Bruno. I still can't believe people don't see the obvious and want to push him out.
Cunha yesterday found out the drawbacks of being a single creative force in the team. You are just marked out by the opposition and that's that. With Bruno missing in the midfield there is no one pulling the strings or picking out a pass to split the defence.

On to yesterday, i am very disappointed by the result. I see people questioning the formation etc. Who was on the bench to change that? A few kids? Not to mention this is almost the end of the festive fixture list and that's a hectic schedule and we have managed to stay in touch with CL spots. I think we are good to go in the second half. I would certainly welcome a couple of recruits though.

31 Dec 2025 16:14:37
Last night was what it was, difficult with so many players missing. 6 to 8 starters were missing, don't care what anybody says, any team struggles with that. In the end utd really should have lost and if banana brain was in goal utd would have lost. so a huge positive is lammens.
It's a lot better than last season that's not a question but we all know huge improvement is needed in the midfield and defence. But can't be fixed at once, needs another summer.

and on defence, anybody sick and tired of de licht being injured all the time. Cracking player but seems to be made of glass. needs to man up or find another club in summer. But i'd had taken 30 points on new year back in August, and a win at anfield. just frustrating that every time utd can really get into top 4 we play poorly and drop points. Think its going to be same til may. but chin up, happy new year and see if utd can win fa cup.

31 Dec 2025 16:34:17
At the moment we need Bruno's creativity but he's getting older so we also need to look beyond his time with the team. If he's irreplaceable then the club has no future. Plus we're also missing Mbuemo, Mount and Amad. You take all 4 of them out of the team at the same time and inevitably there's a big drop off.

31 Dec 2025 17:24:17
Thing is, New Name, Bruno probably has more assists than all those boys put together, apart from Mbuemo, more goals as well.

From centre midfield.

Nobody thinks he can go on forever, and he will need replaced eventually, but people are looking him out in January. When we still have a chance of getting into Europe. Where are we going to get someone then, who can do what he does?

And the same people hoping for that move will be the first to moan when we inevitably fall away and produce more performances like last night.

31 Dec 2025 20:30:04
Bruno is a big miss, as is Amad and Mbeumo. No team loses their three most creative players and doesn't see a drop in creativity.

31 Dec 2025 22:43:13
Agree but without a proper midfielder behind them doing the dirty work they have no platform to succeed.

01 Jan 2026 00:42:35
38% win rate for RA so far as United Manager. Thank god for all that creativity (sigh)

01 Jan 2026 01:47:04
Oh yip let's sell de ligt easily our best cb, cause he's missed 4 out of 17 epl games this season and 9 out of 38 last year. may as well sell Licha as well whilst we're at it cause he is actually allllwwwaaaayys injured.

01 Jan 2026 09:48:13
Noucamp. I don't see and wouldn't support Bruno leaving in January whether or not he's likely to be here next year - unless, in the unlikely event, we acquire at least two key personnel for the future to replace him. The stats don't lie, but they do perhaps mislead. Over a very lean period Bruno is and has been our most creative player but he doesn't provide much defensive quality and, IMO, he's not really the type of leader we need on the field.

It's quite likely we would have scored more if he hadn't gotten injured, but it's also quite possible we would have conceded more. If we're going to compete with Arsenal and City we're going to have to look beyond Bruno however long he remains with us.

01 Jan 2026 10:38:09
If Bruno was seen as so vital, why did the club buy two players to take his natural 10 position when we had Mount as well? He is neither a Central Midfielder or a Leader as Captain. Why buy Cunha when we could have spent that money on a CM and let Bruno create and score like so many on here tell us from a 10 position? Tells me the club think Cunha and MBueno are better in Bruno’s position.
Bruno is 31, 32 in September when the next season starts. He has a very good injury record but is now at an age where injuries are more likely to have an impact. In summer will his value fall again for a 32 year old? I suspect it will.
This hero worship is misguided. Yes he has been a good player but if we were not going to play him in his best position and are not doing even when MBueno went to the African cup, what is the clubs position on Bruno?

I firmly believe they should have taken the £100m in summer and bought a CM and another striker. We dithered as a club, yet again. Now, Bruno has value but we wail and sob because his stats were good, ignoring the great big open hole he causes in midfield or the lack of leadership as captain.

We have to face reality, time is moving on and the longer we keep Bruno the more chance of a defining injury and his value dropping. The club will do what it wants but to me they were not decisive last summer.

01 Jan 2026 19:01:09
Bruno out. Casemiro out.

Two proper midfielders that can run and pass and defend, IN.

Those stats are down because of all our creative players missing, not just Bruno. We have been run through in midfield this year in almost every game and we need better in there.

01 Jan 2026 22:23:41
Hes missed more than 4 this season never mind last season. i'd check your facts as its utter nonsense.

02 Jan 2026 06:46:47
Red man, I have no problem with him going in the summer as it should be planned properly that other midfielders come in. Other players were signed for his position, i'd hope, because they were planning for the future, for a life without him. But you were advocating for him to be sold in January, which is just plain bonkers.

Also, in your opinion, he is not a neutral leader/captain? What constitutes a proper captain in your eyes?

Because for me, I look at a guy leading from the front, the way he plays in games and in training. I also look at how he leads off the pitch, and I am yet to hear anything to the contrary about his behaviour off the pitch or how he conducts himself in and around the club. In fact, apparently he is a proper leader for everyone around there. I have heard nothing but great things. But for red man? Not a natural captain or leader. I look forward to hearing what is and how we should sell him in January and who will replace him ?.

02 Jan 2026 08:49:40
Angel

I have been lucky enough to have Leadership training, have passed relevant exams in it and held senior work positions, so like to think I understand it. Played multiple sports and seen leaders and non leaders in charge.

Waving arms around and moaning, sulking isn’t leadership. Maybe I am spoilt by Robson and Keane. Always said that in football the captain isn’t as important as in other sports, probably a marginal difference can be made but on the pitch I remember the strong captains. We have long debated on here about lack of leaders on the pitch and that has been all through Bruno’s period at the club as well. I don’t see his actions as being a strong leader.

Did we not already replace him as a 10 with Cunha and MBueno or was my explanation not clear?

Bruno is now a CM not a 10, so can we buy a better CM than Bruno? Yes or no?

He should have been sold last summer. The risk in a serious injury and loss of a £60M asset has to concern the club now. I don’t know what they will do in Jan but a strong board would have sold last summer.

02 Jan 2026 21:59:27
Red man i currently manage 80 odd people from operatives to managers and so on. I have done for 10 years or more. I would not think because I do that I know management across all levels to all industries. Ypu need to pull ypur head back out of your own arse and smell the roses.

02 Jan 2026 22:45:34
Ok thanks dio
I will pull my head out of my own arse, smell some roses and not have an opinion. So sorry about that. Carry on with what you want to believe.

03 Jan 2026 07:57:01
Oh and dio, leadership is different to management. If you manage 80, Leadership training may be helpful.

03 Jan 2026 23:59:09
From personal experience in my job, and this is no slight on you Red Man, I've always found the natural leaders are born that way, not made on a leadership course.

31 Dec 2025 14:52:29
How many of us were kind of expecting that result or even fearing a loss last night, especially with so many of our primary goal scoring threats and better players out for one reason or another? It could have been worse if we hadn't improved our goalie during the summer. It could have been better if Sesko was an in form striker. Was it the system? Or was it that we were forced to field a team that, if it was the best we had to offer, would be fighting relegation notwithstanding the system? Without Amad, Mount, Bruno, Mbuemo, Mazraoui, Mainoo, De Ligt and (yes) Maguire, what's left of the squad would almost certainly not be good enough to remain an EPL team whoever was the manager and whatever his style.

Let's hope the club can fill a gap or two when the window opens.