Manchester United Banter 2

23 Apr 2026 17:47:34
Hypothetically, if Spurs were relegated, which of their players would you want utd to go for?
Van De Ven, Porro, Palhinha?
A fit Kudus or Kulusevski?
Solanke/Richarlison?
Not many names jump at me as making us better.

23 Apr 2026 18:46:46
Kulusevski is the best if that bunch, but is coming back from injury, and his best position is Bruno's one.

Honestly, after the past two seasons, I wouldn't want any of their players at the club.

23 Apr 2026 20:35:43
Gray is the only one that has shown any fight.

23 Apr 2026 21:23:04
Wouldn't mind Djed Spence.

23 Apr 2026 22:36:56
Archie Gray is the only one who I'd seriously consider if Spurs go down.

I saw him play for Leeds a few years back, and it was obvious that he was going to be a great player.

Van De Ven is a player I'd actually avoid. His positioning and defensive reading of the game is terrible.

Probably because he can rely on his speed to dig him out, but he's already started to pick up a few muscle injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if he's pretty much finished by the time he's 28, struggling to make 100 appearances in a top flight league after he turns 28.

24 Apr 2026 00:43:04
Loads of good quality players at Spurs.
Not many have played well this season, but I think there are lots of players there that would enhance our squad, or a few others, and play better at a new club.
Bergval and Gray would both do well at United imo. I'd argue Solanke is a better cf than Zirkzee. Spence is at least as good as Dalot imo.
Romero looks like he has been trying to get sent off in games, and, while I'm quite happy to have a bit of a loon at cb, he seems to be all over the place.


Porro is better than Dalot and Maz imo.

It will be interesting to see how many they can sell or have to sell. Not all players will be sold, obviously.
Perhaps the likes of Bergval and Gray will be kept, as they will be on lesser wages and are still very young.

{Ed001's Note - loads? There is one - Kulusevski. The rest are not good quality.}

24 Apr 2026 05:34:22
What if West Ham go down....
I'd be trying to snap up
Diouf
Fernandes
Disasi

In that order.

{Ed001's Note - Disasi is on loan from Chelsea why not try and snap him up anyway?}

24 Apr 2026 06:20:57
I think we should be trying to sign Fernandez anyway, he looks like he could make the step up with a bigger team.

24 Apr 2026 07:24:04
Agree Ed001, he has been class since his loan. Same as the other two players. All three would improve our team.

{Ed001's Note - I don't think he is a good player, he is very limited and just suits the way Nuno sets the team up to sit back and doesn't let his defenders get on the ball. You tend to give your defenders the ball at times and want to play football, he would just revert to being 'Disaster' like he was before.}

24 Apr 2026 08:39:00
Not seen enough of Fernandes, but lots of noise about his potential, especially as maybe the 3rd CM brought in to be part of the rotation next year. Personally, I like Gomez at Wolves as this option, and think he would add quite a bit to what we have.....

not hard from the current crop after Casemiro/Mainoo

Always thought Van de Ven was decent, and maybe has just lost his way and not been well coached.

24 Apr 2026 09:15:27
Wouldn't look at any Tottenham players. I'd be looking at Wolves players before Tottenham, to be honest!

24 Apr 2026 09:21:29
Ed interesting that you single out Kulusevski alone, don't you think Kudus is as good a player?
Also good shout on Desasi, I believe same, he is played to his strengths.

{Ed001's Note - Kudus has a crap attitude, very much plays for himself rather than the team. Shame because he has great ability and I love watching him but he is not helpful to a team looking to win trophies regularly. Bit like Fernandes at West Ham, the ability is there but the attitude is wrong. Fernandes is great when things are going well, but when it is going badly, as he showed for Southampton and at West Ham initially, he just throws his arms up in the air and stands around hands on hips. Even when it was him giving the ball away, he would be too busy stropping and flouncing about like Kevin the teenager to chase and work and attempt to win it back. I hate to see that and it is not conducive to a team ethic.}

24 Apr 2026 17:17:30
Jarred Bowen. Only one I'd take.

24 Apr 2026 18:24:55
I'd take Porro. A full back that can actually score and assist.

25 Apr 2026 12:27:12
Eric, I have said for years, if I ever saw a United player, Bowen is the one. What a player, and person.100 percent all the time and we have lacked those over the years.

We need to ensure that we are buying food characters, fighter, workers as well as having that quality. Bowen ticks all those boxes.

Ed001, I agree, Kulisevski is very good but I have a sneaky suspicion they may look at someone like Van Der Ven

25 Apr 2026 23:11:32
Totally agree about Bowen. Can not understand why a bigger team than West Ham has not tried to buy him. He is a model pro.
Always puts a shift in. Scores and makes goals. Never gives trouble. Team player and skilful.

23 Apr 2026 17:10:57
What are people's thoughts on United taking on Maresca as manager?

He had a pretty good record at Chelsea and his style of play could suit Utd, although he would need better midfielders and fullbacks to make it work.

23 Apr 2026 17:29:50
Too much like Amorim; can be overly rigid, sticking to his system even when it does not suit the game, and his in-game management has been questioned.

That is not to say he is a bad coach. I think he will do well on the continent with a team that suits him, or he will end up in Manchester, just on the other side.

23 Apr 2026 17:37:52
That's a big fat no from me. I don't want Carrick either, but think it will be him.

Enrique would be the choice, but don't see him leaving PSG.

Not exactly a great bunch to pick from.

23 Apr 2026 20:36:28
I'd be violently sick across my laptop.

23 Apr 2026 21:16:34
I'd rather s*** in my hands and clap!

23 Apr 2026 21:52:31
It's going to be Carrick. There would have been some serious links or leaks if they were truly looking at anybody else.

To be fair to them, it's a tough situation. If they go with Carrick and he fails, they will get blamed for not choosing someone else.

If they choose someone else and he fails, they will get blamed for not sticking with Carrick.

Just have to hope that whichever way they go, the chosen one does alright and at least stays in and around the top 4 next season.

23 Apr 2026 23:08:31
So that's a No then? 😂

24 Apr 2026 08:18:10
I couldn't have put it better than Peter Griffin. 😂

23 Apr 2026 14:07:49
Pretty tough run in for us. All of the teams have something to play for at the moment, although Nf may become much more relaxed if they're out of the relegation battle. Technically any of the teams down to 12th could pass us if they win all their games.

Which of course they won't. And we lose all ours. A big performance on Monday would be great, but somehow one feels that this club will keep us all on tenterhooks for a while longer.

23 Apr 2026 17:37:17
We aren't suddenly going to lose all 5 games, and even if we did, we would likely still finish top 5.

23 Apr 2026 17:45:14
We have Brentford, Liverpool, Sunderland, Forest and Brighton.

Brighton have Newcastle, Wolves, Leeds, United.

Bournemouth have Palace, Fulham, City, Forest.

Chelsea have Leeds, Forest, Liverpool, Spurs, Sunderland.

Brentford have United, West Ham, City, Palace, Liverpool.

Of those currently outside the CL places, I think we have one of the better run ins. As you said, beat Brentford and only Brighton can catch us really.

23 Apr 2026 20:37:45
We also have something to play for....

23 Apr 2026 23:57:55
It would be some party if we lost to Brighton on last day, safe in 3rd, and they snatch 5th.

24 Apr 2026 09:29:20
Ken, I know it would go against the spirit of competition, but if we have 3rd or even 4th secured and Brighton need a win to get 5th, I'd love to have Ugarte, Malacia and Onana back for 1 game, all start!!

24 Apr 2026 11:35:03
Nah I don't like that thought, Ports. I remember Liverpool beating Blackburn on the last day of the season in 95. We just couldn't do our part and beat West Ham to win the league.
Be professional, but I wouldn't cry if we lost in those circumstances.

23 Apr 2026 13:28:29
Listening to Enrique in the lastest PSG press conference, he is going nowhere soon, already planning for next season with PSG. Think Chelsea will go for Iraola so we are sticking with Carrick or going for Naglesmann, I don't see too many options out there.

23 Apr 2026 15:23:20
If the club stay with Carrick, they are incompetent. That simple.
This, no or not too many options other than Carrick, is total nonsense.

23 Apr 2026 16:39:53
Appointing Carrick would be short sighted. I think he was an excellent choice for interim coach after Amorim because he is very light on tactical instructions when in possession. With the players clearly unhappy with the way Amorim overloaded them with instructions, Carrick gave them the freedom to play without the fear of not doing what the manager wanted.

This has worked to an extent. The first month was an attack playing without freedom and innovation. The problem is that everything in our attack hinges on Bruno, and, in the long term, we need a manager who is capable of striking a balance between allowing players a bit of freedom and coming up with different strategies to create chances that don't come through Bruno.



For me, Carrick was exactly what we needed to get Champions League this season. However, he hasn't shown enough to prove that he's the right person to get us back challenging for titles. The most damning thing is that the longer he has been in charge, the worse the performances have become. There's nothing to suggest that the early form was more than a post Amorim bounce.

23 Apr 2026 17:52:21
Chelsea were going for Filipe Luis, I heard, and Iraola is off to Spain as his family is homesick.

23 Apr 2026 20:39:57
I thought they had a slight interest in Silva also. Don't rule out Lampard.

23 Apr 2026 21:57:05
Fabregas has also been mentioned.

23 Apr 2026 22:39:44
Alright Red Man, I'll bite. Name me ten serious options who we could bring in who are definitively better than Carrick and who are available this summer and willing to join?

23 Apr 2026 23:31:50
Iraola
Naglesmann
Simeone
Emery
Pochettino
Allegri
Conte
Enrique

Id take all of those over Carrick.

24 Apr 2026 06:58:24
Shappy

Why ten?

We only need one manager.

12 days above has a list of better options; there are many more.

Carrick has no CV, and only the emotionally trapped United fans, who cannot see the danger here, are pushing the Carrick bandwagon. He is one of our own. Nonsense.

If SJR appoints Carrick, then it is his Moyes moment.

The club goes backwards for 12 months, pending the idiots at the top realising there is no real vision, just Southgate football.

Let's be honest. I am now worried that if they appoint Carrick, I may not live long enough to see us win the league or Champions League again. It would be that stupid by Ratcliffe.

24 Apr 2026 10:04:29
I don't know what will happen with the manager job. I think, on the surface, for some fans, it will feel like a Solskjaer decision, but I do think circumstances and personnel within the team are very different now. No more Lindgards, Pogba's, Martial's, or Rashford's. We have a lot better characters around now, and more experienced coaching staff around also, and also a more structured, more football experienced hierarchy.



But, I do think the transfer window is more important than the manager decision this summer. I'd take a good transfer window with Carrick manager over a poor transfer window, but a more experienced coach.

24 Apr 2026 10:24:34
Ports

We need a leader as a manager. Carrick isn't it.
I was 13 years younger when the idiots appointed Moyes. If it happens again with Carrick, they get the club they deserve. Pathetic lack of decision making.

24 Apr 2026 13:08:18
I agree with Red Man on this one.
There are plenty of managers out there that can do a very good job.

24 Apr 2026 18:30:10
Comparing Carrick with Ole is a bit silly.

Amorim cleared out a lot of the bad 'uns.

Totally different circumstances.

23 Apr 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Kloppo05 has posted a new article entitled, Why Slot Feels Wrong for Liverpool

23 Apr 2026 16:05:57
Nooo, Slot is great for Liverpool. Stick with it, lad, he's doing a fine job. 👍

22 Apr 2026 17:08:41
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 33 - Quick Round Up

23 Apr 2026 15:24:56
Thank you Ed

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mbd.}

22 Apr 2026 09:46:03
Yip, top five seems set now, just need the order finalised. It will be huge to get third, and must be the focus. I assume it would avoid any early qualification rounds etc. Last thing you need is a big game in early Aug, especially with a World Cup year, players given more time off if they advance in the competition etc.

22 Apr 2026 16:44:51
I wouldn't worry about qualifying rounds, they don't exist for EPL teams.

22 Apr 2026 23:17:18
For quite a while now there's been no qualifiers for us.

21 Apr 2026 22:00:20
With Chelsea's loss to Brighton, we now only need 2 wins/6 points out of Brentford, Liverpool, Sunderland, Forest and Brighton. With three of those being at home. And assuming the 6th and below sides win all their games. I think we are pretty much guaranteed that Champions League football is back at Old Trafford next season. Massive credit to Carrick.

22 Apr 2026 08:55:32
Rosenior has to be the strangest appointment of this season. He looks way out of his depth, makes some very bizarre statements, and their current run is horrendous.

They gave him a six and a half year contract, which looks misguided now. Chelsea clearly have a plan, but it seems quite an odd one.

22 Apr 2026 09:27:05
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

22 Apr 2026 12:30:16
6 and a half year contract is short for Chelsea!

22 Apr 2026 13:16:23
His salary is rumoured to be £3.5 - £4 M a year, if they sack him, that is one expensive mistake.

22 Apr 2026 14:00:52
He lost me after that, 'respecting the ball' stuff. 🤦

22 Apr 2026 17:31:25
Very odd stuff he comes out with. The huddle around the ref was pathetic and they shouldn't all have been booked.

22 Apr 2026 18:26:53
The severance fee is supposedly not linked to the length that his contract was. There is a pre-determined 'break' clause, ie 'lose 5 successive games without scoring, and we can bin you for £20'.

23 Apr 2026 01:22:41
Bit like at Utd previously, the Chelsea players are mainly culpable. They are virtually all international players, but just didn't put the effort in and never gave Rosenor a fair crack of the whip. The most damning stat is that they were always second in distances run.

They should have their wages cut, if not stopped, or given to charity. I feel sorry for Rosenor, like I did Amorim. Maybe they were out of their depth, but top footballers should be able to try properly to adapt to new coaching.

23 Apr 2026 09:29:47
Player power ruins clubs.

21 Apr 2026 15:19:34
I just want to say I thought Michael Oliver had a really good game Saturday night. Not often you can say that about referee's nowadays.

22 Apr 2026 07:25:35
That's his job!

22 Apr 2026 19:30:32
Ports, channeling your inner Roy Keane?

21 Apr 2026 08:03:34
Revisiting Bruno getting to the line for the cross to Cunha made me think how rarely Amad takes on the fullback on the outside, which makes him easy to play. As far as expectations compared to output are concerned, I think he's been this season's most disappointing player.

21 Apr 2026 08:38:03
Especially since the change of manager, Newname.

21 Apr 2026 10:15:57
Both Amad and Mbeumo have struggled since the managerial/formation change. Both are quite predictable with their runs. They both need a good overlapping RB to give the defenders they are up against something to think about. Unfortunately, we don't have any of those.

21 Apr 2026 10:53:38
Overlapping full backs, wide players taking a player on; they seem like dying arts. The fashion nowadays is to cut back in and shoot, so we have players playing on the 'wrong' side.

Oh for the days of Lee Sharpe, Steve Coppell, Andrei Kanchelskis. I think Sesko would love it too.

Bruno showed the impact on Saturday. I think we should do it more often.

21 Apr 2026 10:59:28
It's a dying art, not specifically an Amad problem. But Amad has struggled this season tbh.

21 Apr 2026 17:34:02
It is an Amad problem. He is not creative enough, and is too predictable. If he continues this way, he will not last at the top level. He should be watching tapes of Mo Salah constantly, as I think his size, trickiness, and ability to run with and not lose the ball is similar. Salah was always a little gready in certain circumstances (and successful at it!), but he would look for an assist far more.



From a squad perspective, Salah played most of his career with Trent or Sabozlai putting in crosses from his layoffs, perhaps we need to learn from that, because our strikers are being starved by our wide players and we definitely need to improve our creativity.

21 Apr 2026 18:48:18
Not enough balls into the 'corridor of uncertainty' these days.

21 Apr 2026 23:22:56
Love that, PG.
Corridor of uncertainty. 👍

23 Apr 2026 01:24:13
Doku seems to do it pretty much every week.