Manchester United Banter 4

13 Jul 2026 12:01:10
Apparently on this day, back in 1962, Denis Law signed for United for £115,000. That's 1/1000th of Anderson today. Law cost 60% of Man Utd revenue back then, which, from that perspective, makes him still the most expensive signing in United's history. It was money well spent. Second most expensive was Robson.

My overriding memory of the King was standing in the Stretford End Paddock on a rainy day as United mounted an attack towards the Stretford End.

Law was caught offside. Drenched, with his wet sleeves hanging down to the end of his fingers, he walked slowly over towards the linesman, who was right in front of me, and gave him the 2 finger salute.

13 Jul 2026 12:19:20
Youri Tielemans to Utd, here we go!

13 Jul 2026 11:14:38
Tielemans…There’s a turn up for the books. What do we think?

13 Jul 2026 11:39:45
Very good player, shrewd price. United moving in the dark again. I'm very happy with it.

13 Jul 2026 11:42:55
As a replacement for Ederson, I think this is a shrewd move. Good price, Premier League experience, and a quality player.

I would expect to still bring in at least one more, whether that is Kone or another, to add some height in the middle.

We are definitely moving differently this summer.

13 Jul 2026 11:43:25
I'm pleased. Good, solid, experienced head. Will give good experience to support Mainoo and Santos, having played in the upper areas of the league for the last couple of seasons. Played well in Europe. Very solid addition. I think he is a great option to have. Hopefully he settles in and does well.

13 Jul 2026 11:52:50
Agree totally, lads, talk we might look to Ederson again also but renegotiate the price. If we get 3 midfielders, that would be a great boost, especially at those prices. Basically 3 for just more than Fernandes lol.

13 Jul 2026 11:46:14
On the plus, EPL seasoned, solid performer, brings experience.

On the other hand, where did this come from, was it part of the plan or is it a knee jerk panic?

Take your pick.

13 Jul 2026 12:12:00
If it is for rotation and a back up to the Ederson failed transfer, then yes.

But we still need a starter to play alongside Mainoo.

Would be worried if we don’t make another signing in cm.

But time will tell.

Scott is still the one I hope we get.

Balaba, Kone, Wharton are the other names.

What I will say is United are releasing snippets, throwing the journalists off, then making signings quick out of nowhere for players no one has mentioned, and another player not on a lot of wages.

13 Jul 2026 12:12:19
He's a good footballer. Whenever I watched Villa, they always seemed to play better with him in the team. The other side of that was that he missed quite a few games with injury last season.

At the price, however, and with the much more intense schedule, he could prove to be an excellent signing, but I don't see him as someone who's going to fundamentally elevate the club.

13 Jul 2026 12:19:22
Ronnie would be pleased with this. He used to mention him every day.

13 Jul 2026 12:28:38
Very happy with this one if it happens. Completely out the blue. He's been a consistent performer for Villa. He also gets in and amongst the goals. I was a bit concerned that a few of the names we've been linked to are more defensive midfielders, so it would be good to find one who can add some creativity.

13 Jul 2026 12:51:16
Good player at a good price.

Not sold on Kone. His injury record isn't great.

13 Jul 2026 13:09:53
AJH, if this was the last week in the window, we could say panic.

This United hierarchy moves differently. My guess is that he was one of the many targets they have identified.

13 Jul 2026 13:09:55
Good player, happy with this signing. As others have said, he will add some much-needed experience in the middle of the park. Think it also suggests potentially the direction we will be looking to play under Carrick, and I actually think there are similarities between the two as players. Feels like a smart transfer again.

13 Jul 2026 13:53:53
I'm more excited about this than I was with Ederson. Prem proven, experienced, captain of Belgium, so adding a leader to the squad. A good value, floor-raising signing, imo.

Along with the Santos signing, this takes some pressure off us, looking for that third midfield recruit, and doesn't make us look as desperate, therefore not getting bent over.



I'm loving the way we're operating in the shadows. Have no idea who INEOS will surprise us with next.

13 Jul 2026 13:57:20
Shrewd without being inspiring. I still think we need to add Alex Scott and then I think that will give us a good midfield in terms of balance and choice.

13 Jul 2026 13:57:59
Good signing. We need some experience now after losing Casemiro. Very shrewd pickup for a buy-out fee that prevents any kind of negotiation with Villa. Happy to see some experience, it gives time for younger players to grow. He can play now, right away, in the first team.

You know what you will get, and Carrick can rely on him.

Was he always a plan, or did we shift to him down the lists? Not sure we'll ever know, but for price, experience and quality, it looks like a steal to me.

13 Jul 2026 11:44:50
Ed001 if I recall correctly, you did not rate Tielemans highly during his time at Leicester, was it something about his work rate or so.
If I am right, I wonder if your opinion of him has changed?

{Ed001's Note - he was what I call half-arsed at Leicester - would sprint forward and jog back, which is not what you want in the centre of midfield. However, at Villa he has actually put in effort chasing back as well and that was all he was really missing. The ability was there, but he was a passenger on the defensive side, under Emery that changed. If he keeps that up, he will be a good signing as he has a good passing range and he tends to make incisive passes as well - not sideways but forward. Just have to make sure he never lets his workrate drop.}

13 Jul 2026 14:38:37
Thanks for that Ed. :)

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

13 Jul 2026 10:52:44
Hey Ronnie,
We are finally signing Tielemans 13 years later. 😂

13 Jul 2026 11:41:13
Ronnie was the first thing I thought of when I saw Romano's tweet. I'm glad I wasn't the only one. 😂

13 Jul 2026 11:43:51
Ronnie peaked too soon.

13 Jul 2026 12:02:19
I bloody miss Ronnie, never thought I'd say that, also Sydney and Cheshire Red. Even if Ronnie chose every other player on the planet and was still less accurate than a broken watch.

13 Jul 2026 12:22:40
Came on here to post this but knew someone would have beat me to it. Somewhere Ronnie is having a very fun day and I hope he's bought enough tissues.

{Ed001's Note - that genuinely made me laugh out loud.}

13 Jul 2026 12:34:21
Beat me to it, he loved scout the youngens on Football Manager. 😂

13 Jul 2026 13:59:11
Too funny, lol.

13 Jul 2026 17:40:38
Lollllll how does everyone remember Ronnieee?

13 Jul 2026 22:50:27
He was only a young lad from Belgium I think. He got a hard time in here with all the left field suggestions. Ed002 used to give him a bit for his constant questions on 17 year old players from all over the world.
Quite a few became good players.

11 Jul 2026 23:08:42
Jesus, why did Tuchel even take Kobe?

12 Jul 2026 06:10:11
Don't worry. He'll sub him 30 seconds before the penalty shootout against Argentina.

12 Jul 2026 12:27:48
In case he needed some beef.

12 Jul 2026 13:29:22
If Mainoo had played, you can't guarantee England would be in the semi final.
Games won in the semi, nobody has a right to question the manager's team selection when they win.
They won manager for it, right, simple as that.
Well done, Tuchel and players.


It's a crap watch, but tournament football, it's about winning.
They may need to be more attacking and creative for the upcoming games.
If they lose and don't play attacking players, then questions can be asked, but if they win, then Tuchel got it right.

12 Jul 2026 14:03:38
No one can guarantee England would have reached the semi-final with Mainoo, but by the same logic, you can't claim they reached it because he didn't play. Results don't automatically prove every decision was the correct one.

Managers should absolutely get credit for winning, but that doesn't mean their selections are beyond criticism. Football is about performances as well as results. A team can win despite a poor tactical approach, just as a team can lose despite making the right decisions.

England have progressed, which is what matters most in tournament football, but it's also fair to point out that the football has often lacked creativity and attacking intent.

Those concerns don't suddenly become invalid because the result was positive.

If England continue winning, few fans will care how they do it. But discussing whether a different player or a more attacking setup could improve the team is a perfectly reasonable debate, regardless of the scoreline. Winning doesn't make every decision unquestionable - it just means the outcome was good enough on the day.

12 Jul 2026 14:15:36
Kobe will come on in the final and score the goal (like the Liverpool home one) that wins England the World Cup. It then won't matter one bit if he only played 20 mins.

12 Jul 2026 15:10:30
If he isn't paying, he may as well be back here doing his pre-season. He's had to watch Henderson and now James come on ahead of him.

Fair play to Tuchel, getting to a semi-final, but it's been horrible to watch and out of 6 games, we've been crap in 4 of them.

12 Jul 2026 15:36:46
AJH
Tournament football where it's all about results.

12 Jul 2026 15:42:32
Ports, if the team wins then the manager got enough right to win the game. So, any moves other than what he did do not guarantee a win would have occurred.

12 Jul 2026 16:19:04
Quite similar to Manchester United under Michael Carrick then, AJH? Mainoo has played in those games.

12 Jul 2026 18:16:42
There's some very silly debates on here, fellas. 🤣

13 Jul 2026 01:39:37
Interesting that all his supporters here can't spell his first name right.

13 Jul 2026 07:40:29
Did anyone like Southgate? 😂

13 Jul 2026 12:35:24
He'll bring him on in the 119th minute for a penalty. What could possibly go wrong?

13 Jul 2026 15:18:56
Kobe vs Kobbie?

11 Jul 2026 19:13:19
The internet is a weird and sometimes wonderful place.

I always think, during transfer windows particularly, how the loudest voices are often the ones you should listen to the least.

If what you say has value, then you don't need to drown out the crowd by shouting it.

The opinions of Manchester United fanbase typically change every few minutes or so.

The same fans who are moaning about signing players like Andrey Santos are the same ones who moaned about the club always going for the big name, obvious target and being bent over for the transfer fee.

Now the club is no longer doing that, in fact they are doing exactly what those fans wanted, but now it is the wrong thing yet again. Now those fans want us to go for the "cream of the crop", and to spend big on fancy shiny names, despite that being the wrong thing according to those same fans in recent transfer windows.

Of course the problem is trying to find the logic in what they are saying.

There isn't any, because their opinions aren't based on logic but are based on emotion.

They are unhappy, so everything and everyone is wrong and they will shout that to anyone who'll listen (and even at those who aren't).

I've tried to be consistent in what I say. I prefer when United sign EPL proven players, where possible. I prefer it when United sign younger players who are looking to step up and prove themselves at the highest level.

I'd have been happy with Elliot Anderson, with Mateus Fernandes, and I'm happy with Andrey Santos. All fit that criteria.

I'll be happy if we sign Carlos Baleba, or Joao Gomes. To be honest I'm happy with most signings, but then I'm a pretty cheerful person, an optimist.

Some of who we sign won't work out as we hope, others will work out better. No one gets everything 100% right, so I try not to hold anyone to that standard.

Let's just see how things shake out before we start judging the signings.

12 Jul 2026 02:15:21
So basically don't comment on this banter site until September?
In the real world we can have an opinion on the players being bought

12 Jul 2026 11:31:55
You're only allowed to have an opinion if it matches a certain few, otherwise you're hit with derogatory remarks, or called deluded or know nothing about football, like they do... That's the reality.

12 Jul 2026 15:11:52
Opinions are welcomed. Negativity and whining can be tiresome. I'm all for healthy debate, but too often some people just throw their toys out.

12 Jul 2026 20:29:10
So, according to you, we should not show negativity. Perhaps read your own posts or skip them, same as you can with anyone's posts. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, good or bad.

Some could say there have been very few positives in over a decade for United. But, of course, if you only like smoke blown somewhere, that's fine, but maybe hypocrites are worse than negatives.

13 Jul 2026 01:39:33
Agree with that, Je suis. Spot on.

11 Jul 2026 15:21:44
I see Ken Bates has passed away today, at 94 yrs old.

To think in 1982 he bought Chelsea for £1, yes one pound, because they had debts of £1.5m. A significant sum then.

This is only 44 years ago, so it staggeringly represents how football finance has skyrocketed in that relatively short time period.

Even when he sold Chelsea to Abramovich in 2003 it was only for £140m. In 2022, the current owners paid £2.5 billion for it.



They talk of how house prices have increased over that time period, I don't know of any that were bought for £1 and are now worth £2.5 billion (even in London!).

Anyway, had a cousin who worked for him at Chelsea and also at Leeds, when he bought them. He always said KB was a top guy. No doubt some would disagree, but he certainly had an interesting life!
R. I. P.

11 Jul 2026 09:28:05
Somebody make it stop!

11 Jul 2026 14:32:34
Nah, speed it all up. It's good entertainment!

11 Jul 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - EHL2020 has posted a new article entitled, Why Patience and McInnes Matter at Rangers

10 Jul 2026 23:07:53
Spare a thought for Lammens. Big error in the biggest game of his career and on the biggest stage in the world. It must have been so hard to come in for Courtois so late in the game.

I had this nasty feeling that it might not be the debut he would have hoped for. The sad thing is that Courtois himself hardly managed to hold on to a shot all night, but Senne will get the blame.

11 Jul 2026 07:42:05
I'm sure he'll get over it. Quality keeper. And like you said, Courtois was hardly solid.

11 Jul 2026 14:28:30
He's getting slaughtered in most of the Belgian press.

After all the plaudits of last season, this could prove a pivotal examination of his strength of character.

He is still pretty young for a keeper, but he certainly gave the impression of being a calm and collected person. Not overreacting to good or bad last season.

Think he will come through it O.K.

12 Jul 2026 11:33:58
Let's hope he is no shrinking violet. He needs to have big b***** now and move on. Unfortunately, we won't know if this is the case until a few games in... Hopefully he views it as a mistake and moves on, but none of us know his mindset.