Manchester United banter 6

05 Jan 2026 20:35:34
What a mess we find ourselves in, and most frustratingly it appears to be one entirely of our own making.

Going back to when they extended EtH contract, the main reason I agreed with that at the time was actually because I didn't think EtH was the long term answer at that point. What I did realise though was that in order to rebuild the squad things would need to get worse before they could get better. The club needed to weed out the "wronguns" and start to bring in younger less consistent players who has potential to be developed into the right sort of players we needed.

As for Amorim I liked him as a manager, I felt his ideas were good, he seemed to have a good handle on the dressing room (when was the last time we sacked a manager who HADN'T lost the dressing room) . I felt that overall we were getting better and improving. Yeah results were inconsistent, but you will get that when you have half a squad mostly made up of players who don't have a long term future or who aren't good enough.

The next manager will struggle to get consistent performances for the next 12-18 months while we continue to rebuild the squad.

All that said though the biggest frustration with this situation is that it seems to be born out of personality clashes rather than a failed appointment. Reading between the lines it looks like Wilcocks is the problem, he was one of the main people who clashed with Ashworth that led to his departure, now the biggest issue at the club over the past season appears to be his relationship with the manager. Twice now the club have sacked/removed a highly rated employee and both times it was due to the poor working relationship primarily with Wilcocks.

Hopefully this doesn't derail us too much, ultimately the only way the club gets back to the top is by having their plan and making it work. In the past our mistake was hanging our hopes on a manager to come in and fix everything. When in reality we should be hiring a manager to fit into a bigger plan, that way the manager is changeable without having to deviate from the plan. If that is how we have been running things over the past 18 months then we should be able to hire a manager who fits that plan and the squad we are building. If not then we are back to square one.

05 Jan 2026 22:26:11
You’re right it is a mess Shappy. But it was mess before and will continue to be so.

I’m really surprised and shocked that they decided to let him go today, essentially for speaking against the management. The club seemed to back Amorim through some misguided comments and poor performances. But don’t can’t take these comments…

I didn’t rate him but liked him as a fella plus we had improved, we’re 6th and had some good underlying data while missing key players. The eye test was another story.

I just don’t get the timing. I was sure we’d have a back four Christmas or Summer.

05 Jan 2026 21:15:05
The main problem is Ratcliffe. He started out with the intention of hiring experienced professionals to run the club. Ashworth was key to this, so key that they paid Newcastle millions to get him.

Ashworth is, by all accounts, a pragmatic, detail oriented, realist. Ratcliffe was frustrated that Ashworth wouldn’t give him simple answers to complicated questions about the club, like, how long it would take to get back competing for titles. Wilcox is a blagger. Ratcliffe likes bloggers because they tell him what he wants to hear in ways he can easily understand. Wilcox didn’t clash with Ashworth. He manoeuvred himself into a position where he could take his job, and, alongside his buddy Berrada, used Amorim as the wedge issue to do this.

The ultimate responsibility, however, lies with Ratcliffe. He hired an immensely experienced DoF, and didn’t like the truths Ashworth told him. He was duped by a blagger and made the final decision to back Wilcox’s silly fast track success over the harsh reality presented by Ashworth.

We’re here because Ratcliffe.

05 Jan 2026 21:33:54
Hello Shappy, hope you're well.

You're spot on. The trigger was pulled by a boardroom to save face. This wasnt about results, this was about a manager shining a light on the figures running the club and they couldn't handle it.

Amorim saying "I'm the Man Utd manager, not coach" more than likely means he went to Wilcox and Co. And talked about signings, to which he was told to stay in his lane and coach the players he's given. Back me or sack me message from Amorim.

The many problems I have with this hypocrisy is Ashworth warned about this and as you said, he was outnumbered and sacrificed. Amorim asked to start at the end of the season and was told "now or never". Now they havnt a clue who to choose as his successor so we're going the interim route.

Now I'm all for people changing if they know they've made a mistake, but they're now going back on everything they believed would work, which begs the question, should Omar, Wilcox and Fletcher follow him out the door?

Obviously they won't be going anywhere, but some of the managers rumoured to be in the running would be just if not more vocal than Amorim.

They could have pulled the trigger numerous times, but this isn't about results, its about fragile egos. The Rat and his sidekicks wanted to be shot callers. If they get the next one wrong, they'll brle run out of town.

06 Jan 2026 10:00:37
I'm not sure he was let go specifically for sunday's outburst. Supposedly there was a scheduled meeting between Wilcox and Amorim on Friday to discuss formation / style of play where it was suggested Utd should be making do with what they have without January signings and adapting the formation to better suit what they have.

Apparently Amorim lost it a bit and this reaction didn't go down well. Hence his pretty flat press conference on Friday. Then sunday, where he indirectly referenced Wilcox was interfering.


I just don't think they wanted him to be around to do another press conference tuesday, where there'd just be more questions and likely more negativity.
Hoping for at least a good performance against Burnley but am more concerned about Brighton tbh.

Maybe we'll know after that game what route we're going down. If we can assume it's a contract until the end of the season I'm guessing it has to be someone free now. Perhaps Ollie, Carrick or De Zerbi.

05 Jan 2026 18:51:04
Atleast we can have a good natter on. Live chat on Wednesday
Never a dull moment
Good luck Darren.

05 Jan 2026 19:48:58
See you there Mal

Expecting a nice 3-0/4-0 post manager boost.

05 Jan 2026 18:50:02
What about Ancelloti after the World Cup. Think in the past though he has said it’s too much pressure… interesting when you’ve taken the Madrid job!

05 Jan 2026 20:04:34
I heard somewhere he said he’d never take the job.

05 Jan 2026 17:50:27
I can see this 6 months as interim also being an audition for Fletcher. He is highly regarded within the club and is exactly what Wilcox and Berrarda want. a 'yes man'.

05 Jan 2026 19:44:16
Ole 2.0.

05 Jan 2026 21:10:36
Good to see you are giving him a fair chance lads.

05 Jan 2026 17:11:17
As we sit here and reflect as another manager leaves our club what are people's thoughts on who our next manager should be there is lots of options out there but are they the right choice.
Iraola xavi hoeness glasner maresca McKenna tuchel Southgate
Only 2 inspire me and that is hoeness and iraola.

05 Jan 2026 17:42:37
Im bored of it at this point, we've employed so many managers and none of them have worked out, always having to try and work with the c***s above, from Woodward, Arnold and Murtough and now to these mugs in charge. Its boring and pointless, and for the first time I think none of it changes without a change in ownership.

Id like Iraola but like everyone else he'll do well initially, maybe get CL football and then we'd settle in the market and not push for challenging for the titles. BORED.

05 Jan 2026 17:46:11
Glasner, but we shouldn't be here ?.

05 Jan 2026 18:00:43
It really doesn’t matter who. There will be some here already sharpening their knives for his back whoever he is. Christ on a stick some will even be sharpening the guillotine blade for Fletcher should he lose v Burnley.

The club, and some here have lost the plot entirely. I suspect some of the most vociferous on here have only been fans since SAF turned the club around and are a part of the entitled generation who seem to think that we have a divine right.

05 Jan 2026 18:27:14
Johnreese Iraola? Seriously? Please enlighten us. Bournemouth are currently 15th in the league and hasn't managed anywhere near at the level required. what makes you think he is good enough?

05 Jan 2026 19:21:34
His team has been decimated, sold half his team!

05 Jan 2026 19:47:42
Beyond caring about names anymore, I don’t think anyone can fix it. We will soon be looking for number eight or nine, not sure I’m losing count now.

06 Jan 2026 05:02:54
Bournemouth lost their entire first choice back four including their keeper the past summer. Any team would struggle with that.

06 Jan 2026 17:25:27
Dracred, and? What about the previous years? What about his record at Larnaca, Mirandés or Rayo Vallecano? Nothing of any substance whatsoever.

05 Jan 2026 17:07:24
I wish Ruben Amorim had called me before his press conference yesterday.

I could have advised him after 30 years of playing Championship/Football Manager, that calling out the board in public ALWAYS gets you the sack ?.

05 Jan 2026 22:59:35
Stevie, you may well be missing the point.
It could well be that Ruben was very, very aware of that fact and his action was in fact well thought out.

05 Jan 2026 16:39:26
Pathetic decision by the board to sack a proper young manager trying to develop his ideas with us.

Yes amorim might have got some things wrong during the process but i really was starting to like the team he was building.

Remember arsenal under arteta didn't turn things around overnight and later everything clicked for them suddenly to where they are now.

Well back to playing counter attacking exciting football without control and getting humiliated by bigger teams then.

05 Jan 2026 17:10:48
I agree. Stupid decision.

Not a fan of arteta at all, but the fact is he would have been sacked long ago if he was united manager.

05 Jan 2026 21:59:59
This Arteta comparison is mad. The man won a cup straight away ? he also didn't lose as much and won more.

06 Jan 2026 08:10:31
We are talking about building a squad challenging for the title.

We already know what happens to managers winning cups over at our club. So have no clue what you are comparing about. Arteta at United would have been sacked after two full seasons of what he did at arsenal.

Amorim hasn't even completed a full season with us to judge what could have been.

Hopefully serious young managers with integrity give a wide berth to the United job.

05 Jan 2026 16:20:52
So we sacked Ashworth because he didn’t want Amorim, and now sack Amorim because he clashed with Wilcox.

Joke of a club, Berrada and Wilcox both need to walk at this point.

05 Jan 2026 16:07:39
I know some people wanted him in and others wanted him out but personally, I'm just relieved it's over.

For me, he was as toxic as Mourinho. Consistently say one thing, one week and then retract it the next.

For example;
'If the board and fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation' - May 25

Fast forward to now - he slates his bosses knowing full well they will have to fire him and pay him compensation.

He spoke about being manager instead of head coach but what did he ever do as United boss to deserve it?

He wanted his players to earn the right to play whilst expecting more control at the club. The man guided us to the brink of relegation last season. give him more control?

At no point in this manager's reign have we seen any marked improvement and over a year to get back to back wins is sack-able by itself.

Hopefully Fletcher can make a good account of himself before we get someone full time in the summer.

05 Jan 2026 14:30:14
What a mess, 14 Months into a new project and we pull the plug. We effectively gave Amorim one transfer window. Hopefully, we get a candid interview in the not to distant future to understand where he feels it all went wrong.

We are going to appoint an interim manger, that's this season effectively written off. There are quite a few similarities to Ten Haags end which is a worry.

Whoever takes over needs to continue he break up of this squad. There should be no way back for any of the 'bomb squad', Casemiro, Magire shouldn't get new contracts. We should be looking to move on the longer serving players like Dalot and Shaw. We need to complete the task Amorim started if we want to build something better.

As for the who, Oliver Glasner is the stand out for me. He used 4-2-3-1 (Wolfsburg) and 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 at Palace and Eintracht Frankfurt. He seems to really get the best out of what he has. My one worry would be his systems rely on collective effort and tactical discipline (Much like Amorims at Sporting) . His relationship with Wharton and Guehi could give us an opportunity with both players, however there is zero guarantee of this.

Whoever takes over, those above him to make sure whatever strategy they are working to aligns with the next manager, or we have wasted another few hundred milliona and couple of years.

And so the crazy Manchester United cycle continues.

05 Jan 2026 17:01:37
Glasner is as good a shout as any, but why would he come to us is not clear to me right now.