Manchester United banter 6

30 Jul 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Letstalkabout6baby has posted a new article entitled, Why Kounde Feels Like a Liverpool Fit

30 Jul 2026 07:06:03
Three weeks on Saturday it all starts. We ended the last season knowing we needed a top LB, top quality CM and a second CF.

We still need that.

Shopped in bargain corner, done ok so far. Yet it just looks like we are waiting for the “big boys” to do their business and hope that it might free up someone at the level we want to trade at. Like it or not, that’s how it looks.

That’s what United are now.

Just waiting for “Wilcox flying home for important transfer business” to hit the headlines, to find we are signing some Fellaini level player again.

Yes, still time but getting a player integrated as soon as possible helps. Very uninspiring window so far. No excuses for them anymore. Must improve soon.

30 Jul 2026 08:57:16
Redman,

I've been quite pleased with Utd's transfer dealings this summer. Although, I do partially agree with parts of your post.

Utd are quietly moving in the background, with little or no information on transfers being leaked. Santos and Tielemans are solid signings, with Santos only 22, and Tielemans brings the EPL and European experience as well. Darlow is a brilliant backup signing. He played well for Leeds last season. An improvement on Bayindar and Heaton.

The Rashford conundrum hasn't helped, coupled with Ugarte's serious injury, which has hindered the club.

If Amass is surplus to requirements, then a LB is definitely needed, along with a CB, as Maguire isn't particularly mobile. Martinez and MDL have injury problems, and Yoro and Heaven lack experience.

Mazraoui is fairly injury prone too.

Hall would be a great signing at LB, however I feel Newcastle will ask for a lot, since they've lost Tonali and Gordon, and potentially Bruno. CB, I can't honestly think of a CB that Utd would go for that would make financial sense. Given how things are, signing Maguire for this additional season makes sense.

I would sign Watkins, especially since Villa reportedly want £40 million for him. This is far too much for a player who was hit and miss last season.

Finally, I'm hoping Vivell and Wilcox pull off 2-3 transfers. I think selling some youth players for pure profit would help, providing we add sell on clause and buy back clauses.

30 Jul 2026 09:13:19
Agreed in parts with both above.

We all knew that we needed a LB, a Casemiro replacement and a better option than Zirkzee. We still do.

However, we have recruited a better second choice keeper than we had before, an elite Mainoo rotational option in Tielemans for an absolute bargain, and Santos, who is certainly an upgrade in possession to Ugarte. Plus I'm firmly in the camp of Rashford being a better LW than some of the other names we were linked with - N'Diaye etc., so I'm fairly pleased overall.



If (huge if!) we can spend the next couple of weeks bringing in a top LB who can share the role with Shaw all season, an elite midfielder (Tchouameni or Camavinga are the only options here, imo) and a better backup striker than what we currently have, all whilst moving on some of the kids who clearly will never be good enough, as well as Bayindir and Zirkzee, then I'll be ecstatic. Don't forget that Shaw and Mazraoui can competently fill in at CB if required, as could Tchouameni or Camavinga.

30 Jul 2026 10:02:05
I will follow the trend set by MH and Down,
I agree with some and disagree with other parts of RM's post.
Agree - season starts soon, and we ended last season knowing what we need - although we didn't know Ugarte would have that injury or that Rashford will be returning.
Not sure if that 50m for Santos is a bargain or not, but Youri certainly is. I think we have done more than just okay.
It may seem that we are waiting for the 'big boys', but a lot of transfers these days can set a domino effect.

Eg, if City sign Bouaddi and R. Madrid get Rodri, they may want to sell Tchouamani, and that could be where we come in. Is that what you mean by a level where we want to trade?
As for the window being uninspiring for you, and needing improvements without excuses feels like a comment coming out of frustration. I really hope that we do not sign players out of frustration but rather have a proper plan in place with contingencies.

30 Jul 2026 11:03:34
Jesus Red Man, who sh4t your bed last night?

The club are working on deals, there was a little tournament played over the summer called the World cup, have you heard of it? Well it made it difficult to sign players as many were away with their national teams, it's why very few big deals have been done so far for any club.

We needed to rebuild the midfield, and we've brought in Tielemans (a top class midfielder with EPL experience and in their prime) and we've signed Andrey Santos, a top young prospect who also has EPL experience.

So we've gone a long way to rebuilding that midfield. We also have Mainoo, one of the best young English midfielder players in the country.

I disagree that we need another "top-quality" midfielder, what we need is someone with a different profile to what we have, someone physical and athletic. The same people who are crying out for Tchouameni, are the same ones who were crying out for Mainoo to be starting under Amorim. Do you really think Mainoo starts most weeks if we have Tchouameni and Tielemans in the squad?

Personally I think spending a huge amount of our remaining budget on a midfielder is a false economy, as I don't see that position being the one that needs a the most reinforcement right now. We need a 4th midfield option who offers something different for when we need that.

I'd argue that a LB is a bigger issue, as I don't trust Shaw to be fit, and any LB we sign now will likely start more games than any midfielder we sign now.

I'd also argue that a back up striker is needed more than another midfielder right now. Sesko hasn't played since May due to injury, and in truth he needed someone to compete with him last season when we only played 40 odd games, this season with 50-60 games likely we 100% need someone experienced to rotate with him.

While there is a strong argument to be made for us signing a CB as well given the injury prone nature of our key CB's and the lack of experience with the others.

I'd imagine that we have around 150m or so left to spend at most, having already spent 90m on Tielemans, Santos, Thompson and Darlow. If we spend around two thirds of that on another midfielder then that probably means we miss out on either a ST or a LB. Both of which are needed more for the first team squad than having a second midfield option on the bench.

To be honest you could even make a decent argument that we need a CB now more than another midfielder given the options we have.

CB - MdL, Martinez, Maguire, Yoro, and Heaven.

Vs.

CM - Tielemans, Mainoo, Santos, Mount, Ugarte.

I expect to see us push to get a LB and a ST next, possibly, maybe even probably, Lewis Hall and Ollie Watkins (although personally I'd prefer Adrien Truffert over Hall). That will eat up the majority of our remaining budget (Hall - 60-70m, and Watkins - 35-40m). At that point the club will have spent the best part of 200m, hardly penny pinching. With hopefully 40-50m potentially left in the kitty to sign either a midfielder or a CB. Maybe someone like Sander Berge or Ezri Konsa to add more experience and leadership.

Here you are complaining, but if the club end the transfer window having spent 250m on:

Darlow
Thompson
Tielemans
Santos
Hall
Watkins
and either Berge or Konsa

Will that really represent a bad window, or probably one the of the best ones we've had over the last decade?

Imagine our squad options of:

GK - Lammens, Darlow, Heaton, Vitek.
RB - Dalot, Mazraoui, Kamason.
CB - MdL, Maguire, Martinez, Heaven, Yoro, (Konsa? ).
LB - Hall, Shaw, Leon.
CM - Tielemans, Mainoo, Santos, Bruno, Ugarte, Mount, Fletcher, (Berge? ).
RW - Mbeumo, Amad, Lacey.
CF - Sesko, Watkins, Zirkzee/Obi.
LW - Cunha, Dorgu, Thompson, Rashford?

That's a really solid squad with lots of potential littered throughout. What does it really need added next summer? Another CB depending on injuries and development of Yoro/Heaven, or another midfielder (probably the position you don't add to this summer), then it's about upgrading quality, RB probably, another attacking player (LW? ), possibly finding the long term replacement for Bruno. Really if we manage to do what I suggest this summer then it's about tweaking and adding the cherry on top next summer and beyond. That will be the point where we can actually decide to spend 100m+ on a player if we want as we will only need to be adding 2 or 3 players to the first team squad, rather than 5 or 6.

That's the problem the fans seem to be having right now. They want to eat their cake and still have it.

No club can afford to sign 5 or 6 players to their first team while also competing for the most expensive and biggest named players that are typically close to or exceeding 100m mark.

It's one of the other, do want us to bring in the number of players this squad needs to maintain a challenge on all fronts this season (6-7 players).

Or do you want us to spend big on 2 or 3 flashy big names which gives us the appearance of competing with the big boys off the pitch. But leaves our squad lacking depth to be able to actually challenge on all fronts.

You can't have it both ways.

30 Jul 2026 10:51:28
Realistically, who do people think td should sign as a CF for Utd?

EDs what are your options on this?

{Ed001's Note - maybe it would be a good time to move for Kane?}

30 Jul 2026 11:42:30
Ed001,

Do you think that is a possibility?

{Ed001's Note - yes, Bayern love him but they know they need something else in Europe.}

30 Jul 2026 11:59:13
By the way, Shappy, Ugarte is out all season. Crap, so count him out.
Mount is constantly injured and cannot be relied on. We will be lucky if we get 10-15 games a season out of him.
This leaves us with 3 fit midfielders, so say if one gets injured we are down to two.

30 Jul 2026 13:27:41
I don't think the question is who the club are targeting or if we end the window with the hypothesis that the essay has stated, it's now becoming a question of when. As Red Man has said, it's 3 weeks or so until we play our first game, and we are not in a better situation than we ended last season. The executives must have numb fingers by now, having been sitting on their hands for so long. It's clear that we won't be competing with the big boys in the market, so might as well get the second-grade, cheaper options in early, and give them time to settle in and gel with the team.

I don't think people are actually understanding the impact of the loss of Casemiro to the team yet. We still need improvements in several other positions, and all of us have known that for a year or so, and yet the club isn't prepared for that. When does the panic button go off for us?

30 Jul 2026 13:57:08
Shappy,

Tielemans (a top class midfielder with EPL experience and in their prime).

Top class? In his prime at 29?

City have Anderson, Arsenal Rice, Chelsea two £100m CM, Liverpool Wirtz, Spurs Tonali, and you are crowing about.

Seriously, do you think Tielemans is top class?

I would bet Tielemans will have a run at the beginning, maybe 8 games of the season, and then fade or get injured.



We absolutely need a top class CM, and Tielemans is not it.

We still have the same deficiencies we had at the end of the season, but with a better back up in midfield.

We don’t need squad players, we need top first team players who take us up a notch. The players they push out can be squad players. Others like Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea will not be fretting about Tielemans.

30 Jul 2026 14:24:15
Casemiro won't be missed 1 iota, and the 2 we bought offer more imo. Time will tell.

30 Jul 2026 14:28:52
Ken,

I agree with you.

30 Jul 2026 14:37:47
That's your opinion, Ken, and I respect that. I don't agree with it, though. If Bruno has an off season, we will lack any sort of leadership on the pitch, and that's what Casemiro brought. If the season started tomorrow, are you happy with what we have?

30 Jul 2026 17:04:35
Ua, no, I think we need more, that's no secret.
The season didn't start tomorrow.
I'll give my opinion on the window when it's closed.
The stupidness of commenting on things we've no idea about is incredible.

I don't know the plans. I don't know what they're working on, so I can't comment.
I'm delighted with our business so far.
Keeper well covered.

2 good signings in midfield. imo that makes us substantially better than last season.
imo we need a rb, lb, cb, cm, st all as a priority.
We won't get them all.
I'm happy to go with whatever we get and see how we do.
Ideally for me cm, lb, st, cb come on, but if they don't it's not the end of the world. We go with what we have and support that.

30 Jul 2026 17:55:24
What I will say to some of the above is that if Tchouameni does arrive, then he and Tielemans are 100% our best midfield duo.

Tielemans is a far better all-round midfielder than Mainoo. But many United fans won't like hearing that!

30 Jul 2026 18:00:16
TW

Supported us when far worse than now, yet when we get an opportunity with CL football, we don't move forward. The thing that continues to gnaw away is what they have done before when getting in this position.

Sat off as if we had made it.

I don't trust the Glazers, and nor yet do I trust SJR as the Glazer enabler.

This gives us all every reason to distrust them.

30 Jul 2026 18:19:00
Red Man, you are posting almost exclusively about how unimpressed you are with our transfer dealings. We all get it. For your own sake, try putting a positive view against something.

30 Jul 2026 18:41:37
I'd like to offer my congratulations to Angel for not commenting on this post!

30 Jul 2026 18:50:34
Redman has a bias he really admits.
Redman you say you were a business leader your acting like a schoolboy on the shop floor.
In your experience in business does idle chit chat and gossip mongering without most of the facts helpful to the business or is employees?
Your bias is overriding your role logical thought process.
You don't like hearing that but it's fact.
They own the company none of us agree with the way they run it.
But your sniping and moaning about things you don't know about or can't control are ridiculous and very immature.


We all know who owns the company.
We all agree we would like them to run it differently. But they don't. Now build a bridge and get over it. You can't change that.
There are positives take what you can.
Moaning and crying like a spoilt child that's list their rattler from their pram is silly.
They own the club deal with the facts and live in the reality. All you do is look over the neighbours fence wanting what they have.
As Roy Keane would say stop being a baby

30 Jul 2026 21:07:26
TW

In answer "does idle chit chat and gossip mongering without most of the facts helpful to the business or is employees? "

Irrelevant, it happens in every single workplace. You hear it far less as a boss, staff don't level with you unless you are receptive, when if they did, the business might improve. Can't be stamped out no more than it can on here.

My bias? I am allowed to comment on the goings on at the club and this is a banter site set up to do it. I am not an employee who will talk about it, nor am I a manager at United who should tow the company line but likely talks in hushed tones about it. I am a fan

What's this, I don't like hearing about it, could not care less. I come on here to express an opinion, without us the Ed's wouldn't be too happy.

Expressing an opinion is nothing about being a baby, no I won't shut up, no I won't kow tow to Glazer apologists and I will criticise them when right as it is now.

30 Jul 2026 23:07:43
I feel like this is the 12th season in a row that we have had the same squad breakdown essay from Shappy, with the tag line that this summer we will have fixed the squad, and from next summer we will only have to add 1 or 2 high value players directly into our first team.

Maniana, maniana.

30 Jul 2026 23:50:37
Dodgy, that's what fans always do, they live in hope. This time there is the argument that we are finally well run and have a better squad. Things look much better, the mood of the team is high, and we have some good characters. I would say we have the best group of players in years, and a lot of leaders.

Santos may surprise a lot of people. I think he is the closest in character to Casemiro. We have a lot of grafters too.
Time will tell how good the team is, but it feels that we are building something, slowly of course, but we are on the right path.

31 Jul 2026 07:08:02
Dodgy, I'll do it every summer until I'm right. ?

31 Jul 2026 08:16:32
Long thread. But it boils down to our continued inability to sell anybody.

Why are Zirkzee, Byandir, Collyer, Rashford etc, all still here?

29 Jul 2026 20:09:54
While appallingly and overtly corrupt, the FIFA plan to sell off a stake will no doubt go through and Sychofantino will get his enormous salary commensurate with NFL commissioner Roger Goddell's $64m a year. I'm not going to dwell on that, however. More interesting is this concept of democratization of the game, which may be in large part also a self-serving ruse, but is there perhaps some truth to it?

We in Europe, and England in particular, see football as mainly a club game. Our allegiances stem from our roots within local communities. The sport is highly developed. For most of the rest of the world, with a limited possible exception of S. America, football is poor and underfunded with no major TV and sponsorship revenues and no massive stadiums. Does anyone know the top club team in Africa? Saudi Arabia is doing its best to acquire good players, but does anyone know of any other top club teams in Asia? Those two continents represent >75% of the world's population. Their FIFA representatives will be voting for Infantino, for expansion of the World Cup and World Club Championship, because it will bring money into their federations or at least into the pockets of the corrupt individuals at the head of them.

UEFA will, of course, see it as a potential diminution of its dominant position.

The globalization of the sport brings both good and bad. Obviously the EPL and its teams have reaped enormous financial benefit over the last few decades. Personally I don't want to see an expanded World Cup. It went on for too long anyway. And I really don't want to see extended hydration breaks as a way to integrate more advertising revenue for the networks. And worst of all I hate the idea of extended half time shows. I have no idea, however, whether all the millions of people from around the globe who were drawn to go to the games and/or watch on TV feel the same way. Do those who are drawn to the game but are not imbued by birth with its deep rooted club traditions, feel the same way? I think many of us view most of the international calendar as an unwelcome interruption to the league schedule and its weekly rituals.

30 Jul 2026 04:05:09
Not necessarily. ?

29 Jul 2026 19:04:31
100m players or close enough are now becoming regular enough.
I saw a list of the top 20 transfers where only 5 were deemed a success, with the jury out on all the ones from this season.
Wirtz and Isak, you would think, will improve with their new coach.
But it goes to show that no matter who you sign, even players at the top of their game in a previous club, that there is so many variables that contribute to a player's form, it's not always transferable.


It's not easy getting them right unless you are a strong, settled, established, winning side.
That due diligence around the player's character, personality, life outside of the game, family life, habits, hobbies, etc. is key and a huge focus I'd imagine.

29 Jul 2026 19:25:10
Plus, it's almost a gamble at times, Ken. Sometimes, it may work for a player at a certain club, in a certain environment, etc., and moving may not suit them.

But, I also believe that the price tag shouldn't dictate the immediate.

Players like Wirtz and Isak may hit the ground running next season, and that 100m looks like a good price.

And, yes, it seems to becoming the norm too.

29 Jul 2026 19:27:11
It must bring a level of pressure, too. Expectations are sky-high when those sort of fees are being paid.

Great point about due diligence. This was always a strength of SAF, who was very interested in what the person, not just the player, was like.

In recent years we've had a few that seemed to not be the best characters, which will have a real impact on the team dynamic.

I think we might spend big on the right player, but it's more likely we will continue to shop in the £50M to £70M bracket.

29 Jul 2026 21:24:07
I'm surprised that we haven't yet stepped in for someone in the £70m+ category yet. We are surely in a better financial position than last year at this time, when we bought Mbuemo, Cunha, and Sesko for more than 2 1/2x what we've forked over so far. The amortization costs + salaries are less than the savings on Cas's wages and amortization, and Sancho's amortization. Maybe they simply believe we've already acquired the right players to at least compete for European places and to put together a decent Champions League run.

And maybe, indeed, hopefully, there's a few good surprises to come. While it's important to get the wages structure right after more than a decade of foolhardiness, I simply don't believe the money isn't there for the right players.

29 Jul 2026 22:13:56
I'd be happy if we spent large amounts on left, right, and centre backs this window.

30 Jul 2026 01:00:27
£90m 20 years ago is not equal to £90m today. If you want to win things, you better be prepared to pay your players like top players in Europe. You also will need to bring in the very best to supplement those players you got in early and developed.

If you fail to pay your players, they will all look to leave.

If you don't bring in top players, your squad will never reach its potential.

Maybe our plan is to win in a few more years. It seems a more realistic timeline. Our squad still needs a hell of a lot of work. I mean, who would have thought we would still have McGuire, Dalot and Shaw playing in the back line?!

30 Jul 2026 07:01:57
I don't think we have the money. I believe there were significant payments due on old deals this close season, so whilst it looks like we haven't spent much, the money leaving our account has been much higher.

We continue to be constrained by the incompetence of previous years.

31 Jul 2026 17:25:44
Absolutely, Ajh. We're doing well to strengthen, whilst being hamstrung by years of ineptitude.

28 Jul 2026 16:56:41
Eds and fellow posters, what do you make of Varane's call for heading to be better regulated and banned for certain young ages?

{Ed001's Note - I thought that had already been done?}

28 Jul 2026 17:37:00
I could be wrong, but I think the heading policy is only in England, currently set out by the English FA. I believe Varane is talking more within the academy set up for his proposal. He talks a bit more about it being controlled and learnt, as it is a skill rather than banned. This is my understanding of it.

28 Jul 2026 17:52:30
His rule at Como:
Under-10: Heading is completely banned in training and matches; corners and throw-ins must stay on the ground.
Under-11: Heading remains banned during matches, introduced only near the end of the season, using soft rubber balls.


Under-12: Capped at one heading session per month, with a maximum of five headers.
Under-13: Restricted to training once a week (max five headers), while match heading stays prohibited.

28 Jul 2026 21:10:30
Arsenal must be nervous about this.

30 Jul 2026 11:17:42
It makes sense, and it's a shame that it is an ex-player at a club that is installing these rules, and not the FA and football authorities.

There is now a plethora of research to support the dangers of repeated head trauma, particularly on developing brains. All of us can probably think of at least half a dozen times, as kids, where we headed the ball poorly and rattled our heads. Maybe it left you feeling a little dazed for a few seconds.

That happening a few times, while not great, probably won't cause lasting damage. But for a kid in a football academy, particularly a defender or striker, they will have headed the ball tens of thousands of times before they are 18, both in games and in training.

That adds up, and has proven to cause brain issues for professional players.

Kids simply shouldn't be heading the ball. In fact, there is an argument as to whether heading the ball should be part of the senior game long term. If you can't train to head the ball in youth football, then does it make sense to suddenly start heading the ball in senior football when you've never trained on how to do it safely up until that point?

28 Jul 2026 00:10:00
Watched the Milk Cup game tonight at my local club. Jaice Dore and Ben Lyne (spelling) very impressive.

Look to have a good squad over. Got chatting to a lad involved with a League of Ireland side and he says Lyne will go far. He’s a direct young winger and can play through the middle, Irish.

{Ed001's Note - my little cousin is taking part in that this year. First year Liverpool have sent a girl's team and she is in it. She's only 13 so great experience for her.}

28 Jul 2026 09:21:54
Been played in my local area as far as I can remember. It and the Foyle Cup are brilliantly well organised and great experiences for younger kids. Not only do they get to play in a tournament, but they get to experience being away as a group, see a different part of the world, and get to play against various styles of opposition.

Valuable for all of them, and great to see their enthusiasm.

{Ed001's Note - my auntie (my cousin's gran) wasn't happy with her for showing enthusiasm during YNWA. They are bluenoses in that branch of the family, as is Ems, but she seems to have forgotten that in the excitement!}

28 Jul 2026 09:57:03
Ah what an experience for her Ed! I hope she takes in every minute of it, wishing her all the best!

{Ed001's Note - she is loving it mate.}

28 Jul 2026 21:55:42
Ditto, it's something she will never forget. Brilliant.

27 Jul 2026 18:40:07
Danny Welbeck on a free to provide cover would be a smart move for UTD. I guess we don't provide walking sticks or sold them to Chelsea with Garbagecho.

27 Jul 2026 23:35:42
I wonder if we might go back in for Delap? Hardly covered himself in glory at Chelsea, but then again who did.

28 Jul 2026 11:16:02
Eric79 - Re: Delap - Jesus, I hope not, he's awful.
I would take Welbeck over Delap any day of the week.

28 Jul 2026 13:35:27
Very poor footballer. Delap shows limited ability and spends more time getting cards than playing football.

28 Jul 2026 13:41:04
I heard, after 3 games, CFC fans were singing a one-hit wonder song from Frankie, as that was a better hit than Delap.

Shocking player.

28 Jul 2026 14:14:12
Would only sign Delap if we could pick him up for a bargain basement price.

Might be a harsh analogy, but like when food is going out of date at a supermarket and they put a yellow sticker on it.

28 Jul 2026 16:32:07
Feels like a signing Everton will make, to be fair, to lead the line for them.

28 Jul 2026 21:07:41
Just because a player has one bad season is no reason to write him off. There are many circumstances that we don't know about, which could contribute to his poor performance. Give the guy a chance.

29 Jul 2026 20:09:36
Like I said. Everybody bombed at Chelsea.

26 Jul 2026 16:15:38
Are we on season 7 or 8 of Shaw, Maguire and Dalot starting in a United defence?

26 Jul 2026 16:36:09
I challenge people to name 3 worse players that have their length of service and appearances.
Mind boggling stuff, Scholes.
Spend what you like on forwards and midfielders, but with players like them being our stalwarts in defence, there is no point.
3rd or 4th rate players at this level at best imo.

26 Jul 2026 16:56:40
Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Quinton Fortune, Victor Lindelof.

26 Jul 2026 17:28:25
Lindelof, I'll give you, without argument, a complete flake.
Jones, I'd compare to Shaw, both could have been so much better, but neither is strong enough in body or mind.
Smalling is better than Maguire, imo.
Fortune was a good squad player, never really 1st or 2nd choice, so not really comparable to 1st team stalwarts.

26 Jul 2026 17:36:14
Add Buttner and Telles to that list.

26 Jul 2026 17:46:13
No longevity or appearances. Please read the op.

26 Jul 2026 18:13:47
Shaw had an excellent season last year. I get that people are frustrated by his previous injuries, but when fit he is a very good player.

26 Jul 2026 18:24:26
Excellent? Not sure where you got that from. Must be watching another sport.

26 Jul 2026 18:46:11
He was average last season, imo. He is average, not elite, not top class, just an average Joe.

26 Jul 2026 21:15:46
Too many blaggers since Fergie retired.

26 Jul 2026 22:25:46
The fact that we seem content with them as starters, and r relying on them this season, is baffling. With the increased workload, u just know that won't happen. Shaw played all last season, so u know he'll miss large chunks this season.

Maguire is steady, but an increasing liability due to lack of pace, and Dalot is just crap. It appears, though, that the management and those above don't agree, so not much we can do.

27 Jul 2026 03:13:16
While I agree with the sentiment of this post, let's not forget that we've also spent hundreds of millions of pounds on defenders over that same seven or eight year period. The fact that we haven't successfully replaced them yet is not through lack of trying.

27 Jul 2026 04:16:12
Need a coach with balls who is prepared to move on from them. We have never signed a first choice leftback to replace Shaw. Always trying to sign a cheaper backup. Shaw is a below average leftback these days, and I am hoping (perhaps naively) that we will sign a first team leftback this summer.

27 Jul 2026 08:46:16
Which rbs and lbs have we spent 100s of millions on?

27 Jul 2026 09:17:30
Shaw is as average as you get. Ken knows I don't mind Dalot, steady and absolutely fine as a squad player, not amazing at anything but not terrible either. He works hard, trains hard, is always available, and always gives his all.
Maguire was always overrated and overpriced, I don't blame him for that. He gives his all also, and is a decent squad player.

The fact is, these players are fine in a wider squad, but we have been horrible in recruitment over the years, which has meant these lads have always been there.

Hopefully, though, this season we will have a new LB, and Maguire won't feature as much, as Heaven and Yoro look like they will feature much more often this season. Also, Maz is a better RB than Dalot, but I hope he can stay fit.

Slowly getting there.

27 Jul 2026 09:59:39
I think these 3 are good players, but not great, and you could argue that for the past couple of years we could have had better. However, there are a number of factors that impact not moving them on:

Maguire - salary is high, and I also think he is well liked and respected within the club, as someone who can be in the first team and also play when others are out. He is never injured, and that is valued. He has been captain, so his leadership is respected. Historically, his huge purchase would have been a factor.

Shaw - injuries!!! No one was going to take him on with the salary he gets.

We probably should not have renewed his contract last time, but I am sure, at the time, he was having a good period.

Dalot - steady and reliable, usually available. Does not set the world alight, but is prone to switching off! Forever linked with big club moves, but never materialises, so could be all false.

I imagine the cost to replace these, with other areas of concern, has played into why we still have them at the club. I do not expect any of them to get any future contract renewals, so we will likely move on after this year (next for Dalot).

27 Jul 2026 10:21:44
Dalot has robbed a living off United.
I can't believe he's still at United playing week in week out.

27 Jul 2026 09:41:21
Part of the problem is dalots availability. I wish he was never available and had an injury record like christy brown

27 Jul 2026 11:06:47
But Ken, Dalot is right footed!!!

27 Jul 2026 11:19:55
Slight pivot here, as inferring that Carrick has been playing Yoro at right back in pre-season.

I do wonder if it's a sign he'll play Dorgu as a more attacking full back, and tuck Yoro into a back three when Dorgu goes forward?

27 Jul 2026 11:45:01
Just due to Dalot and Maz's extended post WC holiday.

27 Jul 2026 11:45:30
Our defence is a symptom of the previous leadership, massive overpayment for Mcguire and for Martinez, but the incoming take some blame too with Mazraoui and de Ligt. Just dreadful spend, look at the cost of those 4: £80m, £57m, £43m and £17m. Dreadful value, woeful.

That's £197m for 4 players. None of whom are anywhere near good enough. But I think they stand out because we are starting to see progress in the quality and value of other positions, and so they look even worse decisions as time goes on.



We no doubt must be planning a wholesale upgrade of the defence next summer window, despite having Yoro (still think he's going to come good), Heaven and Dorgu. Can't wait to see the back of Dalot either, his defensive positioning in RB is the worst I've seen in United.

27 Jul 2026 11:50:07
Maybe the majority will disagree with my opinion, but I do not think Smalling is/was better than Maguire, Ken.
I also think that Dalot is better than Rafael.
Shaw is def better than Richardson and Rojo.
Maguire > Eric Bailly.
I will pick Shaw over Daley Blind.

27 Jul 2026 11:51:35
All 3 of those are steady players and do a job. No, they are not great, but let’s be fair, which of our defenders are great? I would say none of them.
Shaw was once described by Shappy as world class!
Dalot gets in every manager's team, and we have had a few managers, so he can’t be as bad as you try to state with your opinion.

Maguire is just Maguire, but possibly our best CB, so that shows how poor we are in defence.
Might be a good idea to put Yoro as a full back, because CB in the EPL he ain’t, far too weak.
Maz certainly is not the answer either.

27 Jul 2026 13:16:03
Yoro just needs to mature physically. He is young for his position at centre back.

27 Jul 2026 16:03:52
We fixed the attack last year with Mbuemo, Cunha and Sesko, and got lucky/scouted well with Lammens at GK.

We will be fixing the midfield, hopefully this summer, with Santos, Tielemans and one more.



Next summer we will fix the defence and have a team ready to challenge for the title.

Easier said than done, and this is oversimplified, but it's what I think the hierarchy are aiming to do.

27 Jul 2026 16:56:58
Yes, Dsg. They spent a good chunk last year.
This year reports are that they have 250m+ to spend on various positions. We are getting there. It will take time, but we are undoing years of shocking recruitment.

27 Jul 2026 17:47:44
It will take time. There is a lack of individual quality in several positions yet.
But they did find ways to win, playing as a team. It will be much tougher this season, with so many more games and less rest and training.

27 Jul 2026 18:34:07
Ken, we were talking about right backs (Dalot), left backs (Shaw) and center backs (Maguire).

Since signing Maguire in 2019, we've spent around £222m on center backs. Since signing Shaw in 2014, we've spent around £45m on left backs.

Since signing Dalot in 2018, we've spent around £57m on right backs.

We've spent plenty trying to move away from Shaw, Dalot, and Maguire. Unfortunately, the recruitment just hasn't been good enough.

27 Jul 2026 19:08:00
I have Utd to win the league this year! We will play as a team whilst others find their feet with several changes within management structures playing out.
The defenders' situation has been dire for a while now, and I agree with the original OP. Those 3 are horrid players, Shaw being the most annoying of the three, then Maguire, and finally Dalot.



I hope beyond hope someone buys Dalot and we do not renew the other two. Force our hand into the market, or promote from within, something I think we will see a lot of this year.

28 Jul 2026 03:06:56
In 12 years, we have spent 45m on leftback, when our leftback is the most injury-prone one in the league. Dorgu has clearly shown more promise further forward. We have not tried to sign a first choice leftback. I seriously hope we do this summer.

28 Jul 2026 14:27:35
We need a starter ahead of Shaw. Bottom 10% for accurate crosses, bottom 20% for crosses. Bottom 40% for possession won, bottom 50% for duels won. 38 prem league games: 1 goal, 1 assist.



We need a Ryerson, Raum-type player, full-backs that are good defenders but can get in crosses. We have a 1.95 m striker who has a 93% success rate for aerial duels. We are crying out for more service.

26 Jul 2026 10:24:11
It's 3 weeks to the first game of the season. It's becoming clear now that we did not go into the summer transfer window with any sort of a plan. It's a knee-jerk sort of a strategy with who becomes available. We obviously didn't have any achievable targets.

Now before Shappy goes below the belt again and talks ill about my wife or mother again or few of the more respectful optimists quickly jump on this post that we got 5/5 last season, I would say I disagree to an extent on that as I do think besides Lammens everyone else had a more of a 6-7 out of 10 season.

Also I do think that last season we went in the window with clear targets. But this time round I am not understanding what the plan or the problem is. It's ot like we don't have the cash. We don't have PSR problem and we have extra CL money as well. Why are we penny punching? What are we waiting for? Do we not know which areas we need addressing?

26 Jul 2026 11:14:30
History shows Glazers don't spend once United are qualified in the CL.

26 Jul 2026 11:30:12
UA, I don't always agree with you, but I'm pretty much with you on this, albeit I like the 3 we have bought so far.

We are clearly not prepared to enter an auction, which I support, but that means the most desirable targets may go elsewhere. We were prepared to go high for Fernandes, but not as high as Spurs. We still need a beast in MF. If Tchou is available, we can only hope Cas has been telling him what a great club we are.

Perhaps we are holding back, waiting for the right big name, we shall see.

Just as big an issue is our lack of sales. We clearly have a few available but seem unable to shift them. Rashford has to go, I would far rather promote Lacey than reintegrate Rash.

I remain positive with a small p. Sometimes accidental signings turn out just fine. Andy Cole was 3rd choice and happened by accident, and he worked out pretty well.

26 Jul 2026 11:40:54
It's the exact opposite. We went in with a really strong plan and were able to pivot quickly. This binary view of things and dealing with absolutes is just a really unhealthy way to view things. I'm delighted with how we're going about things. We've signed two really good midfielders with one better and the other comparable in quality to an 85M player for same total cost.

We had a price + salary offer the negotiating team were happy with and when it went beyond that they had another approach to execute. I honestly don't get how myopic you can be

26 Jul 2026 13:14:46
Maybe the plan is different to the one you had in your head. You know the one you've imagined.
Maybe they needed to pivot.
Time to tell will be Christmas, or thereabouts, on who has had a good summer window.

26 Jul 2026 14:11:37
I think this has been blown well out of proportion. Shappy wasn't insulting your wife, he was using an analogy. It wasn't about her personally, it was about how people judge value. There's a massive difference.
To now frame it as "my ill wife was insulted" feels like creating outrage where there wasn't any. Nobody knew or mentioned your wife's health, and nobody was mocking her.
The irony is that you're one of the most confrontational posters on here.

You rarely miss an opportunity to shoot down transfers, the manager, the club or other posters. That's your prerogative, but if you're going to debate that aggressively, you also need to recognise when someone is making a tongue-in-cheek analogy rather than looking for a reason to take offence.
Let's keep the discussion about football instead of manufacturing personal grievances.

26 Jul 2026 16:06:56
Oh, so now Shappy has advocates on this page as well. What else does he have here? Butler? Driver? Who is he to tell me how my wife is to be valued?

Redevilfan, when have I ever mentioned a member of a family of any of the posters?

Anyway.

Perhaps, Ken, the plan isn't what we all thought. I bet no one had either of the 3 we have till now in their transfer list, wished or thought or logically. Why are we having to pivot? If we are entering a tournament, do we enter on a condition that we only play if we are guaranteed a win or if we only play lowly ranked teams, right? From the outside, it seems we are not even competing for the best, and that's what is pinching.

Look around us, what the teams already have and what they are buying. It's not like we have a top notch manager at the helm that will get us the win with his charisma either.

I am hoping for the best, but I am not very hopeful of us being competitive unless we do get some game changers in, someone who is going to step up on the days Bruno is not up to it. A winner in every sense.

26 Jul 2026 16:49:53
UA.
Let's look at what those around us have done.
Villa lost Teilmans, a huge influence for them, read the stats.
Oh, the list, Rodgers.
Oh, then lost Onana for the season.
Signed a Swiss lad from Germany and Garnacho.
Villa look worse off to me so far.
Liverpool have lost Salah, Robertson, Gomes out for a while, and got in a Spanish winger I've never heard of.
Their players from lazy dragon should do better, you'd think. New manager, let's see how they do, but not improved on last season's squad.
City will lose Rodri and have signed Anderson, so imo are miles worse off.
Oh, and they lost the best manager.


City are worse off, yoy, by a long way.
Arsenal signed a winger I'm not familiar with, so doing well and will be strong again.
Chelsea are doing what they do, but I think they have a good manager now; they have bought well on paper.
United have lost Casimero, no harm; Ugarte, no harm; and got Tell man's and Santos, so imo look stronger than last season, when we finished 3rd.
It's obvious we need to get more, but a team is a sum of its parts, so I'm not concerned who we sign, more looking forward to how they do.
If you're not optimistic or looking forward to it, then that's a shame.

26 Jul 2026 17:43:51
It really is amazing how much people know about what the transfer plan is/was and how effectively it's been employed, and how absolutely sure they are that a) we won't acquire anyone of quality in the next 5 weeks, and b) whoever we get, it still won't be enough, and will demonstrate our management's incompetence.



The team that I think has probably improved the most over this window is Spurs, but then they had a more scope to do so.

26 Jul 2026 18:26:56
Newname, I think you are right about Spurs, but I think Chelsea have also bought well and got a manager who should be able to bring out the best of his squad, especially as they aren't in Europe.

I think it's hard to judge until the very end of the transfer window who has done the best. Even then, injuries at the start of, or during, the season can derail the best plans. Look at Isak and Liverpool.

I am sure the club had a plan of who they wanted to sign, which positions, and a strategy to implement their plans. Unlike previous regimes, I think they know the importance of building slowly and making incremental gains.

They are also surely more aware than us of just how much other teams possess the financial muscle to outbid Utd.

I applaud the fact they are not spending stupid amounts and paying out the "Utd premium" which has become the norm for selling clubs to add on.
Rodgers, £117m??? Never in a million years.
Tonali too, way, way overpriced.

I hear you say, "but that's the market rate." Only if people pay it. I prefer Utd to sign players who want to play for the shirt and not put the club in any more debt than it already is. This season will be vvv competitive, and it's quite possible that Utd miss out on a European place, especially the Champions League. If that happens, their income drops hugely next year, so right now the club has to be sensible, not flash.

All that said, I do think there will be one affordable bigger statement signing to come.

26 Jul 2026 18:28:02
It's accepted we wanted Anderson and Fernandes, but we didn't get them. We also have strong interest in Baleba and Scott, but no activity so far.

Both Santos and Tielemans were left-field signings and had not been spoken of at all. I'm happy with them, but I don't believe they were anywhere near first choice.

The guys at The Athletic, who seem to have links to the club, were taken by surprise, reinforcing that view.

Whatever we do, we need a few more bodies with so many extra games.

26 Jul 2026 18:53:25
They tried to sign Santos last summer, so I'm surprised you're surprised.
Are you surprised that the boys from The Athletic are not being consulted?
We didn't want Anderson; he wanted City.
We had interest in Fernandes to a point; when the money got ludicrous, we stepped back.
The club have stepped back from Scott as he wants to stay down south.

It appears he's not fussy, Arsenal or Chelsea.
Baleba again, we will sign at what we deem to be a fair price; if not, we move on.
We do need a few more in. I'm of the opinion we will pay for the right player, both wages and fee. I wouldn't be getting too anxious; all seems fine to me.

26 Jul 2026 18:43:29
Eds Poll please.
UA's Wife vs Shappy's manservant.

{Ed033's Note - What?

26 Jul 2026 19:41:33
I think getting Santos and Tielemans for less than the cost of Fernandes is awesome business. I still think we need another physical MF, and also more depth at FB and out wide. Plenty of time, but, as I said, we really need to shift some out too.

26 Jul 2026 20:03:22
There should be no panic yet, but people are right to have concern. The more recent transfer history has been mixed. The Glazers have got top four before, then not invested.
It is a little disconcerting when other clubs are being aggressive, whilst we look frankly cautious and unwilling to fix the gaping holes.

Yes, there is time, but with our history of owners who clearly care more about finances, I can understand some irritation growing.

26 Jul 2026 20:03:57
Sorry Ajh should have said we did want Anderson but he wanted city. I think it's very fair to say we have interest in lots of players but only at a mutually agreeable price. I saw a list today of the 20 biggest transfer fees paid by clubs for players. 5 of the 20 were deemed a success with the jury still out on Anderson, Tonali, Isak, Wirtz.

Even when you buy top quality there are no guarantees never mind potential but unproven top quality like Anderson or fernandes. Getting the right players in under the right coach and creating a team is what matters.

Winning teams create star players. Over the years our record breaking signings have been hit and miss. Robson, Keane, Stam, Rooney, Ferdinand being brilliant. Brazil, Davenport, Barthez, Veron, Di Maria, Martial, Schneiderlin, Lindelof, Anthony, Maguire all huge signings for big money at the time not so great. The left field opportunistic signing people are moaning about in our history include Ronaldo, Cantona, Irwin, Murhen, Law, Teves they have yielded us plenty in the past.

I'm a firm believer in going on what you do know not what you don't. Fans get pictures in their head of what they think the club plans are because they want to believe all the crap they read and listen to. Then when it doesn't turn out that way they think the club has no plan. But quite simply its not that the club have no plan it just that its not matching the plan fans imagined or dreamt up in their own head.

The club can't win. You know the people in charge with the experience education and detailed knowledge. They can't win because every butcher, baker and candlestick maker on here knows more about what we need to do than the subject matter experts. We can't judge the window until we see how we are at Christmas. I swear people fret more over united than they do over real problems and concerns.

I wish folk would just wait and see what happens. Less than 10% on here thought we would finish 3rd last season. Even on these pages Liverpool were seen as most likely champions based on their window and previous season. I tend to be very pragmatic most of the time and look to find the best and positives in every situation. Then be cold in decision making and rarely look back. Hopeful always but i'd rather be that way than pessimistic and negative.

26 Jul 2026 22:40:49
I think people need to realise we are not a top club anymore. The top players would rather go elsewhere and win things. We are not there yet. We currently have probably a D grade squad, and going out and blowing 200million on Anderson and Fernandez wouldn't help at all.


We are not going to go from D to A grades straight away. Unfortunately, we are looking at grade B and C players to bridge the gap before we go blow silly money again.
Under Fergie we could spend big on one player because we had a decent squad and didn't need a complete rebuild.

26 Jul 2026 23:30:45
Mrlee,

We very much are a 'top club' and to say otherwise is nonsense, but certainly there are other top clubs that we now have to battle with.

27 Jul 2026 00:17:58
Ken, you are speaking far too much good sense. In the fullness of time we shall probably learn who were the initial and then second-tier choices and why we did or didn't get them.

27 Jul 2026 06:41:25
Mrlee

Saf stopped the big spend after the Glazers arrived and he had to declare no value in the market to cover them.

Right now we appear to be doing what the Glazers do when they get top four, become circumspect with spending. We are bargain hunting.

Let's hope that isn't the case at the end of the window.

27 Jul 2026 08:32:59
Our issue has not been lack of spending under the Glazers. It's a lack of any semblance of a plan, or of targeting the right profiles. In fact, the issue has been overspending on ordinary players - giving too high salaries and creating a toxic culture of entitlement. Thankfully, we seem past that now, but some of you just don't seem to get that at all.

27 Jul 2026 11:58:00
The OP feels like a whine more than anything else. But, this is the banter page, so we are all allowed to rant, vent and express ourselves. I think there is no reason to Panic UA.

27 Jul 2026 12:03:15
That's ridiculous to say. That Arsenal have not bought much; they were far above us to start with, and are now looking at adding Vinicius Jnr.
Yes, City might lose Rodri, but have signed someone we all wanted, and they're way ahead of us anyway.
Now you are comparing us with Villa. I guess that's the level we are at, so that alone tells its own story, but you fail to mention Villa have a far more experienced manager, with a much better CV than us too.
To say Cass is no loss is probably one of the most crazy remarks you made, and you make quite enough.

Guess you start backtracking again.
The window for us thus far has been underwhelming. Let's hope it gets better. We seem to be excited by middle of road signings now, like Tielmans and Santos; hell, we even got a middle of road manager, so it looks like we don't want to dine at the top table no more!
Oh, and Liverpool got Isaak and Wirtz, both who would walk into our team.

27 Jul 2026 12:04:56
Don,

Those lovely Glazers.
2018 Summer Window: Fred (from Shakhtar Donetsk), Diogo Dalot (from Porto), and Lee Grant (from Stoke City).

What did they do after pocketing £80m from Ronaldo?

I agree on a lack of plan, but no way can the Glazers be seen as giving enough money.

Don't get me started on the debt and dividends.

27 Jul 2026 23:05:45
GDS - no. People thinking we are still a top club is nonsense. Am I happy with the signings so far? Meh, but top players are not interested in us anymore.
We never stood a chance with Anderson, etc. If Vini Jr leaves Madrid, even if we put up the cash, he wouldn't be interested in us.


We are basically Liverpool 15 years ago.
People are harping on about previous triumphs and thinking we are still a draw for players.
It hurts to say it, obviously, but Arsenal, Liverpool and City are clearly more desirable than us right now, and that's just in England.

28 Jul 2026 08:52:49
Red Man, I really despise the Glazers, but your narrative is all wrong. I believe we're the highest net spenders in the league since they came. (I don't have up to date for this summer, but if we're not most we're pretty close to it). You highlighted players there that we overspent on, which is more the point I made than yours. You appear to be more annoyed that we haven't splashed out on an individual, which I find odd to be honest.

The main criticism of the Glazers I have is their lack of investment in the stadium, on our training ground, on any sort of a strategic plan to improve the club. That's what I'm happier to see occurring now. The Glazers are negligent and incompetent owners, but it doesn't make sense to criticise them for not spending on the first team. The facts simply don't support that.

28 Jul 2026 09:38:22
Spot on, Don. Bias and false preconceptions drive many an agenda.

28 Jul 2026 19:14:39
Don,

We were behind City and Chelsea on net spend, behind or very close behind. The early Glazers SAF years spending was constrained by the Glazers, as an example, Aguero, roughly £20m per season. Post SAF, we were amongst the highest, yet the pattern showed United spent more aggressively after missing top four. The largest spikes were not always in the summers that followed better league campaigns.


The pattern interprets that being the best was not the aim. If either of you are happy with the Glazers in terms of ambition, that is up to you.

Don, I do agree on the lack of investment in infrastructure and have said that, but the facts do not support everything you said on spending, especially in their early years with SAF.

26 Jul 2026 09:23:04
Anyone know when the European fixtures are made? Looking forward to city break somewhere.

27 Jul 2026 13:17:40
It will be a one off trip according to the doom mongers here.

28 Jul 2026 09:19:01
Jeez, I read that as a one way trip and thought things had gotten very dark!!