Manchester United banter 7

27 May 2026 16:11:25
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 38 - Quick Round Up

27 May 2026 14:11:02
All talk about midfield obviously, Anderson probably gone to City, so are looking at 4 now, Ederson, Fernandes, Tonali and Baleba. I can't see us buying 3 with Kobbie already there. Two would be great, who are your preferences?

27 May 2026 14:52:19
2 if Ugarte stays, 3 if he goes.

I think we will sign Ederson pretty soon, because it's an easy deal to do (1 year left) and he is not going to the World Cup (so will be available for pre season).

In all likelihood, all our main targets, apart from Tonali, will be at the World Cup, and realistically won't be entertaining transfer talks until mid to late July.



The club must be thinking to get at least 1 midfield signing over the line early, because if we get into late July, early August without a midfielder, it could get quite embarrassing and lead to panic buys.

27 May 2026 15:11:22
Surely can't even be a debate. If Ugarte goes, I said from day 1 it was very poor and got dogs abuse for saying such a thing. That's turned out well.
We certainly need a striker and a CB and a GK, so lots to do that's for sure.



We can't be going into a season with 1 striker who even lacks experience, poor CBs and only 1 GK. That would be ridiculous.

27 May 2026 15:34:15
Mate, do you read the other posts before you post your own comment? You know, you can just comment on existing threads, right?

27 May 2026 15:12:17
I don't know much about ederson in all honesty. Do people rate him? Eds?

{Ed001's Note - he was a very good player a couple of seasons ago, I haven't seen him play since then but he should be a massive upgrade on Ugarte. He is an aggressive ball winner, but decent on the ball too. Or was anyway.}

27 May 2026 17:40:59
Thanks Ed. Feels like an Ugarte replacement too to me when we move him on.

I'm sure we'll in for 1-2 more midfielders. Lots of movement possible - Rodri, Enzo, Anderson, any number of Madrid players.

27 May 2026 18:53:23
AJH, I understand your point on people commenting on existing threads, but the fact remains, once they go off the first page, they rarely get commented on. I've tried many a time, but if it's even near the bottom of the first page, it is too far of a scroll for people these days. ?

27 May 2026 22:09:03
Jim, it's literally the thread below!

27 May 2026 13:43:49
We should put in a bid for Enzo Fernandez after buying Mateus. I'd look forward to the commentators saying Fernandez to Fernadez, on to Fernandez, back to Fernadez etc.

Seriously though, with Chelsea having no European football, and having made record losses in the last few years, they're going to have to trim their playing staff, so expect quite a few sales. On the other hand, like us this year, with far fewer games to play and a new manager, I expect they will be a lot more competitive in the league in 26/7. Is there anyone on their team you would want? One of the problems of amortizing over longer periods is that the book value reduces more slowly and a player whose market value is on the decline is even harder to sell without making a loss. One way or another you pay the price.

On the midfield question: if City keep Rodri does that mean they are less likely to sign Anderson, or is Anderson intended as a replacement for Stones? Does keeping Rodri make them less prone to being forced to meet Forest's exorbitant asking price?

It's going to be an interesting summer.

Clearly, from United's point of view, this management team intends to get out ahead of the melee. I've always been a vociferous opponent of the Glazers, and Ratcliffe is no angel, but I do think his arrival has completely refocused the club in the right direction. It would have been great to get rid of the Glazers but it wasn't an option. No one could force them to sell the whole club, and they didn't need to. Most likely, with their reported investments in land surrounding OT, and potential development projects, they had good retain a controlling interest. They got into football, but their primary business was always real estate.

27 May 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Slot, Reijnen and a Summer of Big Calls

27 May 2026 07:21:06
So, it seems as if Ederson (£35m) and Mateus Fernandes (£55m) will be two of our midfield signings, but who will be the big one to finish off our new quartet with Mainoo?

Anderson: the 'plug in and go' option. PL ready and will only get better. Does the dirty work AND the creative work. Him and Mainoo would have to work out a defined way of dovetailing between 6 and 8, though. Ideally, both are 8s.

Tchouameni: the only physical beast mentioned. Casemiro's work from set pieces will be sorely missed and Tchouameni is the only one likely to help replace that to some extent. Also will sit as the 6, allowing Mainoo to express himself the most.

Tonali: my least favourite option. Yes he's physical and covers ground, but I have serious concerns about his attitude and have a feeling he'd be pushing for a move away in a year or so. Avoid.

Baleba: the one I think will happen. In fact, I think a deal may already be drafted. So much potential, both defensively and when driving with the ball, but his decision making needs drastic improvement. I also worry about him aerially. If it is him or Anderson coming in then Maguire and Sesko will be our only physical units in both boxes.

Wishlist in order:
1. Anderson
2. Tchouameni
3. Baleba
4. Tonali

Likelihood in order:
1. Baleba
2. Tonali
3. Anderson
4. Tchouameni

Who would you all go for and why?

27 May 2026 08:50:49
You do know Anderson lost possession on average 17 times per game last season. Shocking stat. His decision making is a lot worse than Balebas in that regard.
Tonali is the best player on that list imo.

27 May 2026 09:31:42
Ken, I'm surprised you say that. I'm not convinced by Tonali. He seems really good at times, but Newcastle seem to exhibit so little control even with him and Guimaeres. Something just doesn't add up. When I see him, I see very little short pass, controlled execution. That might be how Newcastle play, but it's a concern for me.

27 May 2026 10:40:51
I agree with Ken, Tonali is top of that pile. I think Anderson will become the better player, but, for the here and now, that's my preference. Anderson is probably second, Tchoumani, then Baleba.

Baleba is low down purely due to the season he has had. Statistically he is probably the best at actually breaking up play, which is what we lose with Casemiro departing.

27 May 2026 11:33:41
The one thing I'm extremely happy with is that United have clearly decided on their targets and are moving to make them a reality.

Years have gone by, and Casemiro is a perfect example of this, where we have panic-bought when maybe our targets were not attainable. Sometimes I'm not sure that the club really knew that they weren't attainable, and it led to us panicking and overspending.

What I'm seeing and feeling is that the club are calm; they have their targets, what fits the club both on the field and off it, and are moving to those targets.



So, however we rank the above players, imo all are upgrades on what we have, and if we keep building and moving towards a more solid squad, it will make Michael Carrick's job easier. It also means, in years moving forward, we will be able to hone in on single, big-money targets.

Right now, there are still many gaps to fill, but I think the club proved last season that they are capable of doing it in a very sensible way.

27 May 2026 12:01:28
I agree, Downsie, in that I think Baleba will be the one and I think he would be a much better player than this season showed.

27 May 2026 12:50:29
Anderson is the best option.

27 May 2026 14:20:44
I would have Bruno G & Tonali, then an experienced CB with pace, and an experienced starting striker with pace, plus we seriously need another GK who is able to push Lammens for a starting place.

Anything more than that would be unbelievable.

No way we can go into the season with 1 inexperienced striker, 1 goalkeeper and poor CBs if we only buy midfielders.

27 May 2026 06:38:03
Once it was “no value in the market”, now despite saying we want “best in class”, we are now “unwilling to overpay”.
I get it, we don’t want to be in a bidding war for Anderson. However, we tried that with last year's intake and paid what the clubs wanted in the end.


Anderson is the stand out player, if he isn’t in the shirt next season then I think it’s a mistake. No doubt people will say it’s too much but are likely to be the same ones saying it’s not our money.

27 May 2026 07:18:02
Red Man,

Egikdt, u agree with you. I think he wants City.

27 May 2026 07:42:52
MH

I know. If he wants City, ok, he may underestimate us.

However, we have had, what, 25 years of excuses under the Glazers. The latest "unwilling to overpay" just annoys me to hear. Why not just say "protect our dividends".

27 May 2026 08:59:28
What's your reliable source for this story, Red Man.
I've read the same article, you don't mention that he gave the ball away 17 times per game last season on average. You berate Bruno for giving it away less.
There were several stories this morning. Another saying we are calling him continuously, trying to convince him to join, but you don't quote that as it doesn't show bias against the ownership.
You are so transparent, we can see through your bias.
You have no idea what's true, so you quote random stories but don't quote the random stories that say the opposite.


You are biased and have a completely biased view, everybody here can see it.
Every single respectable news outlet is reporting that answers on has agreed terms with City. If that's the case, we need to move on. Let him go there and give the ball away 17 times a game in a position much deeper where you didn't like Bruno giving it away. Perhaps him losing possession so often in bad areas is why Forest struggled so much this season.

27 May 2026 09:01:22
How can you say you know he wants City, but also say it’s a mistake from us if we don’t get him? How much would you be willing to pay for him then?! City go in at £100M. He wants them. What do we offer? £110, £120, £150M?! For a player who doesn’t want to come to us? Then his wages?

We’ve spent over a decade getting mugged off by clubs, players and agents, and I think there is still an element of that that we are trying to undo. Everyone on here, I suspect, wants Anderson as the number 1 signing, but sometimes it’s just unrealistic. I don’t think we paid what Wolves or Brentford wanted last year for Cunha and Mbuemo.

I think we did better, and I believe at the time reports of their valuation and what we paid were different in our favour.

What we all don’t know for sure at the moment is whether we have a chance or not of getting Anderson. It’s only reports that he wants City; I don’t believe anything concrete from his side has come out stating this?! We also don’t know his feelings on United, and whether Guardiola leaving changes things for him. If there’s a chance and United say they won’t match the offer, then fair enough, we can be critical. If there is no chance of getting him, then you’re creating something out of nothing.

27 May 2026 09:31:17
Bruno in CM gave it away in dangerous areas. Anderson passed his audition at OT with flying colours. Superb player.

If he wants City that's fine, but what I rail about is the language around it as explained.

Yes, I am totally biased against the Glazers. I made absolutely no secret of it, even when people on here told me they were ok. I understand the financial implications, and understood it at the time they arrived and said so.

Poor things have had to do without dividends for a couple of years. I also am not impressed with Ratcliffe for enabling the Glazers to stay. So yes, Glazers out, Ratcliffe out.

If he wants City, say so, walk away, but don't give us a new saying "unwilling to overpay".

27 May 2026 12:25:14
Red Man, you and we all have been in the game for a long time, so we know that teams don't pay what they are asked to. You forget that some reports say that City only wants to pay 80 million, instead of Forest's 105 million asking price. It's negotiations, you can't just go and pay what they want.

City don't pay, and sometimes walk away from deals if the price is too big and not fair, like with Maguire.
Furthermore, we will always have the "unwilling to overpay" excuse for players that reportedly prefer other teams, to save face.

27 May 2026 13:06:22
RedMan, the challenge, especially for a club like United, is that you don't want to publicly go around saying we wanted X but he chose to go to Y. Better to say we wanted X, but under certain conditions which didn't work out.

27 May 2026 13:42:15
The club have said nothing. No comment at all, but you still quote like they have said something when they haven't.
Auditions are more than 1 game long, don't be so knee-jerk. The fact that he averages losing possession 17 times in a game can't be lost on you.

More than Bruno when he was playing deeper. So, please compare apples with apples, and stop extracting bits that suit you.
I like Anderson a lot, but there are 2 sides to every story, we can't just stamp our feet and talk about only 1 of those sides.

27 May 2026 17:52:00
TW,
Someone is feeding lines to the press.

I will talk about what the owners have done, we watched City buy players like Aguero whilst saying no value in the market. We saw what replaced Ronaldo when they got their £80m to hold up the financial accounts.

If a football decision was made because of someone losing the ball, that's one thing. However, we all know United decisions are not made on that alone, and I do think this overpay rubbish is an underlying issue. Rice went to Arsenal, where were we?

There are two sides to every story, the football side and the financial one.



AM2,
I understand the dynamics and am acutely aware of how to negotiate. Yes, there are challenges, but spinning it as they have done for a long time should be seen straight through.

Heaven,
Agree, but on Maguire I wonder if City played us a bit. Yes, I understand negotiations and have that in my skill set, yet did we not end up paying what clubs wanted for MBueno, Sesko and Cunha anyway? Just wasted weeks.

27 May 2026 21:18:34
Redman there are reports from Romano or whatever he calls himself that's we have been pestering Anderson to sign continously calling him. But you don't like that story so don't mention it. Who is feeding those lines. Time to stop making assumptions because they suit you.
I think Anderson is top target but if we can't convince him then so be it we need to move on.

Its a much better story from the club that we opted out instead of saying he chose city. Your bias as you say and will find fault with everything they do or don't do. Its hard to have a proper discussion when you live in your own echo chamber.

27 May 2026 21:23:00
Our owners, Redman, are one of the biggest spenders. It's not what they spend, it's who they spend it on. When Arsenal paid 95m for Rice, we were busy spending on Eth's love children, like Onana and the other little twerp on the left wing. So it's not a lack of spending, it's a lack of spending wisely.
Hopefully your ego will let you admit that.

27 May 2026 21:47:25
TW

Not getting into a deep discussion on our owners at this time of evening. Look at the costs of the debt & the debt still remaining, and the issues it causes us. Over a billion in costs. That could have gone towards building a stadium.

More difficult to borrow with existing debt.

No excuse for what they have done, none.

If Anderson doesn't want us, then I agree, move on. However, let's not give out the messaging that is out there.

27 May 2026 22:46:35
Red Man, even if you end up paying what they asked (Mpuemo, for example), you have to negotiate and not be taken for granted. Sometimes you will lower the price, sometimes you simply wont, but as you know, you must negotiate and I think you disagree because you are biased.
I dont think money will be a problem if Eliot chooses us, we will negotiate and find a solution with Forest.

But until he chooses us, we must save face, saying that we cant pay the price. The only way we cant compete with City is if they give him double our wages, but I dont think thats the case.

28 May 2026 06:51:59
Heaven

Negotiations are part of my business skill set, so I understand. SAF wasn't able to pay the price because of Glazernomics; they said there was no value in the market. Now we can't pay the price, and it's unwilling to overpay. Can't pay, don't want to pay, because dividends and profit are at stake, which drives these things.



I would be surprised if he hasn't made his mind up already, and City are waiting to see the price drop. I want to be his first choice, but top players like that have choices.

28 May 2026 12:59:05
I don't think it's about dividends. I think it's a strategic decision by Beralda. At City they used to buy players at a 60-70 million rate, so if, in 2 years' time, the transfers didn't work, they could sell. City could make a lot of 60 million transfers instead of fewer 100 million.
Of course you understand negotiations, but the problem is you think it's all about dividends if we don't pay the asking price for a player. What if we don't, but then go and pay more, as a sum, for other players and spend, say, 300+ million? At the end of the day, you forget that we are the biggest spenders, and that doesn't suit your opinion about only caring about dividends and not spending.

And, of course, the problem is that if you overpay once or twice, then you will always overpay and go back to the period we paid the biggest transfer fee for a defender that cost 20 million, Maguire.

27 May 2026 05:30:20
Not mentioned at all - but the football played for Mbuemo's goal was out of this world. What a move. Beautiful team goal.

27 May 2026 06:46:46
It was a lovely second goal, Eric, one of the more beautiful to watch and one we don't score often.

27 May 2026 03:33:57
Someone asked me about the Bruno/Keane issue this morning and what I thought etc.

Make no mistake, Keane has misquoted Bruno and should apologise.

Some great points in the threads below.

I've grown up watching Keane, read the books, maybe even played the game a bit like him as a result. I have enjoyed him as a pundit, but it is getting a bit predictable these days.

Bruno, as I've said, has dragged us through some dark times, very different times to what Keane was skipper for.

But one thing I said to my mate when asked who was the more rounded skipper, one moment came to mind.


Juventus, Semi-final, Keane getting booked.

Without any hesitation, Keane took the booking. I have my doubts on whether Bruno would take the card knowing he would miss the final (if they progressed). So I guess I can understand where some of the comments from Keane are coming from.

I still love Bruno and would not want him to leave now he is back in his 10 position. But I think as a better skipper, Keane nudges it. But that doesn't give him free reign to be an ass about it to future skippers.

27 May 2026 13:15:50
At this point, I find Keane an incredibly boring pundit and man. He's not entertaining. He can't analyze a game, and I really don't know why anyone listens to a word he says.

26 May 2026 19:26:41
I do get the points being made on Keane and Bruno. The game a lot different then, more physcial and intense, even intimidating. When players arrived at United in the 90s, you had to step up or the manager or a number of big players/characters would et you know and there was plenry of fear too. When you're winning players accept it. Do you think Rashford and Garnacho would have been allowed behave like they did back then? The players and manager would have niped tbat attitude early. Today's players are a different breed, lots of money realky young, social media, greedy agents. The manager gets 12 months or they're sacked, the pressure in clubs is under for money is intense. I really don't think SAF's managent style woulds survive in the current culture, Keane would be sent off a lot.

But it's hard for our club legends to see this new way of playing and some players not willing to die for each other on the pitch, that bond isn't there anymore. Bruno is a class act, he would have been great in our 90s teams but he wouldn't have avoided the same stuff Keane and co dished out of you made mistakes. It was just the way they kept each other driving forward, echoing the manager's drive, us against the world. The game has changed, but the basics are the same, you need the right attitude, to work hard each game, bring the passion and be together. I think that's missing in some of our current squad, but we are buying better players.

26 May 2026 21:33:11
The problem with Keane hating on Bruno is it's actually not warranted. Everything you've talked about the 90s team having, Bruno has that in his locker. He leads by example every single week, works harder than any player on the pitch, covers a ridiculous amount of grass, and never gives up.

Keane and a few pundits had a pop at his histrionics and his constant moaning on the pitch. Listen, no one likes to see any footballer rolling around the ground after nothing happening to them, but I think he's nearly eradicated that from his game. When there's no sticks left to beat Bruno with, Keano made up some lies. I'm very proud of Bruno calling Keane out. He, Neville, Scholes, and Butt are embarrassing themselves on a weekly basis.

Can you imagine Bobby Charlton ripping Bryan Robson to shreds because we didn't win a league in the 80s? Can you imagine Bryan Robson ripping Keane to shreds because of his ill discipline?

People talk about Roy's grumpy persona on telly, saying he's playing up for the camera.

I think it's the opposite. He's playing his friendly side up for the camera.

He said he'd "swing punches" at De Gea after he made a mistake in a game. De Gea held us together for many years, and Keane never let up once. Even when he was winning Player of the Year for us, "but it's his job" nonsense would soon follow.

His coldness for Carrick, and insulting Carrick's wife 12 years after a tweet she wrote defending her husband, shows that he's a bitter man who can dish it out but can't take it.

As an Irishman who was born in the 80s, I have an affinity to Keane the player, but Keane the pundit could soon find himself a footballing pariah without a home.

26 May 2026 23:10:01
Bruno has had a remarkable season. Record breaking.
I am not his biggest fan but I have always re organised his work rate, amazing availability and his love for the club.
I think his leadership changed as the season went on.
I think he is a much better player now than he was even 3 years ago.
His ball retention has improved a lot imo and he plays it simple and his movement is better off the ball. Moving him back to his fav position has inspired him.
As for Keane, he learnt from the best viewer puller pundit in a guy called Eamonn Dunphy.
A whole thread there and folk in pubs canteens and offices up and down the country talking about it. As for finding himself without work mumbles it's the opposite. He will take polar opinions when it suits him. Its not about punditry most of the time its about viewers and show business. Keane is gold in that regard for all the stations he goes on and the viewing figures prove it.


Most of the time you just need to take it all with a pinch of salt. Dunphy called Ronaldo a 1 trick pony for years? people kept tuning in for the next mad quote or fued he'd ignite.
Bruno has called him out on this occasion and why not? If he brings this seasons form into next Keane will take his humble pie and eat it. Then he will be on to his next side show to pull in the viewers and have people debating him all over the country. He is earning more now than he did a a player most of his career.
None of them are consistent and its all about the side show. 95% of what they say needs to be taken with a very large pinch of salt.
Redknapp is the one for me who is more about the football than the others. You can see his pain for the game its in his blood.

27 May 2026 00:26:07
Amazing to think that in mid season while Amorim was playing Bruno out of position many of us thought we should have sold him in the summer. I was one of them. Fact is, Bruno is now playing at the top of his game, and the doubters have all been forced to acknowledge just how good he's been. The pros, other than Keane, who's become an old negative codger, seem to be almost unanimous.

You give him players around him who know what runs to make and how to put the ball in the goal, and he'll find them. One can only hope that he stays with us, and he gets to win a few trophies in the next couple of years, which he richly deserves.

27 May 2026 00:48:32
I miss the old lads on RTE Ken. For anyone not acquainted with Dunphy, a few YouTube clips will have you in stitches.

I don't think Keane will be without work. I meant that he could alienate the United fanbase to where he no longer has fans backing him up.

It is a sideshow now. The Sky lads are on telly, talking and on podcasts 6-8 hours a week.

There simply isn't enough happening to justify that. I don't have a problem with Keabe saying whatever his opinion is, but he lied or misheard what Bruno said and couldn't even hold his hand up and say he got it wrong.

The schtick is wearing thin.

27 May 2026 08:15:14
Mumbles, you're missing the point. He doesn't have to apologise and he doesn't need to. What he says doesn't matter. It is just like posting on here. It has no consequence, nor should it.
He owes Bruno or any other player nothing at all. He can say what he likes as long as it's within the law. The thinner the shtick gets, the better for him and his employers.
It's not about being truthful, honest or decent, it's about pulling in viewers and starting debates.


If you don't get that, then you will always be frustrated with pundits.
We have posters on here that lose their rag all the time, and react so they get provoked.
Keane is provoking folk with his comments, and that's how he earns his money. He doesn't even believe what he is saying himself half the time. That's show business.
People lap it up. Here is a thread still talking about it, 10 days later. Hilarious, and his mission has been accomplished.

27 May 2026 09:09:09
Ken, is lying within the law? I totally agree that Keane couldn't care less, and won't be apologising. It's TV or showbiz, and he is the most sought-after pundit. His audience love it!
We seem to be living in an age where lying is totally acceptable. Just ask the orange blob across the water!

27 May 2026 11:37:06
Ken, not sure that's even his mission which makes him even greater. I don't think he buys into click bait etc, just says how he feels as he is and always has been emotionally led.

And I do think what he says does have consequences.

He is a legend of the club, the most successful captain ever, and his words hold lots of weight. That might lead to players feeling, behaving or playing a certain way. Not everyone is made of stone like you. ?

27 May 2026 17:36:44
Patrick, I'm afraid lying is not against the law, my friend.

27 May 2026 23:02:25
Ken, I think you'll find that in most cases it is!
Although I get that there are nuances!
However, concerning Keane, he couldn't give a twopenny toss!

26 May 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Sly_C has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's System: Who Benefits and Who Regresses?