Manchester United banter 9

01 Sep 2026 22:23:47
How many supposedly fully grown men are acting like babies and throwing their toys out the pram all because their football club didn't spend more millions on players?

01 Sep 2026 22:36:07
Transfer Window Timetable.

June - Calm down, the window is only just open.

July - There's two months left in the window, the club are working on things.

August - Look, if the window ended today, I would be disappointed too.

Deadline - Anyone who complains is a baby.

Sub £100m net spend for a club that claims to be pushing to compete for titles, and with glaring weaknesses in the squad, smells like skimping.

01 Sep 2026 22:38:13
I think that bear has been poked enough.

01 Sep 2026 23:12:16
Spot on, Danny.

A bit disappointed with that post, Shappy.

01 Sep 2026 23:13:39
Another post exaggerating other people's reactions to come across as sanctimonious.

02 Sep 2026 00:16:47
Listen, lads, I'm sure everyone is disappointed with the lack of defensive signings and outs, and the same goes for the striker position.
But we have the squad we have now.
Lammens, Darlow, Heaton.
Dalot, Maz (Yoro).
Shaw, Dorgu, Amass (Heaven).
Martinez, Maguire, de Ligt, Yoro, Heaven.
Baleba, Mainoo, Santos, Tielemans, Mount.
Bruno, Mbeumo, Rashford, Cunha, Amad, Lacey.
Sesko, Zirkzee.
Carrick needs to find a regular winning formula from that squad and consistency.
He will need a gale force wind of luck behind him on injuries, and we can only hope that he finds ways to win games.
I'm optimistic, as I think Spurs, Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool all need the same gale force wind of luck behind them to sustain any sort of challenge. I don't think any of them will prove to be consistent or short in case of injuries in key positions, much like ourselves.
Who will Liverpool call in if their 1st choice crap full backs of Frimpong and Kherkez get injured?
Who is Spurs' no 2 rb if Porres gets injured or striker?
Who is cover for Isaak right now? Ekitike out till Feb.
My point is all the chasing pack have issues, and we are not alone.

City and Arsenal look much stronger than the rest to me.
I think we all hoped for a good window to close that gap to them, and it's not transpired.
We will have people who like to rant, and if it helps them to let off steam in here, then that's ok, as much as it's ok to argue against their constant negativity.
Now it's a case of supporting the team we have and discussing how they do and how Carrick does, more often than arguing about things that we all agree on.
We all agree they have not got what we all want and feel we need. Why not leave it at that.
We all agree the Glazers are poor owners and we would all agree we would rather have different owners. Nobody disagrees with that.
There are differences in opinion on the strategy of sjr, and that's a good debating point and fair to have disagreements on.
The window is closed; it's now. The reason I think we all watch football is because of the team and what happens on the pitch, not what happens in the boardroom or owners.
Little they do now can affect the squad until Jan, so with any luck there will be less talk of them.
I think it's all about, or should be all about, the manager and team now, you, the football team, remember them?

02 Sep 2026 05:49:47
Tumble, who are you and what have you done with Ken? All this talking common sense. ??

02 Sep 2026 06:38:30
Tumble, the thing is - we had this debate if enough was done and if they made signings on time etc.

You accepted, now they haven't done a great job, which is mature, but Shappy can't put his hands up and admit that he was wrong, and would rather call the rest of us "babies".

Anyway, as you said, it is what it is.

02 Sep 2026 08:10:53
Trololo.
We had a debate about the timings. Let's see how City do with the players they signed late in the window.
Getting all signings done before the season kicks off has never been done by a league winning team. There is no issue with late signings. In fact, history tells you no club has ever won the league without making signings post the season starting.

02 Sep 2026 08:23:44
Tw,

I thought Ekitike was out until October? Regardless of that, it is still a fair point.

02 Sep 2026 07:59:47
I didn't name anyone in my post, if you think my post was about you then that says more about how you view your posts than how anyone else views them.

The reality is that before the window opened in order to have a complete squad capable of challenging on all fronts we needed a back up keeper, a RB, a LB, a CB, 3 midfielders, and a striker at minimum, probably a LW as well if we could shift Rashford.

All of those 9 players we needed also needed to be of the required level and have the right mentality. While it now seems that an average players costs 50m, and a top player costs 80-100m. Which if we needed 9 new players we would be looking at a minimum of a 400-500m spend.

That was never going to happen, not only could we not afford it, actually bringing that many new players into a squad and trying to get them to settle and create a cohesive team is practically impossible.

The sensible approach is to either address the midfield OR the defence this summer, then the other next summer. While if the right players become available for other key positions you move for them.

We chose to fix the midfield, probably more out of necessity than choice given the darth of options we had in midfield compared to defence.

We have signed our first choice option for midfield with Baleba, along with an experienced player in Tielemans, and a high potential talent in Santos (both of which have been captains, brining much needed leadership).

We rebuilt the midfield which was the priority. We also managed to bring in a better back up keeper. We then tried to bring in our top choice LB in Lewis Hall but he wasn't available by that time. We explored other options but it seems we have decided they aren't worth investing in at this moment in time.

Due to us being unable to move Rashford on we have enough cover on the left and up front for this season. You can question the quality/suitability of some of them, but we have the players.

Is missing out on Hall disappointing? Yeah, of course. Is the the club being unable to move Rashford on and bring in better/more suitable back for Sesko also disappointing? Yeah of course.

But for the most part I assume we are all fully grown, emotionally mature men, so I would hope we can deal with that disappointment accordingly.

While if we have a level of intelligence and common sense we can temper that disappointment with understanding that in truth we were never going to be able to do all of the transfers we need this summer.

Personally, I take pride in us being a club that gives youth a chance and develops players, making stars more so than simply buying them.

Yes not getting Hall is a disappointment, but that opens the door for either of Dorgu or Amass to step up at some point this season and prove their worth.

Yes, not moving on Rashford and bringing in a more experienced striker to challenge Sesko is disappointing. But now that just gives Sesko more opportunity to step up.

Yeah, getting more cover at CB for our injury prone players like Martinez and MdL would have been good, but now Heaven and Yoro have more opportunities to step up.

We also have players like Shea Lacey who will probably get a chance to have a break out season.

There is lots to look forward to this season, but too many people are getting hung up on the things we didn't get rather than appreciating the things we have.

02 Sep 2026 10:00:10
Shappy,

A top player is 80 to 100m, you said. Then you said we had fixed our midfield. So you confirm we haven’t bought any top players and have a midfield that isn’t as good as those who do have top players.

02 Sep 2026 22:18:37
Tumble, yes, it was about the timing of the signings, but you can't say it isn't related. If you leave too many holes by the deadline, it is obvious you won't fill all of them. I said before, I don't mind an odd signing at the very end of the window, but it was obvious where this was going.

Shappy, it doesn't matter if it was pointed at me or anyone else, we all had our concerns, some more negative than the others, and we were right to point them out.

You now went even deeper and made it look even worse about what the management team did. Out of 9 positions, we signed only 4, and by what you are saying - none of them are top signings (perhaps Baleba could go into that category, he was a bit more expensive). I'd argue just two more positions - ST (and we are talking about backup striker here, nothing fancy) and LB would make the transfer window far better. You are talking about spending 400-500m, I am talking about spending another 100 on top of this 150m we have spent, so far below what you are suggesting.



Rashford most certainly is not a cover for CF. It is like saying "Maguire could cover there", yes he could, but he isn't good in that position. Neither are Cunha or Mbeumo. Sure, it is fine to cover it for a few games, but going into the full season with just one striker (who has his fair share of injuries) is ridiculous.

They had enough time to do something about LB, especially since the two CM signings were done early enough, but they wasted their time and the opportunity they had with Newcastle. It is allowed to do more transfers at the same time, and in the different areas of the team, you know?

Anyway, I think it was unnecessary calling out anyone, especially while the topic is still hot. I think people have every right to be a bit mad and to rant about it, especially since it doesn't hurt anyone.

01 Sep 2026 20:34:51
Chelsea sell Mudryk for a loan fee and an option for £75m. The kids coming off a doping ban. We can’t sell an England winger for pennies on the pound.

Something's seriously off. We can’t sell. Every other club are moving players. We seem incapable. It’s weird, really weird.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Welcome to our new normal.

01 Sep 2026 20:52:27
We def need to learn the art of salesmanship.

01 Sep 2026 21:04:53
Because no one wants to pay 300k per week for an average winger.

01 Sep 2026 22:00:43
De Zerbi was his 1st name at Shakhtar.
I'm not sure Spurs will exercise that option, but it's good optics for both clubs.

01 Sep 2026 15:48:37
I can’t believe how naive our fan base is sometimes. Believe the narrative we won’t be taken for fools in the transfer market. We only want players who want us. Transfers coming out of nowhere because the club want to keep things close but happy to put stuff out here in public domain when it suits them. All last season they were happy to brief journalists that they wanted Anderson etc.

Makes them look like they have ambition. They have zero. They are either scrambling for a LB ST or they are trying to make it look like they are. They have had months. I honestly believe none of the signings made were anywhere near the top of the list for brining in. Maybe some weren’t even on the list.

01 Sep 2026 17:15:54
They are very naughty boys.

01 Sep 2026 17:27:20
It's a disgrace. We're spending more than any other club over recent years. What are they doing?

Cunha and Mbuemo have been disasters, and as for Lammens, what a joke he is.

And getting the fee for Baleba reduced by £30M. What were they thinking?

Seriously, there are a few posters that are continually outraged and will never be swayed from their view.

The language that is used is deliberately provocative and often misguided. Sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but being so continuously outraged must be exhausting.

01 Sep 2026 17:28:00
Years of mismanagement. We overpaid for cack players like Mount, Ugarte, renewed Shaw's contract to keep the physio bench warm. We cant sell any of them, as no one is as stupid as we are to buy them. psr is stopping us, Glazer debt cripples us.



We were never going to get an Anderson style player. If you were Anderson, would you sign for Utd? Unproven manager, could finish anywhere from 5th to 15th, or can go to City and win at least 2 trophies a year. Sad state of affairs, but it's where we are.

01 Sep 2026 17:31:20
They're certainly not the messiah, Ken!!!!

01 Sep 2026 17:49:21
Tomorrow's news will be "Bruno signs new contract". That should shut people up. 101 Glazer playbook.

01 Sep 2026 17:56:45
It's my opinion; is this not the forum for that?
Mbeumo? Since Amorim left, he hasn't played as well in this system. At the end of last season he was terrible, and at the start of this he hasn't been any better. His decision making is terrible; he needs 10 chances to score. Would he get into any top 4 side? No. Lammens is a great signing, and Cunha is a decent signing. Are they world class? Lammens has the chance to be. The other two, no, I don't think so.
Ajh, you are happy-go-lucky, good for you.
I care about our club.
Because past signings haven't worked, with big fees, doesn't mean you just abandon signing any players in that bracket.

It's a ridiculous way to run a club, and it's the PR from the club around that really annoys me. They take fans for fools, and some of them are.
I'm no fan of Carrick; will he lead us back to the top? No. But the owners have sent him into the season with one LB, one ST. We've seen this time and again after we qualify for the Champions League; they just don't want to invest. Mission completed, box ticked. So, yea, after years of this rinse and repeat, I am outraged. The prawn-sandwich-eating fans, maybe you know them, just happy to turn a blind eye and just get behind the team. It's not that bad! I could never be complicit.

01 Sep 2026 18:12:44
Crazy, I can't be outraged but you can be outraged by my outrage. ? Make it make sense.

01 Sep 2026 18:16:13
twenty

For some reason there are a few on here who will tell you not to post what you think. They only want to read positive stuff, and, at some point, your opinion will see you blocked by some.

All points are valid, and it's a banter website. I actually wonder if some are connected with the club, because there is no logical reason to defend the owners.

01 Sep 2026 18:19:27
Jesus, lads, some of you sound so entitled. We're in good shape. Suggesting you are the one who cares about the club, Twenty, in response to Ajh, can be read directly to suggest he doesn't care, and that most certainly is not true. You and Red Man are, however, implying that the people running our transfer strategy are trying to dupe us all.

There is absolutely no evidence for that whatsoever. We paid big wages and big transfer fees for far too long on players no better than we had, and we got worse.
Would you be happier if we'd signed Tonali rather than Tielemans? I think Tielemans is the better player, as do a lot of others. That's what I care about.

01 Sep 2026 17:35:42
Maybe they want to be a woman Patrick ?

01 Sep 2026 18:35:06
Red man I was thinking exactly the same myself that some views on here are actually very suspicious, another mouth piece for the club, I definitely wouldn't put it past them!! AJH aka Wilcox! Happy to be blocked by anyone who isn't open to opinions. Some have already suggested they are blocking certain posters! Go on AJH/ Wilcox I dare you ?

01 Sep 2026 18:46:24
Red Man, who is defending the owners, I certainly am not. However, I see no merit in saying things like we're not spending money on the squad and so on when the facts simply say that is completely erroneous.
Going into this summer we owed over £400M on transfer fees from previous seasons. A bit of balance is all I'm asking for.

01 Sep 2026 18:50:11
Don red all I can say is deluded.
JUNE 28 2005, the glazers took over. I can't believe after all the turmoil, the debt the poor transfers, the not backing the mangers, the change in philosophy again and again, the leaky roof, ed woodward(let's not forget him), hiring a dof to sack him, the employees made redundant to name but a few of the things over the years. But we are in good shape, I will sleep easy tonight. I think you must be happy with mediocrity. Not only have we spent less than Ipswich! Yea let that sink in.

the other clubs have further increased the distance between us and them. Without this club being saddled with debt we would be competing with any club in the world financially. Also remember every club has bought players for high fees and it hasn't worked it's not just us, you don't see them changing over it. It's a part of football you try and mitigate it through scouting and data.
Remember we are one of the top 3 biggest clubs in the world. Just not run like one or have the ambition of one.

01 Sep 2026 19:17:00
Defending / agreeing, same difference.
We have underspent, just looking at what other clubs are doing, you can't argue we have underspent. I don't think anyone expects a newly promoted team to spend more than us. Owing money on previous transfers is normal for every major club. We are no different. So that point is irrelevant to what we do for transfers now.

01 Sep 2026 19:25:14
Red man, Fernandes signing a new contract? Didn't you hear? Rashford is like a new signing according to Berrada and Carrick! ? This is what our club does. Spin at its best.

01 Sep 2026 19:33:26
I'm not outraged, I'm bored reading the same stuff again and again, and it being relentlessly provocative and negative, it's tedious. Each to their own, I guess, Mr Happy.

01 Sep 2026 19:34:01
Mediocrity. Ffs. You simply don't understand what it takes to build high performing teams. Consistency and adherence to core principles, and insisting on a culture you try to live each day, are all central tenets. You clearly see none of that because you are fixated on the wrong metrics.

01 Sep 2026 19:40:59
Comparing our spend to Ipswich is very short term bias. Over the past 5 years our net spend has been the highest because we buy high and sell never. Contract expiry is the way we move players on, so you can't say money hasn't been spent.

01 Sep 2026 19:46:13
So no mention of the debt from previous transfers that every club has anymore.
Yea they are all things that build a pretty high performing team, but they aren't the only ones, are they? Improving on what you have could be one, and not dependent on price? Yea that's one.

Creating an environment and giving tools to a manager to succeed? Or you could sack them if the reason you got them in you realised is way too costly. I imagine there will be no cost cutting to the new stadium. Maybe plastic is cheaper than steel.

01 Sep 2026 20:27:14
Groan.

01 Sep 2026 20:57:54
Twenty what do you know about the club finances?
Have you read the published accounts in detail.
Do you think a business losing money should continue to pay employees that are deemed surplus?
Do you think a business that has had cash flow issues should overspend?
I see and understand your frustration.
Coming on here sharing your opinion is fine everybody has opinions.
I don't agree with blocking others posters i'm blocked myself by a few which amuses me. I don't want to live in an echo chamber I like reading others views and debating them.
Im not at all angry with the owners or board I'm just disappointed and sorry they own us and I don't like their agenda.
But they own the business and have their agenda its their business and they don't have to answer to you or any non shareholder.
Do you want to support the team this season?
That's the only question that needs answering if that's a yes then imo its better to talk about that.
The glazers are what they are until they sell up nothing will change.
The business was in very severe trouble due to the mismanagement of Woodward and co.
Cash flow was a severe issue psr was a severe issue the business was trading at a loss for several years and was close to running out of cash.
The cuts were very necessary and still are.


The business needs to get back on a sound financial footing before its in a position to move forward. We should/ could return to profit this year and that and that is the starting point of any recovery
Many opinions are shared without any real or very limited knowledge so they are irrelevant opinions or uneducated ones. I have loads of those opinions myself.
If you understand the clubs finances and the epl and ueffa rules in a lot more detail then you will realise how close we were to a points deduction.
The glazers have their agenda it won't change too much until they sell.
Nobody I know supports that agenda, it is not illegal its not fraudulent they bought the business to milk it and that ain't going to change,
So I just support the team and the players we have. i'm optimistic and hopeful for the season ahead just like I was last season and every one before that.
Keep your chin up it will be alright and remember its only a game and not life or death.
I can't get angry with business people wanting to make money that's what business people do. They don't care about the club or the fans they are bad owners from our perspective but they don't need to care about that. They want different things from the club than you or i and that's what's disappointing.

01 Sep 2026 14:33:45
Deadline day movement at Old Trafford.

A tumbleweed has been seen rolling past the entrance.

01 Sep 2026 15:03:26
I'm sure there'll be plenty of rumors between now and the end of the window, all of which will fall just short of getting over the line. The club want to appear as though they are actively trying to sign players even if they have no intention of actually doing so.

01 Sep 2026 15:09:16
Appears the only signing is that young kid from Leicester, maybe.

01 Sep 2026 15:11:39
I haven't even seen any rumours circulating.

It reminds me of the days when Fergie used to regularly tell us there was no value in the market. Fortunately, he was able to make mediocre players better than they were.

01 Sep 2026 15:41:30
Sure we'll end up with Regulon at 10.59pm. :D

01 Sep 2026 15:47:56
@fallguy, I forgot about him. Was touted as being close before Baleba signed, then nothing. Can't see any signings being made. Juve decided not to buy Zirkzee, so seems we have no money to buy an LB.

01 Sep 2026 16:07:35
Another midfielder, Louis Page, from Leicester for a reported 8 million pounds. What the f*** is this board doing?

01 Sep 2026 16:14:19
2-7-1 formation.

01 Sep 2026 17:25:06
Cantona, did you see Ken rolling past Old Trafford? Did he stop to applaud them in their dealings, and tell them, if they are happy, then he is.

01 Sep 2026 17:46:12
Can't be happy with no lb JSU.
But what you gonna do?
They don't have to answer to me and you at all. It is their business, and they can do whatever they like.
Spotting feathers here won't change that.
I get some like to vent their frustration, but I don't have any frustration.
Disappointment is the feeling I have.
I'm happy enough with the midfield buys, but still too many gaps.
If players on big contracts don't leave, we can't just keep adding players.
Shame, but I'm confident we can do as well as last season, and hopefully get a decent cup run. Just have to wait and see.
The board don't answer to non-shareholders.


We are still suffering for past sins, and it takes time to rectify those mistakes.
Carrick and Co. just need to do their best, and if they do that, we can all know more of them.
There are about a million things much more important to me and in my life, so I don't get frustrated with things I can't or don't control.
Very calm here on my side.
Everyone has a choice on how they act. Some are very emotional about it; I tend not to be.
I'm optimistic for the season ahead. I see no reason not to be.
Would have liked a lb, cb, rb and cf, but if they don't come, then we have to do better with what we have. There's no drama.

01 Sep 2026 18:48:04
Oh Ken please sob into your pint like others here seem to. The end of the world is nigh.

I agree with you. realistically I can do sod all about potential signings and so I just sit back and enjoy the transfer window for what it is.

Last year's third place was a false position. Others faltered badly and we snuck in to that place. The year before we were in the bottom six. Where's our true position. I would suggest now it's too six or seven.

The signings we have made are an improvement in the squad although Casemeiro goals will be missed as will his character. Overall though we should have a decent year building on last year.

To expect us to go from bottom six to world beaters so quickly is unrealistic

01 Sep 2026 20:29:26
Fair play to Zirkzee. All roads post Utd are a decline, and he wants to stay and fight for his place. Good luck to him. I think he'll serve as a backup 9.

01 Sep 2026 20:31:55
Salford, will the one league goal in 2024-2025 be missed, or the one league goal in 2023-2024? People only remember recent performances, but the 9 goals Casemiro scored last year are not the rule but the exception. He will be missed, of course, but not for his goals.

01 Sep 2026 21:21:35
There is still enough time for transfers, guys. What are you talking about? It's so obvious we will sign a LB and a ST! It was obvious 3 weeks ago, 2 weeks ago, a week ago, and it still is! We are just waiting for the perfect moment!

01 Sep 2026 21:46:30
I tend to be optimistic.
Carrick was not my preference, but his results earned him a shot at the job, so until that changes consistently he will have my support.
I really like our midfield signings, and I think they will justify themselves and improve our play considerably.
I also like the attacking options we have. Like most, I would like to have seen Rashford and/or Zirkzee move on to free up space for another striker, but they never left.
The squad looks super unified and happy despite such a rotten 1st game.


I have good confidence in our keeper.
Our defence is weak, we need a lb badly, and I'm very disappointed with an hour left we don't have one. Bad error imo.
2 games in, I've seen nothing to say any of the teams below us last season have improved any more than us, except Chelsea perhaps, but they look ropey at the back too.
I'm not doom and gloom about the season at this stage. 10 or 12 games in will give a reasonably robust indication of how much each team has improved.

01 Sep 2026 23:17:02
I don't think that the squad we have is too bad, but we should have done better, mostly because there is so much happening at the other clubs, and it was a great chance to be one step ahead of them.

Some big holes in the squad, and nothing was done about it, although it was obvious since May which positions are critical.

01 Sep 2026 10:31:43
There's a man in the vilage where I live. He stands on the corner in his dressing gown, wearing 1 slipper, shouting at the sky. I'm not sure what made me think of him.

01 Sep 2026 10:56:11
I have two slippers and shout at Sky on the telly whenever a Glazer appears.

01 Sep 2026 11:21:55
???, Kudos.

01 Sep 2026 12:57:53
I sometimes vacuum my drive to ensure the neighbours don't speak to me.

01 Sep 2026 10:26:40
On a scale of 10, this transfer window cannot be rated more than a 4. No matter how much you hype the ones we signed, bar possibly Baleba, none of them are taking us closer to the summit. We will be doing another midfield rebuild in 2 years from now, like we will be doing a defence rebuild next year, when in fact we did one just a year prior.

Buying second grade players just for the sake of it and not strengthening positions that were required.

01 Sep 2026 10:56:23
Wow, UA.

Belgium captain and Europa League winner is second grade.

A CM that Chelsea fans are universally livid at losing for 50M is second grade.

And we'll be doing another midfield rebuild despite having those two, Baleba, who you like, and Mainoo, who appears to have taken another step forward.



Man alive. If you'd expressed disappointment that we may not sign a fullback, then ok, but that angle you took is mad.

01 Sep 2026 11:12:14
DonRed, we won the Europa League with Eric Bailly. Does that make him a good player? Tielemans is slower than Maguire. He was robbed of the ball 7-8 times in the first 2 matches against Hull and Ipswich, not considering the misplaced passes, and was nutmegged twice. Imagine what would happen when we play against quality opposition. A Chelsea reject for 50m is money wasted. He was so good that Chelsea didn't plan on keeping him, even when they knew Enzo would be leaving.

He is so good that he had to be hacked off against Hull. He was one player who should have been the fittest and most ready to play, given that he wasn't at the World Cup and played all pre season games. Mainoo did more in his cameo than Santos did in his stay.
Do you think this midfield gets us top 2-3 or a decent run in the CL, let's say semis?

01 Sep 2026 11:23:01
Tielemans is not pacey, but in the second half, against Ipswich, we saw what he can do. He's a quality player. Santos is far from a Chelsea reject. That's some spin.
I think our midfield gets us top 4 and a run to CL knockout phase. I believe the choices made complement well with each other and our forwards.

Where we're weak is fullback, and with our first choice players out at CB. But I only see Arsenal and City as clearly better than us. We're in a group, then, of maybe 3 or 4 clubs that are close.

01 Sep 2026 11:39:58
You want to see a midfield rebuild. Look out the window and see the Etihad. They lost Rodri and Bernardo, and they went and smashed it. We were once the biggest club in the world; now we aren't even the biggest in our neighborhood.

And the worst part is that it has been accepted by many that this is our level. We should have recruited to close the gap to top 2, and we went ahead and recruited to close the gap with the chasing pack below us.

01 Sep 2026 12:11:25
Does the squad have the depth to compete in four competitions? Probably not.

01 Sep 2026 12:15:57
Agreed, UA. Very poor window. Not only net spend being what it is, we have positions that needed addressing, which has not been done up to now.
For all those that believe we are in better hands with Ratcliffee mob, this has been as bad as any Glazer window. Scattergun approach, looking for a LB with hours left, no backup striker with 50+ games to play.

01 Sep 2026 12:47:12
During the entire window, we heard the phrase "if opportunity arises" from the management team. It clearly shows they were looking for the cheap options. They never even tried for the cream. Well, if that opportunity didn't arise in 2 months, I am not holding my breath for it to happen in the last few hours.



The only positive from this window could be that they have saved enough money to do a proper rebuild next year.

We are essentially standing still, and inviting teams below us to overtake.

This season will be more hope than expectations.

01 Sep 2026 13:47:47
I think you have to accept the board are happy to fight for 5th or 6th place. They are businessmen. We have spent fortunes and got nowhere. Money does not guarantee success, but to be a successful business, 5th or 6th place with less outlay is great for them.

01 Sep 2026 14:30:25
I'm with you UA, and have been banging on since they were signed. Santos and Tielemans don't take us forward. Both together are not as good as Cass, with no legs.
Tielemans looks like he's running in treacle, clutching at straws, saying he won a Europa! Whatever way you look at Santos, he has been at 5 clubs and he is only 22, which doesn't bode well.

Poppycock that Chelsea are spitting any feathers about losing him; he was a squad player at best.
Both these players will not take United where we want it to be. Waste of 85 million in my book. Might as well have kept Colyer.

{Ed077's Note - someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed ?}

01 Sep 2026 14:38:10
Chelsea getting Kone, who we apparently dithered over for weeks. I reckon that's a steal at 50m.

01 Sep 2026 15:07:32
I think we've made some good signings. Unfortunately, we haven't made nearly enough of them.

The lack of investment in seasons after we qualify for the Champions League shows a complete lack of ambition.

With the right signings, we could have challenged for the title this season. Unfortunately, the amount of revenue that winning the league would generate is less than it would cost to seriously compete, so the owners are content to do the bare minimum while all of the clubs around us strengthen, in the hopes that it will be enough to keep the fans quiet and secure another top four finish.



6/10 window.

01 Sep 2026 09:25:05
Today, last day of the window, we should remember all the staff who have suffered under Ratcliffe and the Glazers. The parasites enabled Ratcliffe so he introduced cost cutting, people lost their jobs so the club could make more money, so we could make profit. We thought it was so we could afford top players. Just a pack of lies.
Today I ask what was it for?

Unless there are several transfer shocks today were all these cost cuts to enable the club to compete? Or actually just to make more profit for dividends or even make us more attractive for a full sale next year? You should be able to see it. It doesn't look like they care at all about competing for the title or CL. It could change today, they could do something and get in a LB and a striker of real quality. The midfield bar Baleba looks a fudge but at least they did something, almost like just enough.

Here is what they did, sold to us as getting the club in order to compete, to be able to buy top players.
First wave (summer 2024): Around 250 jobs cut across departments. This was expected to deliver annualised savings of roughly £40–45m
• Second wave (announced February 2025): Further 150–200 redundancies as part of a "transformation plan." Combined with the first round, total cuts reached up to ~400–450 roles. Headcount fell substantially (from averages around 1, 100–1, 140 non-playing staff toward ~700). 
• Overall restructuring and redundancy-related exceptional costs have been reported in the tens of millions (figures cited in the £22–36m+ range across periods, including associated exits). These have reduced the wage bill notably (e.g., employee benefits and overall wages down significantly in subsequent accounts). 
Commercial and scouting teams were among areas affected; the club also reduced its London office presence and considered streamlining overseas operations.
Other Notable Cost Cuts and Changes
• High-profile ambassadorial and related roles: Sir Alex Ferguson's paid ambassador role (reported ~£2m per year) ended. Other ambassador salary reductions (e.g., involving figures like Bryan Robson, Andy Cole, Denis Irwin) were reported. 
• Staff benefits and perks: Free/staff lunches and canteen provisions ended or heavily restricted at Old Trafford (and changes planned/made at Carrington for non-players), with estimated savings around £1m annually in some reports. Christmas parties cancelled; FA Cup final travel support for staff withdrawn or reduced. Company credit cards and some bonuses tightened or eliminated. 
• Charitable and foundation contributions: Reduced funding to the Manchester United Foundation (reported ~£1m impact in some coverage); smaller payments (e.g., to certain supporter groups) adjusted or ceased in places.
• Ticket pricing: Introduction of a flat £66 match ticket rate (with removal or reduction of some senior/child concessions in the process).
• Broader operational tightening: Return-to-office mandate (ending flexible remote work); tighter spending approvals and expense controls; commercial department headcount reductions; and general "right-sizing" of non-football operations.

01 Sep 2026 10:38:40
For those interested, our Net Spend has been £88.34M.

Signed

Carlos Baleba - £65m + £5m
Andrey Santos - £48m + £2m
Youri Tielemans - £35m
Tynan Thompson - £4m + £4m
Cristian Orozco - £0.74m
Kit Margetson - Compensation
Karl Darlow - Free

Total spent: £163.74m + undisclosed fees.



Sold / Loaned / Released

Rasmus Hojlund - £38m
Radek Vitek - £6m + £8m
Toby Collyer - £3m + £4.6m
Andre Onana - Loan (£1.3m fee)
Altay Bayindir - Loan (£3.5m buy option)
Mason Greenwood - £11m (sell-on fee)

Total received: £75.4m* + undisclosed fees.

Net Spend: £88.34m* + undisclosed fees.

01 Sep 2026 10:40:34
I think you're letting emotion drive the conclusion here.

There are definitely decisions that deserve criticism. The ticket pricing changes, reductions in staff benefits, and some of the optics around the cuts have been poor, and have understandably upset supporters and staff.

That said, you're attributing motives and making claims that simply haven't been made. At no point did Ratcliffe say redundancies or cost-cutting measures were being implemented specifically to "buy top players". His argument has consistently been that United's cost base was too high, the club's finances needed fixing, and that the business needed to become sustainable.

Personally, I don't agree with every decision, but I also don't think it's unreasonable to cut costs in a business that has been posting significant losses. I work for a highly profitable financial services company, and we don't receive half the perks that some United staff had. Free meals, extensive travel perks, flexible arrangements, and other benefits are nice to have, but they're not an entitlement.

Likewise, remote working was largely introduced as a response to COVID. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people started treating it as an absolute right rather than a benefit granted by an employer.

Whether that's right or wrong, businesses are perfectly entitled to review those arrangements.

On the ambassador point, I have even less sympathy. Club legends deserve respect, but I don't think Manchester United should be indefinitely paying multimillion-pound ambassador contracts simply because someone was a great servant to the club. If the club is looking at every area of expenditure, those arrangements should be scrutinised like anything else.

The biggest issue with your argument is that you've created a test that Ratcliffe never set for himself. You've decided the cuts were made solely to fund blockbuster signings, and because that hasn't happened you're calling it a lie. But that's not actually what was promised.

Criticise the decisions, absolutely. Criticise the impact on morale, the fan experience, or whether the restructuring has been handled well. Those are fair debates. But claiming the entire exercise was fraudulent because United haven't gone on a transfer spending spree is arguing against a narrative you've invented rather than one Ratcliffe has publicly presented.

01 Sep 2026 10:54:34
Kurtis,

I never suggested anything was fraudulent, so let’s be clear.
I also understand the business decisions and rationale to cut costs.

However, let’s also be clear that, unless something changes in the coming hours, we are very right to ask why the cost cutting was done if it is not to improve the team.


Surely, as a football club, the No1 priority must be to make the team successful; that means buying the players to do it. We have not done that.

So what is the No1 priority at the club in your opinion?

01 Sep 2026 11:02:19
Net spend over last 3 seasons is over 400M. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs are the only teams to spend more. Spurs, mainly due to this summer, are most at around 500M.
Over 10 years we're at 1.3B net, which is the highest, with Arsenal at 1.2B and Chelsea at 1.1B.

The numbers do not back you up, Red Man. You keep pushing this, but there are other sticks to beat the club with if that's your agenda.

01 Sep 2026 11:26:36
Don,

Yet we only have one 31 year old left back and one striker who has had injury issues. Is that agenda not sufficient?

01 Sep 2026 11:35:02
Apologies, and just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting you were accusing anyone of literal fraud.

My point was that you're measuring the outcome against a narrative that Ratcliffe never actually presented. I don't recall him ever saying the staff cuts, redundancies, or other savings were being made specifically to fund "top players" or a transfer spree.

As for your question, I think the No.1 priority is restoring financial stability and putting the right football structure in place. Under PSR, owners can't simply keep writing cheques to cover inefficiency, so the club needs a sustainable cost base and better decision-making before anything else.



That's why I don't see improving the team and cost-cutting as mutually exclusive. The cuts are justified if they help create a financially stable club that can invest more effectively in the squad over the long term. The mistake, in my view, is assuming that team improvement can only be measured by how many players arrive in a single transfer window.

I'd also point out that many of these cuts were already underway before last summer, when United still spent heavily on the squad. I don't remember people repeatedly raising these arguments then. It seems they're only being brought up now because this window hasn't met expectations.

01 Sep 2026 11:45:17
Kurtis

Per a simple search, I think that's pretty clear.

"Savings were intended to create headroom for investment in the playing squad and facilities, while helping meet Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) / financial fair play constraints.

Club statements described a "transformation plan" / cost-saving programme to put the club on a "stable financial footing," stop non-essential activities, maximise resources for football and infrastructure, and enable long-term competitiveness."

01 Sep 2026 12:08:36
The priority is to build a stadium to line their pockets further, with the illusion it's for us fans.

01 Sep 2026 12:13:41
Over the last 5 years, the club has lost £375m and no dividends have been paid. Without making profits, no dividends will be paid, but not only that, the debt will not be reduced and the ability to purchase top players will continue to be restricted. Any normal business with debts of £1.3bn, revenues 1/2 of that, making losses would be on the verge of calling in the receivers. You have no idea whether dividends will be paid in the near future if we start to make profits again. Maybe the Board wants to hold onto cash to help fund the stadium. Maybe the bankers put conditions on the new fixed term loan. But generally, if a business is making money, the owners are perfectly entitled to reward themselves. That's the way the world works. It's not just Man Utd. Investors are ultimately in it to make money.

There's no one on this site who doesn't resent the Glazers for saddling the club with so much debt while making out like banshees. Personally, I think LBOs should be banned and not just in football. But, to me, their biggest sin was appointing and retaining Woodard to run the club. Even with the remaining debt after the company went public, the amount of money we've spent net on transfers since SAF retired has been enough to have kept us consistently in the top 4.

Meanwhile, everything else about the club was left to rot, non-playing staff numbers and costs rose to be the highest by far in the EPL. Things had to change. They should never have been allowed to continue for so long. In steps Ratcliffe. There have been costly missteps, but there has been some improvement, given last year's finish. We still carry players we can't get rid of because we paid too much for them and pay them too much. We haven't had many players we can afford to lose, from whom we could make a profit, with the result that over the last 10 years we have had the highest net spend in the whole of football. This appalling level of past incompetence cannot be fixed overnight. It's going to take time. I wish the Glazers would sell out and someone would buy the club and invest some cash to wipe out the debt, but it's not going to happen.

Redman, we all agree, we need to fix the defence. We're disappointed we haven't spent more this summer, but chill out. Please stop using pejorative terms like parasites. All of us here, bar a few trolls, love the club, but in the end it's just football.

01 Sep 2026 13:08:04
You said it yourself, Redman, long term. If you believe that 10 years of bad decisions, overpaying for average (bad) players, and a debt of about 1,3 billion will all be solved in 1-2 years, and we'll be able to overspend everyone again, I don't know what to say.

01 Sep 2026 14:56:32
Newname

Parasite "An organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food or other resources from or at the expense of its host. The parasite typically benefits while the host is harmed (to varying degrees)."

It's an accurate description.

01 Sep 2026 09:14:35
Deadline day, and sadly I'm not seeing much of anything linking United to any new players.

01 Sep 2026 10:37:09
We are prepping for a huge defensive overhaul and massive signings next summer..... tomorrow's paper headlines!! Lol.

01 Sep 2026 11:08:28
Tim,

I reckon the INEOS plan was always a 3-year/summer one. Last summer was the attack, this one for the midfield and next defense.

01 Sep 2026 11:26:43
You're probably right, however, some issues I.e lb might have been better addressed earlier, but it is what it is!

01 Sep 2026 07:45:19
Not sure I had seen this info before but Louis Saha revealed that Osimhen is a fan and is 'waiting' for United to make an approach. Saha said “I know for a fact that Victor Osimhen is a Manchester United fan.”

01 Sep 2026 10:30:20
That's pretty much common knowledge, he's also on £700,000 a week!

01 Sep 2026 15:45:25
I'd love to see Osimhen in the Prem but can't ever see it.
I don't feel qualified to comment on whether he's a mercenary, arrogant, or whatever. I have no idea. Obviously, there is a financial element that has hindered a move to a top club, but he's made an awful lot of money in the process, and it seems he's happy with that rather than leaving a legacy somewhere.

01 Sep 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - OptimumShots has posted a new article entitled, Where Everton Stand Under Squad Cost Ratio