Manchester United banter 9

27 Sep 2025 16:29:15
I have looked at this site for years but never registered or posted. Utd fan for 35 years and I always look for positives in the side and maybe I am a glass half full kind of guy. I watched the match today and it's the 1st time I have been able to watch since Grimsby due to finances and I am squarely in the amorim out camp after today. I wanted it to work but his lack of 'tweaking' will be his undoing. Every top manager knows when he/ she needs to change the tactics to match the game and his stubbornness to his 'system' is not a good look. As much as I don't want Southgate anywhere near the club I think he will be next and at least he won't play Bruno as a holding mid.

27 Sep 2025 17:23:38
God no not Southgate!

27 Sep 2025 17:23:57
Best hadn't be Southgate, need a proper manager who is proven in the league if we decide to replace Amorim. Like Iraola or Glasner.

27 Sep 2025 17:30:51
Glasner plays a back 3 though.

27 Sep 2025 18:23:08
Ireola…. Got to be approached, he is working wonders with Bournemouth after losing all his best players too….

27 Sep 2025 20:32:51
Howe
Iraola

Southgate - I am not a huge fan but I could see him as steady hands for a a few years.

27 Sep 2025 21:03:41
Potter available. and that would be a disaster.
Stick.

28 Sep 2025 06:57:33
Will green, so changing the man doesn't necessarily change the system.

28 Sep 2025 07:33:34
Iraola and Glasner are at clubs where they have got the players functioning well. After watching the way United devour managers, why would any of them move, especially mid season.

27 Sep 2025 15:52:12
Time to call it as we see it.

Formations, tactics, money spent, players moved on, etc etc, bla bla bla.

33 premier league games, 17 lost. It's relegation.

He walked in with a hand grenade and threw it in amongst the players. Never in my lifetime have I ever seen that work. Whatever he is selling in that dressing room, the players are not buying.

Time to be big boys INEOS, do the right thing for the club and get someone in that is not of their depth.

27 Sep 2025 16:39:12
People still don’t think we are relegation material…. we 1000% are and will be unless this manager is removed.

27 Sep 2025 16:45:44
Honestly its relegation. if they stick with this plank its championship next season. It's so crap its embarrassing. players not trying again, manager useless, and mainoo at the end not able to control the ball sums up everything. Can't even score penalties which has cost utd points that's needed. Was fearful last season now i'm its definitely happening. unless the differing board actually get some valls and sack him tonight.

27 Sep 2025 17:41:06
Lets call it as we see it.

There first goal came from a foul on Cunha which wasn't given, they lumped it forward and scored.

There second goal came from our keeper palming the ball out into the path of their striker then failing to save his shot despite it being right at the keeper.

They should have been down to 10 men, not even former match officials are trying to side with Pawson and the VAR team on this one.

Bruno missed the penalty.

There third goal while well hit was again straight at our keeper, who was again unable to save a shot he really should have.

So let's tally up the reasons why we lost this game,

We have two goals that our keeper should have saved but didn't.

Our captain missing another penalty.

And two really bad decisions by the Ref, one not to give the foul on Cunha and two not to send off Collins.

That's 5 things that went against us and not one of them is due to where our players stood at kick off. Is the manager doing a great job? No he's not, but let's stop with this delusion that everything is his fault and changing the manager will solve our problems. It won't.

We will still get bad decisions go against us in games. We will still have a keeper who isn't good enough, along with many other players.

The reality is we almost certainly get very similar performances and results whatever formation we play as it will still be the same players and our squad will still have the same weaknesses.

27 Sep 2025 18:27:59
Let’s call what we actually see…
Well you blame the keeper, RA keeps putting him in
RA keeps putting Bruno out of position
RA mainly just subs defenders for defenders
RA never changes anything
RA knows the CBs are not capable in this system
RA knows he got zero wing backs, he even bought one of them
RA not addressed midfield problems
RA shunning Mainoo
RA naivety cost club millions with his bomb squad
RA talks and talks but don’t produce
RA got less than 30% win rate
RA seen every player gone backwards backwards
RA not improved one single player

I would say that’s pretty conclusive.

27 Sep 2025 18:37:27
Shappy, you're an excuse merchant.

Can you write a game by game list please. 35 games, 32 points.

Let's hear it lol. Because that's the reality

35 games, 32 points. That gets us relegated . Get your head of the sand.

27 Sep 2025 18:41:10
Anotherupset. RA is the coach, not manager when it comes to players "he" buys and sells. You keep alluding in your different logins that he buys and sells the players. He doesnt.

27 Sep 2025 20:40:39
Shappy stop worrying about losing face and open your eyes pal.

Today’s game made perfect sense to start Lammens. RA chose not too.

He picked the 3x defenders, the first goal could be a foul but it doesn’t explain the lack of defensive cover but the system does.

The 2nd goal is on a weak keeper and defence selected by RA.

The 3rd was on the system and chasing the game and a poor keeper.

We shouldn’t be relying on a penalty and we should be generating enough chances with the players on the pitch.

RA will get a more time if this compensation clause is true. But I don’t think your assessment of RA is balanced or fair.

27 Sep 2025 20:54:28
Liverpool fan here who has also had a rubbishty afternoon wat his team.

Shappy, you cannot defend Amorim after that. Andrew's changed his formation because he knew exactly how to set up to frustrate and ultimately beat United today. United fans have got to expect more.

If Amorim is still in charge when we play each other in a few weeks I will shocked.

27 Sep 2025 21:08:40
Last season was a write off from day 1.

My annoyances with Amorim are:

1. He isn't playing Lammens

2. He keeps playing Maguire and Shaw

3. He won't start Mainoo, even though when he comes on it changes the game

That's it.

I will say last night was hard to watch.

Hope Sunderland is more entertaining.

27 Sep 2025 22:56:52
I’ll call it as I saw it.

They scored 3, we scored 1.

Does not matter how much spin and sob stories you throw at it.

28 Sep 2025 06:32:55
Shappy, you're a teacher and can't tell the difference between their and there? I'm not sure I could take any of your posts seriously anymore.

28 Sep 2025 07:39:06
Altay kept us in the game remember, could have been 4-5 down without his saves.

We all have to agree Bruno as the box to box midfielder doesn’t work. If that was Amorim’s plan for the season, it was a bad decision and he needs to own that not repeat it every week.

27 Sep 2025 15:16:06
Not just RA at fault here, to spend all the budget on 3up front, with midfield being such a weakness was madness. We have plenty of players who can play at 10 and still bought 2 more ahead of CDM. The total refusal of RA to change his system is frustrating and will cost him his job, he currently has olyers who can play 4-3-3or even 4-4-2 but refuses. When you play Maguire at CB because your afraid of Brentford long throw, l give up. Said it before the spine of any team is crucial. He had Maguire at CB, Bruno plying out of position in midfield and a you Sesko up top finding it difficult to link play, 5hink Zirkzee would do better at the moment to give awesome time to adjust. On a separate note, thought Bayindir was very good today, only for his saves it would have been 5. Michael Carrick as caretaker, but Nuno would be a good call unless he's already gone to the hammers.

27 Sep 2025 15:45:48
Carrick was a disaster at Boro.

27 Sep 2025 15:47:55
Redcon, do u think the board and owners have the level of belief in Amorim that they say they do? or are they simply hesitant to sack him as he was their appointment, and his failure reflects badly on them?

27 Sep 2025 17:10:41
Redcon let's be fair here last season what let us down the most was an inability to score.

Antony, Rashford, Sancho, Hojlund, Zirkzee, Garnacho, and Amad were the forward options.

Lets say we didn't buy Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko and bought a couple of midfielders instead like you are suggesting, do you think those forward options would be banging goals in left right and centre now?

The problem is that we needed at least 1 keeper, a striker, a couple of creators, a couple of athletic and technically sound midfielders, and probably a fullback/ wingback. While some would also say we needed a CB this summer as well.

Now we got a keeper for 20m, a striker for 70m, two creators for 70m each. That's 240m spent, which I'm pretty sure is the most we've ever spent in a summer window, all on the backdrop of financial issues with the club that the new owners are trying to sort out.

Where were you expecting the extra 250m to come from for another couple of midfielders, a CB and a fullback/ wingback?

This was never going to be possible to rebuild the team in one window. Whoever we signed was going to leave gaps/ problems in other areas of the team.

Ultimately we signed two EPL players entering their peak years, and two younger high potential players who should be good enough now, but we won't really see the best from them for another 2-3 years.

How much do you really expect us to improve on where we were last season with just four additions?

27 Sep 2025 17:23:08
The problem presented to INEOS is more about the hows than the whats.

If, for example, they do decide that RA is not the solution, then how bad is the smell?

The sparkly magic carpet of 'Home-grown lad brings back success' needs to avoid heavy sidewinds, and his hand-picked motley crew are tasked with the navigating - how does the repeated shows of faith in RA impact the reverence of the INEOS regime?

We all know the media thrive on the 'Man Utd crisis' narrative and that porky animal has already been overfed, they are just waiting for the next big meal - how should we serve it?

27 Sep 2025 17:24:29
We’ve signed prem proven players Shappy who now wander around the pitch with the rest looking clueless.

That’s on the manager and coaching team.

27 Sep 2025 17:43:30
2toms, I'm not sure which games you've been watching but Cunha and Mbeumo have looked really good for us so far. Unfortunately football is a team sport and its about the 11 players and not the individual.

27 Sep 2025 18:05:18
That’s not correct, we did not need number 10s, we needed a proper experienced striker, we got number 10s already, Bruno in number 10 would have got more than Cunha and Mbuemo on his own… we needed midfielder and decent experienced CB
So 100 mil striker 80-90 million on midfielder 40-50 on CB could have still spent 20 on a keeper no one seen yet btw….

But that’s all ifs and buts and maybes, you could give RA a whole team and he would still not win the league probably even struggle for top 4 his in game management is disastrous, he does same thing over and over. He is very naive and so far out his depth, but appears to be unwilling to learn from so many mistakes.

What player has he improved in virtually a year?

Playing this way with such a lack of pace at the back and midfield with 2 poor wing backs will never work in this league….

But it’s ok let’s give him another 3/ 4 windows if we not relegated by then!

Be honest with yourself under 30% win rate is diabolical a year in and every player gone backwards.

Even in transition you need to pick up wins….

27 Sep 2025 19:09:14
German, you say we didn't need number 10's yet we created absolutely naff all last season.

We couldn't score in a brothel.

That would still be the problem this season if we didn't bring in Cunha and Mbeumo.

This is the best 11 we had when EtH was sacked: Onana, Dalot, MdL, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Bruno, Rashford and Højlund.

How many of them needed replacing in your opinion?

Well we've replaced four of them with new signings.

It's a 2-3 year rebuild and we are in year one. Grow up and realise where we are and stop having a temper tantrum every time something doesn't go your way.

27 Sep 2025 19:35:01
I get that you are playing devils advocate here but Cunha has not been great as if yet, Mbeumo has looked good at times but this was Brentford today who lost Wissa, Mbeumo and Frank and could have scored five. The team need confidence and see a manager that looks defeated on the bench. He had week to plan for this game but it didn't look it. I think most PL managers will find a way to beat this team as they are currently set up.

27 Sep 2025 19:46:04
As much as I love Mbeumo, and it's obvious he's light years ahead of most of the options we already have, that second no.10 signing should have been a central midfielder. The Newcastle interest panicked them and they went for it.
If Amorim lasts long enough to see it I assume this is Fernandes' last season and a mid comes in, but until then, he has to be a no.10, or on the bench.

27 Sep 2025 22:30:19
Really good Shappy? Are you sure about that mate? Mbuemo is a good player, no doubt about that. Cunha could potentially be good for us but to say they have been really good when we languish in 14th on -4 goal difference is a bit of a stretch.

27 Sep 2025 15:15:28
I'm really not understanding the patience that this manager has received now.

If people were calling OGS a P. E teacher then Amorim is the Dad taking his kid's 5 a side on a Sunday.

We all said it was the drama queen's in the club not pulling their wait. Well the bomb squad's gone and we're still self destructing.

The joke is people say he's good in post match interviews. He's not. He says one thing one week then retracts it the next.

Pre match he said even he doesn't know what United is going to turn up. With the world's scrutiny on you, you need a manager who is emotionally stable, not saying he's going to walk out any second.

Amorim out.

27 Sep 2025 15:27:23
Brentford fans 'singing your getting sacked in the morning' why wait until morning?

'Those who never changed their mind never changed anything' (Churchill) Far too easy to play against, I'm for giving a manger time, as long as we can see something is building but I'm seriously struggling to see anything.

If he does not start an immediate improvement in performances then I can not see him lasting much longer.

27 Sep 2025 15:56:51
I've been trying not to jump on the band wagon but I have to admit that I've had enough of watching this crap every week. Nothing is going to change while RA is in charge.

27 Sep 2025 16:06:44
Absolutely no point in keeping him another day. he is hopeless. amorim out for me.

27 Sep 2025 16:59:05
Bench Warmer, I can’t watch him pressers any more. It’s absolute drivel.

I liked him when he came in. He had a bit of charisma but he’s full of s**t now.

He’s had a full preseason and has got rid of the players deemed surplus, added players and we’re still crap.

Ineos have a very big decision to make.

26 Sep 2025 18:42:36
Does anyone watch the academy review on Stretford Paddock?

Some exciting players coming through JJ Gabriel while a child at 14 is killing it at U18 level.

26 Sep 2025 22:49:25
Ah new blood that can be hyped up then brutally rubbish down after a year or two in the first team.

Amad being the next target mark my words.

27 Sep 2025 10:29:45
He's being hyped in much the same way that Max Dowman has been at Arsenal.

It looks like the only two things that might potentially hold him back is WHEN is he physically able to mix it with the senior players, and attitude/ mentality.

Angel Gomes for example had phenomenal ability and was ripping up youth football, but he never gained the physicality to mix it in the EPL. If a young player takes longer to mature physically then the options are to either keep them playing at a level that isn't challenging them and therefore stunting their development, or risk them picking up injuries playing against men. Neither option tend to work out.

On the other hand you have Ravel Morrison, who was physically ready to play mens football, but had the wrong attitude/ mentality.

JJ Gabriel has amazing talent, but he needs the right people around him right now and over the next 5-10 years to keep his feet on the ground and ensure he doesn't start believing his own hype. This is so hard to achieve in modern society with social media. Like any young person he will be looking for validation and will want to know what people think of him. He'll go online and read everything he can find. At that age it's hard to keep your feet on the ground when everyone is hyping you up. He'll know who the people are who really care about him as they will tell him the hard truths and will look to provide constructive criticism. Those that don't just want to ride on his coattails. But at that age it's so hard to turn away from those who tell you things you don't want to hear and instead surround yourself with sycophants.

Hopefully he keeps his feet on the ground, focuses on developing his game, listening to his coaches, and doesn't get caught up in all the media fuff, avoids injuries, and develops his body in the right way at the right time.

If he does then he'll reach the top, if not then he'll be the next cautionary tale told to the next generation.

27 Sep 2025 11:50:50
I don’t think he’ll keep his feet on the ground.
But I think he’s being managed and prepared for stardom.

When you look into the measures his parents have gone to from changing his name to his sponsorship deals, I’m of the opinion he’ll take the Yamal route and he’ll make mistakes as he goes.

Scored again just now against Citeh. Btw.

25 Sep 2025 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

27 Sep 2025 14:17:00
He probably will look at the first team and think. Naaaaa this is not for me and move anyway….

24 Sep 2025 18:53:15
Congratulations to the GW5 winner of the FOOTBALL RUMOURS FPL league:

Neymardosh.

24 Sep 2025 18:32:36
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

24 Sep 2025 20:43:35
Thank you again Ed001, top read as always.

Still can't believe Arteta didn't start Eze.

{Ed001's Note - thank you mate. I am not surprised, Arteta is just too negative.}

25 Sep 2025 09:08:36
Spanish Pulís.

25 Sep 2025 16:43:51
Don't think arsenal will ever win a league under arteta tbh.
Doesn't have that elite level manager mentality.

26 Sep 2025 05:39:54
For Arteta read Southgate, similar mentality. First instinct don’t lose. What made SAF great was that risk for reward. Agree with Ed.

26 Sep 2025 15:53:12
So taking off an attacker and playing Phil Neville in a deep lying defensive midfield spot to stop arsenal was going for it?!

Fergy regularly changes his teams and tactics for the opposition we were playing. What about Park 3 lung marking Pirlo out of the game?

Sometimes attack is the best form of defense. But we often went for it most when we were behind and we were throwing the kitchen sink at it.

26 Sep 2025 18:48:43
I think Arteta stalled abit but he’s built a great squad.
If he can bring together the brutal efficiency from set plays and the possession football of his earlier seasons they’d be great.

I’m not sure there’s a better option right now for them.

24 Sep 2025 09:47:19
Hello Ed001,

Hope you're well.

Did you do a gameweek review for this weekend? Or have I missed it?

{Ed001's Note - I am in the middle of doing it now. Sorry, running a bit late as I had a plumbing problem which meant my kitchen flooded and I spent most of Monday cleaning up. Hopefully should be finished in the next few hours.}

24 Sep 2025 10:54:37
Once disconnected my washing machine pipe from the machine without turning the water off.

Needed a bigger boat for that mess!

{Ed001's Note - in one place I live, the drains got blocked and water was pumping back up out of sewer pipes. The whole floor was flooded throughout the flat. And it kept happening about once a month until in the end they redid all the pipes in the building to fix it.}

24 Sep 2025 13:46:13
“In one place I live”

What a way to out yourself as omnipotent Ed001.

{Ed001's Note - oh that was an interesting typo! Should have said lived. It was above a bank, so they couldn't fix the pipes until the bank changed location as the vault was there. It was horrible to have all that dirty water flooding every so often. But the rent was cheap because of it!}

24 Sep 2025 17:14:43
Thank you ed, much appreciated.

{Ed001's Note - it is up on FNV now, just waiting on Ed33 to link it up. Sorry for the wait.}

25 Sep 2025 00:04:35
I had a cellar in a place I lived where that happened often. Dyanrod were the saviour that day!

23 Sep 2025 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - TomB has posted a new article entitled, Can Enzo Maresca Succeed At Chelsea FC?

23 Sep 2025 14:09:55
Isnt he already “undisputed super galxay universal champion of the world” after winning the club world cup.

Hes already succeeded?

24 Sep 2025 04:58:15
Not sure he is long term future of Chelsea, he showed naivety in this game, but happy he did, it got us the win…he panicked after sending off.

Managers/ coaches need to adapt RA is just too rigid, what’s all the changing defenders all about with in game substitutions, when not enforced, it’s ok maybe occasionally but changing defenders seems to be his go to…every game it’s weird, not as if he is some kind of visionary ahead of time.

24 Sep 2025 08:42:05
He's a good manager, yet the Chelsea job has historically been difficult with few managers lasting more than a couple of seasons.

I was very surprised by his tactical changing against us when they went down to 10 men. He took off everyone who offered a threat in behind, which allowed us to push up against them without any fear of a long ball over the top. With 85 minutes left to play he invited all the pressure and really was probably lucky to make it to halftime without the game being over and beyond a possible comeback. Surely it would have made more sense to go 432 so they could still have the three man midfield to congested the middle of the pitch, but keeping João Pedro and importantly Estavao on for that threat in behind and to stop us being able to fully push up against them.

All that said, it was just his tactical response in one game and probably not something to judge his entire time at Chelsea on.