Manchester United banter 9

21 Jul 2026 18:15:04
A little left-field, but if I were the powers that be, I'd be all over John Stones on a free, this summer.

An experienced head, a natural winner, Maguire, Martinez and De Ligt injuries.

I've just got major concerns about us having to go to PSG away with a CB pairing of Yoro and Heaven and a midfield of Tielemans and Mainoo. Shudder.

21 Jul 2026 19:04:53
I mean, I get the theory, but... doesn't he have more injury concerns than any of them lol.

21 Jul 2026 20:14:45
The last thing we need is another centre back that spends more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

21 Jul 2026 20:36:51
I think the financial side of the deal would be something that would be a big stumbling block, and you could only offer him a one year deal, or you'd be stuck with him.

21 Jul 2026 23:08:57
I think, if there were no concerns over his fitness and injury record, he'd frankly have stayed at City beyond his current deal.

22 Jul 2026 11:43:56
Would be better than anything we have though, that's for sure. Yes, we need the experience, we need some more pace, but we certainly need a player who can be on the pitch 90% of the time... or at least not got a poor record like de Ligt, Martinez etc.

21 Jul 2026 16:23:21
On Rashford, all us fans want to see is a player working hard on the pitch, give 100%. Goals and assists will come. All depends on his attitude and desire, he's 28 now, not a kid. Agree with other posters though, think he will be sold late on given the wages he's on.

21 Jul 2026 17:54:54
Let's be clear, his application on the pitch was shocking before he left us. However, my main issue with Rashford is that, for several years, he just hasn't been very good. I would far rather play Lacey than Rashford.



Whatever is being said publicly, I hope, privately, he is being told he has no future here.

Hats off to you Redcon, starting another Rashford thread when there is already one going.

21 Jul 2026 18:07:05
Rashford's problem is the fact he isn't a good enough player to start every week. He has had one good season where he did really well.
We talk a lot about wages, but in reality Bruno is worth 300 thousand a week because he plays every game.


You can't pay Rashford 325 to sit on the bench, that is where a wage bill gets pulled into it.

21 Jul 2026 18:11:15
I'm 100% taking Rashford over £70m on Summerville or £80m on Gordon.

We're basically saying that Rashford, Cunha, Dorgu, Sesko and Zirkzee cover the LW and CF positions between them this season. Personally, it's Zirkzee who needs to be sold if another attacker is to be brought in.

21 Jul 2026 18:34:10
He has to be sold. The fact he plays for his boyhood club on crazy wages, and still can't be bothered to run, amazes me. Gordon might lack certain attributes that Rashford may have, but he runs, can press, and that's the reason Barca decided on him rather than Rashford.

He has a terrible attitude, and we can't have that around the rest of the squad. I wouldn't even want him on pre-season. I would let him leave for free.

21 Jul 2026 20:51:49
I don't think anyone disagrees that selling Rashford is the preferred option, but if no club he wants to move to wants to buy him, then we're stuck with him. If that's the case, then we'll have to make the best of it. His wage is the equivalent of a £50m player on £120k a week.

21 Jul 2026 09:42:31
So it seems as though, due to Rashford's situation remaining unresolved, our search for a LB and LW has stalled.

Rashford staying will mean that he is the additional LW/Forward option and it will mean, most likely that Dorgu will become more of a LB option.

Here's hoping it's resolved soon dn we will see a new LB arrive as well as new forward.

It's only a few days after the World Cup so I presume the club is working hard on resolving the situation and selling/loaning Rashford, freeing up space in the squad and on the books.



And whether or not Carrick and the club mean it, where the sounds are that they will reintegrate him into the group (my bet is they don't mean that) well it sounds better than 'bomb squad'.

21 Jul 2026 10:27:15
I don't have a problem with him staying, even if it feels a few bridges have been burned, and I think he'll leave. Dorgu looked good prior to his injury, but Rashford would still be a fantastic player to have. I bet Carrick would love to have him in the squad.

The issue was with the previous manager and the snowball effect of fans turning against him. If this forum didn't exist, I suspect the average Utd fan would be happy to keep him.

21 Jul 2026 10:43:54
If Rashford stayed and scored a few goals, it would all be forgotten by the majority, and they would be singing his name.

21 Jul 2026 11:41:41
Personally I feel like it would be best for all concerned if Rashford could find a new club, it feels like too much water has passed under the bridge now to go back. But who knows, the dressing room Rashford would be coming back to is very different from the one he left, the manager is a former teammate, and maybe he's realised the grass isn't greener elsewhere.

If he ends up staying then we need to try and get the best out of him, at his best he is a real asset to the team, someone who offers real threat in behind, pace, goals and creativity. Ultimately he brings all the things we are looking for in a LW signing.

Dorgu I suspect will still play a fair few games as a LW, but maybe a few more at LB. Maybe Rashford gives Dorgu the kind of competition and coverage to allow him to develop without quite as much pressure. Maybe it gives us the freedom to send Amass out on loan again (at least for the first half of the season), giving him the game time he needs to kick on and step up.

Best case scenario is Rashford returns close to his best form, Dorgu is given the space needed to continue to develop and Amass kicks on out on loan coming back ready to challenge for a first team spot. Then next summer we have Dorgu ready to be a first team regular at LW, and Amass ready to challenge to be first choice at LB. While Rashford's form means we get some serious offers next summer when he has a year left on his deal, meaning we can either keep him for his final year if that is best for everyone or sell him and use the funds to bring in a new player for the left hand side.

Ultimately right now we don't know is Dorgu is going to be a LB or a LW long term, and Amass looks close to being ready, but it would be a big ask to just throw him in.

Keeping Rashford gives both young players time to develop and for the club to assess what we really need.

We could sign someone like Summerville this summer and then Dorgu turns out to be the better option. After we've sunk 40-50m+ on a new signing (who of course isn't guaranteed to be a success).
Or maybe we spend big on a LB like Lewis Hall only for Dorgu to end up being better used as a LB and Amass kicks on and is challenging, leaving us with three potentially top LB's (one having been signed for 60-70m), and no winger options.

There is a real possibility, maybe even a probability that keeping Rashford for another season is best for the club. Giving us time to develop our young left hand side players, and allowing us to focus funds on other positions without potentially wasting it on the wrong players this summer.

21 Jul 2026 13:09:15
Dorgu is not good enough as a left back but like him further forward.

21 Jul 2026 13:11:52
Dorgu is very adaptable and can also play on the right. I agree with those who think a new club is the best for all, but, assuming Rashford's committed 100% to the cause, he's not necessarily a bad option. His salary is high, but no amortization, so overall cost might not be prohibitive if it saves us another transfer.

It also prevents him from going to an EPL rival where, like Danny Welbeck, he could come back to haunt us! I'd let him go to Spurs if we could have Porro or Spence.

21 Jul 2026 13:12:29
Keeping him is high risk, in my opinion. His wages and age mean this only works if he can return to 19/20 or 22/23 seasons' form, when he was good for 20+ goals a season in all competitions.

He can't be reintegrated as a back-up/fringe option, he'll probably be the highest earner at the club, and it goes against all the spiel and briefings about turning down Tonali/Fernandes because of their wages and transfer fees.



I think a likely exit route is within the Premier League: Villa, as they will have space now Rodgers is leaving; Spurs, who are keen to flash the cash; or Arsenal, if they miss out on priority forward targets.

21 Jul 2026 14:39:17
Get rid. A supposed boyhood Utd fan can't be arsed to give 100%. What does that say about him.

21 Jul 2026 14:52:19
I'm struggling to see the upside of him staying, especially with the wages he's on. He needs to be sold/loaned, I reckon. Even if he's sold to a Prem team, I wouldn't mind, but would only loan him out abroad.

21 Jul 2026 15:20:09
He can't come back. He won't be motivated to play off the bench. When he has a bad game, the fans will be on his back. Going back is not a good option for either.

21 Jul 2026 15:31:54
I won't comment about his motivation to play again for Utd as I have no idea how strong or weak it is. I would hate to see him go to another Premier League team and play to his potential, though.

21 Jul 2026 15:35:32
I am sorry, but am I missing something here? Where's Cunha in all this? Wasn't he playing left side of that front 3/4? Does that trash walk back in ahead of Cunha straight away?

21 Jul 2026 15:57:48
Rashford had issues with EtH and RA. His commitment was questionable when OGS was in charge as well.

My main concern was how selfish he became and how he just stopped trying. That was unforgivable!

21 Jul 2026 16:17:34
I'd prefer Marcus Rashford to go. Nothing personal, just wage outlay vs on-pitch output.

I feel a bit defensive about his laziness. I remember he had a bad back problem, played through pain, and I'd be of the opinion his body is not up to it.



Rashford did work hard at one point. Whether he's billy big balls now and can't be arsed, or he just doesn't have the capacity, I'm not sure anyone knows. But I think we all know it's time to move on, either this season or next.

21 Jul 2026 16:38:14
I'm with you, MH, and there are some that will forgive if he scored a few, as Angel said.
I won't forgive him for his sustained bad professionalism. I'd hold him in lower regard than Di Maria.
I'm mature enough to know I don't have to like all our players, or respect them. As long as the team is winning, I don't care what individuals play; for the most part I don't have to like them all, and if Rashford plays well, I'd acknowledge the same as I would if he doesn't.


The key is
The club don't want him
He doesn't want to be here.
He will only go to someone who suits him. That's his right.
If a move doesn't come that suits him, he will sit tight. There is not one thing we can do about that, like him or not, forgive him or not.

21 Jul 2026 16:45:22
If Rashford decides he wants to stay and actually puts in the effort. If, after the first few games, he's still jogging around the pitch looking disinterested, he can go play with the reserves until January.

As others have said, I do think a fully fit and firing Rashford is a real asset.

Motivation is clearly an issue, though. If he doesn't want to be at the club, he should find himself a club that he does want to play for, who actually wants him.

21 Jul 2026 20:13:26
Hold him in lower regard than Di Maria ??? you're something else!

21 Jul 2026 21:35:24
Rashford's options are limited though.

And it may be that his best option is actually Man Utd?

22 Jul 2026 00:35:36
Yeah Angel, I despise the way Rashford conducted himself on and off the pitch for a really sustained period.
Someone will take him, I don't care who, really. I find it crazy Barcelona didn't take him at 26m.
But they don't see value in him at that, obviously. He might end up back there on loan with even less chance of playing, so I doubt they will do that. Maybe a loan to Italy, where the tax is much lower, so a couple of clubs there could go a long way to covering his wage.
But I'm not sure he has the passion for the game, and doesn't really want to dedicate himself to his profession and work hard.


I think he and his camp think he is better than he is. He is being paid an awful lot more than he is worth, so therein lies the problem.
He might loan hop for a couple of seasons, walk out on a free, and get a nice deal in the States at 30.
I've zero respect for him as a United football professional, none at all.
If we get stuck with him, so be it. The best I can hope for in that case is that he shows some flashes of his talent and makes the odd valuable contribution.
There are a few players or coaches over the years that I've held no regard for, or lost all respect for. It's no big deal, it's my opinion, for 1.

22 Jul 2026 10:14:09
Post in this thread from Shappy saying the dressing room Rashford would be coming back to is much better than the one he left. ...... A large part of the reason for that was moving the likes of Rashford out.

When he was still playing for us before his loan move, let's not forget that he was a relatively experienced player at the time, with hundreds of appearances for us and about 60 caps for England, not some kid.

..... And his attitude, both on and off the pitch, was atrocious.

You also have to wonder what effect Ronaldo's second coming had on Ronaldo, Sancho, Garnacho, etc.

Watching their hero not track back, throwing a strop when not in the team, or being brought on as a sub, running to Piers Morgan to have a bitch. Maybe they all thought they could do the same.

21 Jul 2026 09:06:32
Alex Scott turns down new deal at Bournemouth as he wants to move on and play Champions League football.

I think this'll gather pace and we'll have an Ornstein/Romano "United make offer to Bournemouth" post either today or tomorrow.

I like the player a lot and if we hadn't got Tielemans and Mainoo already, then I'd be ecstatic. I just don't see how they complement one another in any way. All technical ball-players and against low-blocks, it might work. But I just don't see who is going to win the ball back, shield our incredibly slow back four etc. Playing the PSG-way in midfield relies on extreme pace and power at the back with Pacho, rather than Maguire and Martinez.

21 Jul 2026 10:31:58
The worry is Arsenal and Chelsea are also interested.

21 Jul 2026 11:48:10
I think we've just seen the benefits from having hard working, technically gifted midfielders at the World Cup.

Let's not get it twisted either, Santos, Tielemans and Scott were all in the top 10 EPL midfielders last season for percentage of duels won per 90.

So, all three have shown that they are capable ball winners. They might not rack up the same kind of numbers as some more purely defense minded midfielders, but then you have to ask how United are looking to play next season.

Do we want to be a team that doesn't have the ball that much and therefore need physical ball winners to get it back, or do we want to be a ball dominant side who have the majority of possession? Meaning, we don't need to fight as much to win it back, but we do need efficient ball winners.

I'd be happy with Alex Scott, but I'd also be happy with many other options if it came to that.

21 Jul 2026 12:24:13
We ain't paying what Bournemouth will be asking. Got Arsenal written all over it.

21 Jul 2026 13:09:45
I'd say he's off to Arsenal too. Although he might not start that many games there with the midfield they already have.

He wouldn't likely start at Chelsea either unless they do sell Enzo.

I'd like him at United, but is he a starter here either? Maybe, nobody knows. A midfield of Scott and Tielemans rather than Mainoo could be ok.

21 Jul 2026 14:01:13
Does he get in the Arsenal team ahead of Rice, Eze, Zubamendi, Odegaard, Merino and Lewis-Skelly?

21 Jul 2026 14:03:01
Why are people suggesting Arsenal when they're almost certain to sign Bruno from Newcastle? They aren't shelling out £150m on the pair of them.

21 Jul 2026 14:44:33
I hope to God we don't pay what they are asking. Not worth half of it, just like Fernandes and Baleba for that matter.

21 Jul 2026 20:49:41
Hardly anybody in the current market is worth what it is being quoted or sold for in some cases.

Fernandes, Tonali and Anderson are all overpriced. Rogers is heavily overpriced. Summerville is now extremely overpriced, going to Saudi.



It appears to be the market we are now in, or at least the market if you want a Premier League player under 30 years old.

Only way to try and get a little value is to take a risk on a player from another country and league.

20 Jul 2026 19:45:19
Evening all. Not transfer related but if Mount was to be moved on, who do you think should take the no.7 shirt out of this current crop?

20 Jul 2026 20:39:10
None of them 2 Toms too big of a burden for any of them.

20 Jul 2026 20:42:40
Cunha.

20 Jul 2026 21:15:27
Bruno to break the curse.

20 Jul 2026 22:53:04
Leave it open, and let someone from the academy earn it.

21 Jul 2026 06:53:58
The No7 has been given away too easily, Mount was a poor choice and I didn't agree with it. I would leave it unused until there is a player truly worthy. There isn't one at the moment. Maybe JJ Gabriel will emerge in the next few years. Maybe we shall see.

21 Jul 2026 07:19:46
Sadly the shirt has long lost its elite status. Too long between worthy people wearing it for it to have any real meaning.

I am with Red Man. Keep it on ice until someone looks like they are capable of doing it proud.

21 Jul 2026 10:18:11
Makes zero difference, it's only a shirt number, and has no effect on the players' play.

21 Jul 2026 11:10:58
Surely this is now past its sell-by. What real difference does it make? It all started to lose shirt number status when 1-11 went and squad numbers were introduced, and it has slowly eroded since. I think it's a bit of a myth that iconic shirt numbers actually affect a player's output or not, just another romantic gesture that some try to cling on to.

21 Jul 2026 11:54:13
It's a question none of us can answer. Maybe there is someone in the squad with the quality and the personality to take on the No.7 shirt and not be weighed down by the pressure. But, without knowing the players personally, none of us can really know.

Some players, like Beckham, grow into the shirt; others, like Cantona and Ronaldo, instantly looked the part. All were super talented, but it was their mentalities that were different.

Beckham had to prove himself to himself before he thought he was ready for it; even then, if you listen to him, he had a couple of doubts when Sir Alex told him he was getting the No.7, while Cantona and Ronaldo had the kind of self-belief that meant they never had a worry about the weight of the shirt.

It's the personality that decides whether a person can carry that shirt, not the talent.

21 Jul 2026 12:04:28
It's nonsense. The shirt no has no impact on how a player plays, only fans believe that nonsense, imo.

21 Jul 2026 13:56:36
I would disagree there, Tw
Just look at the Beckham comments to realise what it meant to him. If it elevates a player even 1%, then it means something. I have seen all the Great 7s, and there is something about it.

Stepping into the shirt of Best, Cantona, Robson, Charlton, Ronaldo, it has prestige. When Mount goes to hold it, tell JJ Gabriel it could be his if he earns it.

21 Jul 2026 13:57:37
Beckham had 10 before 7.

21 Jul 2026 14:50:29
He played great for Madrid in a different number and at United. It might mean something to a player, but it won't improve his game one iota.
It's emotional clap trap, imo, and it means something to some fans who are always looking for the next icon, or a replica of yesteryear.


It makes no difference what colour the jersey or what number is on the back to a player's performance.

21 Jul 2026 15:32:31
It probably does mean more to the fans than to players, but it's what it means to the fans that makes that shirt that little bit "heavier". It's the expectation and excitement of the player who gets to wear it. It's the shirt number at United that fans associate, and maybe represents United the best. So anyone who wears it, suddenly, through no fault of their own, has to deal with the pressure of wearing the iconic Manchester United number 7 shirt.

It's the same pressure that comes with a large transfer fee. The fee shouldn't make a difference to a player, but when they have that £100M price tag over their head, suddenly, they come under the spotlight that little bit more.

21 Jul 2026 15:32:31
It probably does mean more to the fans than players, but it's what it means to the fans that makes that shirt that little bit "heavier". The expectation and excitement of the player who gets to wear it. It's the shirt number at United that fans associate, and maybe represents United the best, so anyone who wears it, suddenly, through no fault of their own, has to deal with the pressure of wearing the iconic Manchester United number 7 shirt.



It's the same pressure that comes with a large transfer fee. The fee shouldn't make a difference to a player, but when they have that £100M price tag over their head, suddenly, they come under the spotlight that little bit more.

21 Jul 2026 15:42:27
A lot of sports psychology is about getting very small incremental gains, which add up and can make the difference between winning and losing. It is undeniable that to some players a specific shirt number means something.

So give it to the attacking player who really shows they want it.

21 Jul 2026 16:20:35
Last 10 #7's...

1. Mason Mount - 2023-present
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 2021-2022 (also wore it from 2003-2009)
3. Edinson Cavani - 2020-2021
4. Alexis Sanchez - 2018-2019
5. Memphis Depay - 2015-2017
6. Angel Di Maria - 2014-2015
7. Antonio Valencia - 2012-2014
8. Michael Owen - 2009-2012
9. David Beckham - 1997-2003
10. Eric Cantona - 1992-1997.

20 Jul 2026 15:46:06
Sad news about Keegan. Great player, passionate about the game. Mighty mouse indeed, small in size but a huge personality.

20 Jul 2026 17:44:24
Very sad.
RIP Kevin Keegan.

20 Jul 2026 22:56:49
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner, and I think he is still incredibly underrated in English football history. For me, he suffers because he is always compared to King Kenny in the minds of many, but he was a truly magnificent player when I was growing up. RIP.

20 Jul 2026 23:02:19
And he always played with a smile on his face.

21 Jul 2026 07:23:02
Never liked him as a player whilst he was playing for "them", but greatly admired the way he carried himself during and after his career.

Loved him when he was not in red.

A great ambassador for the game, and, by all accounts, a great bloke who will be sadly missed.

RIP Kev.

20 Jul 2026 13:23:53
Good to see Tynan Thompson's transfer go through. Seems a promising player. The personal circumstances for why he's leaving Spurs are sad but hopefully he can develop and push on at United.

20 Jul 2026 13:20:00
The best team won, but overall there was a lot to dislike about this World Cup.

Let's start with the football. Some sendings off initially, but as the competiton progressed, players seemed to be getting away with all sorts, Paraguay and Argentina stand out. Whether conscious or not, it seemed Argentina were continually given the benefit of the doubt, the Egypt game in particular was the best example of applying rules inconsistently. Even last night I feared for the tesult as the ref seemed completely out of his depth.

A lot of matches were not good adverts for the game, the smaller teams packing everyone behind the ball and using low blocks to frustrate. I get why they do it, but it's horrible to watch. There were some awesome games too, with the meaninglss 3rd place game being the best of them but this is the World Cup, the pinnacle of the game.

The final was poor, if the referee had stamped down on the pettiness early on then a game of football may have broken out, but he let some dodgy challenges go and the tone was set. I hate the way Argentina play, its nasty and crass, bit if the ref let's them get away with it then they will just carry on.

As for England, I think we've covered it, Tuchel is not the Messiah and he made some terrible decisions, particularly in the semi-final. Taking players who were not fit or had not played, playing defenders in midfield, Bellingham dragged us to the semis.

Away from the football, apparently Infantino stipulated he had to be shown on screen at every game he attended, narcissism at its finest, and Gianni is a huge part of the problem, bending rules whenever he sees fit.

Alowing the US to essentially override established protocols was unnecessary and didn't improve the spectacle. Hydration breaks were there purely to allow adverts to be run and disrupted games, and do we really need a half time show and an extended break? I fear every World Cup will now do both of these things irrespective of where it is held. I know we want to put on a show but the Americanisation of the final was awful. Maybe I'm an old fart, maybe I'm not.

20 Jul 2026 15:59:29
Dreadful finals but par for the course when Trump has any involvement

20 Jul 2026 21:05:03
lol .Trump syndrome, let's blame Him for Argie behaviour, let's blame him for FIFA actions, Let's blame him for England losing, shall I go on.

20 Jul 2026 22:30:04
Blame him for armstronging the weaklings at fifa to allow a suspended player to play. Talk about pissing all over established laws of the game.

Horrible final. Hydration breaks ruined just about every game. First time I've seen half time go almost 30 mins, what an embarrassment. Rooney was asked what his favourite part about the half time show was and he said his favourite part was when it ended.

Argentina are a bunch of thugs, I couldn't be happier that they lost. I can bet they had the balon d'or lined up for Messi if they had won. They still might give it to him anyway. Possibly the best ever player in history, but the way he's often been carried by just about everyone irks me.

Anyway, look forward to United playing again.

20 Jul 2026 22:56:41
Enrubbishification or Americanisation

The World Cup was a joke
bang average no mark teams.
Political involvement on a Balagon, American by birth right who if born today there, he wouldn't be eligible and that just makes it funny
3rd place group qualification rewarding mediocrity.
Argentina clearly with a bye to the semifinals.
Refreshment breaks.
Too many teams.
Too many games.
Ticket prices.
Americans
Celebrity spotting

Diluted quality, spread thin for maximum ROI.

Russia>Qatar>USA
Progressively more corrupt.
Hosting World Cups in 3rd world bent countries isn't the way.

20 Jul 2026 23:11:44
Trump and the Argentine president are cut from the same cloth. Spain is Trump's least favourite European country, particularly because they refused to allow US troops use their bases.

Spain has a social democratic government and their team is a classic example of a "socialist" team in that it's greater than the sum of its parts. Other than Lamine Yamal, who didn't shine particularly, it's not a team relying on individual stars. Simon Critchley, in his very enjoyable book "What we Think about when we Think about Soccer/Football" cites Sartre's turning to football when thinking about the nature of organization. As Critchley notes: "What is taking place in an organized team is a never ceasing dialectic between the associative, collective activity of the group and the supportive, flourishing individual actions of the players whose being is only given through the team."

It's really the antithesis of most major American sports, with the continual stoppages allowing each play to be called by a management team.

The World Cup may have succeeded here both financially and as a spectacle, but let's hope the Americanizations that were adopted never take off.

Spain showed us that the sport, which is a metaphor for life, is all about the collective. Not even Messi could negate that.

21 Jul 2026 08:54:08
And football's showpiece starting late, because America had to have their anthem played.

Best moment was, 'F**k you, Gordon' ?

19 Jul 2026 23:16:22
Congrats to Spain, deserved winners. I love the Argentina will to win, just not how they go about it with dirty fouls.

More saliently for England and Utd, it shows once again how important it is to have really top technical players, especially in midfield.

Players who keep the ball, don't give it away and definitely not just lump it. Players who have composure and the confidence in their ability to retain possession and probe and have a bit of creativity too.

20 Jul 2026 00:53:01
The referees were instructed to keep the game flowing and not card for petty fouls. That led to a team like Argentina showing the world how poor football can really be. In their last 3 matches, they had so many bad challenges that should have resulted in yellows. Some of which were reds. When they finally do get a second yellow for launching a player into the stratosphere, they still have the audacity to complain about it.

They have surrounded refs. Surrounded injured players on the floor. Punched, elbowed, thrown to the ground. Even at the end, Paredes punched a player in the throat after the final whistle - he should get a retro ban. There is nothing at all impressive about that squad.

Would have been a disgrace if they had won.

Spain just did what Spain do. They cherish the ball and look for good opportunities. Pretty simple really.

20 Jul 2026 04:18:57
I'm sure the vast majority of other nationals were hoping Spain would win.

Argentina actually have some excellent players. When they go behind, they play some exciting football. Until then, their games are the antithesis of the beautiful game.

I understand how FIFA may want the games to flow, but there's two approaches to make that happen. If referees don't give out cards when justified, then the dirty play just gets worse.

Players will take advantage. If referees give out cards for bad fouls, holding and constant talking back to the referees, and preventing free kicks and penalties from being taken expeditiously, then the players will stop doing it, and the game will flow better. Take that France Panama game. How could one possibly maintain that the game flowed better with the way that game was managed?

19 Jul 2026 20:50:36
Martinez injured in WC final. Hope not bad news for us.

19 Jul 2026 21:29:26
Need to get rid anyway, so makes no difference.

19 Jul 2026 21:34:42
Mainoo has a back injury. Sesko has a shin injury. Ugarte's out, which, from a playing point of view, is not a disaster, but it makes selling him more difficult, and Ashford hardly excelled. It has not been a great World Cup for us.

19 Jul 2026 21:53:13
On the positive side, we had no players in the England team being flogged like Rice, and they won't have the inevitable sadness of losing a semi final.

20 Jul 2026 05:19:32
Mainoo, I would wager, is fine, or at least will be by the time he is due to play.

20 Jul 2026 12:50:05
Have a feeling Mainoo really didn't want to play on Saturday and went 'My back hurts, get me out of here.' He'll be fine by mid August.

20 Jul 2026 13:51:55
If that's his M.O when things aren't going his way, then he'll never be all right.

20 Jul 2026 15:22:07
Typically most teams suffer a higher number of injuries in seasons following summer international tournaments.

Players don't get enough rest, and the additional traveling and exertion on their bodies often comes home to roost the following season.

For ourselves, we will likely have to play an extra 15-20 games, so adding quality in depth is vital for us this summer. This is especially true as we have a number of players in our first team squad that typically struggle with injuries anyway (Mazraoui, MdL, Martinez, Shaw, and Mount).

The challenge is that, in the current market, trying to find value for money to bulk out the squad is difficult. Although we have found some success with signing players like Heaven for low fees, others such as Sekou Kone, Diego Leon, and Chido Obi Martins haven't yet paid off.

We have already, as of today, signed Christian Orozco and Tynan Thompson. Will these lads have an impact this season? Or will they take a little while to bed in? Maybe one or two of Leon, Obi Martins, or Kone will kick in this season.

Or perhaps one or two of the academy lads will step up this season. The most likely candidates seem to be Harry Amass, Shea Lacey, Radek Vitek, Jaydan Kamason, Godwill Kukonki, Jim Thwaites and the Fletcher twins.

Or at least these seem like the players who are most ready to potentially break into the first team. Although, for obvious reasons, some such as Vitek are unlikely to get the amount of game time needed.

Right now I'd say Amass or one of the midfielders are most likely to have the chance to break out this season. This is mostly due to my suspicion that they might have a clearer pathway because of the limitations of our first team squad. Shaw will likely return to type and spend much of the season injured. Unless we sign another LB, that only places Dorgu ahead of Amass. Likewise, midfield looks a little light, even with the two new signings. Even if we get a third, how they settle and the demands might mean a space opens up at some point during the season.

I think the other defenders will have a harder time due to us already having a lack of experience with Yoro and Heaven, who'll play ahead of them. While Lacey will also struggle to get much game time ahead of Mbeumo and Amad.

We will likely see a fair few injuries this season, and how this squad copes with them will play a massive factor in how successful we are this coming season.

21 Jul 2026 08:54:48
Red Man put a curse on him.