Manchester United Rumours 2

21 Oct 2026 22:29:49
I've got a funny feeling that we'll end up sacking Carrick and hiring Conte, who'll then have us playing with a back three system again.

21 Oct 2026 22:42:16
See for years we've complained about chopping and changing tactically so Conte might have been a good idea if it was straight after Amorim but that's not our club is run.

21 Oct 2026 23:36:23
I see no problem in back 3 if it works and Conte has shown multiple times he can make it work. Came to Chelsea and won the PL in his first year with the back 3. The problem with him is that you need to plan for your next manager very soon, he doesn't stick around.

22 Oct 2026 00:13:27
Let's not kid ourselves now Shappy just as with Amorim ten hag before him and now carrick these players regardless of systems cannot play in any formation

They are clueless,

That back 4 is probably the worst back 4 that we have had in over 30 years or more

How we are still playing Harry Maguire and the likes of dalot as our starting defence is criminal.

And that is down to the club for continuing to keep crap

They shouldn't have gave Carrick the job but the next man that comes in still has to deal with the fact we have a shocking back line which consists of full backs who are crap the cbs are either kids in yoro and heaven or injury prone fodder that have been here for far too long long. We was playing not so long ago Evans and Maguire as a pairing both were relegated at one point.

Carrick playing Bruno out of position is baffling either play him in his position or drop him completely

But then we have 1 striker who's out until rumours are saying feb and then we have Zirkzee who is stealing a living pretending to be a footballer

The club have let carrick down and his decisions and subs are baffling to say the least.

Come Christmas we could be looking at being in a battle to stay up as shocking as that is we are crap and don't have anything about us

We don't run, and we look worse now than we did under Amorim you can't trust anyone at Ineos to get it right as there history says otherwise

Look at what they have done at nice and how many managwrs they have had there

There decision making is just as bad as the players

Weekends game is a must win against a very poor Bournemouth side compared to recent years

But like I say we are a shambles and it doesn't matter what formation and tactics these play when you have players who don't have the passion.

22 Oct 2026 00:46:29
Zirksee is better than you make out. Never had a proper run in the team. Never been played. In his preferred position and for the most part played in a team which under performs. You could put Messi and Ronaldo in this team and they would look poor.

22 Oct 2026 07:50:02
I am less bothered about the formation than most, what I hope and expect if Conte was to come in is that there will be a plan/structure and he will get the players motivated. Whether he can get them playing at a higher tempo without a pre-season (feels very similar to pre Amorim).

Also, plenty of the players were brought whilst Amorim was here, so the switch should not be too drastic.

22 Oct 2026 11:56:28
I'm more than a little weary of managers like Conte. He has a phenomenal CV, but he is very temperamental. Managers like that need to be at very stable clubs who are able to provide the right climate for them to stop them imploding. I really don't think you could describe our club as that right now.

That's putting aside that his playing style isn't a way of playing football that I particularly enjoy and his development of young players has been very, very iffy throughout his career (it's also really difficult to track as he rarely stays at a club long enough to really see how young players develop with him, although he is a manager who typically prefers to use a more experienced player over a younger player with higher potential).

I only highlight that he's a manager who often uses a back three system as that was a big bone of contention for a lot of the fans who wanted Amorim sacked. Ironically, I actually feel that out currently squad is still probably better set up for a back three system rather than a back four system. The extra CB gives our declining/recovering/or inexperienced CB's the extra cover they typically need. We don't have any natural wingers or top quality full backs, yet Amad and Dorgu did well as wingbacks. While the likes of Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount and Lacey probably suit playing as inside wide players more than as traditional wide players. The issue we had with the 343 under Amorim was the lack of athleticism and energy in midfield, yet Mainoo has improved in that area, and we have added Baleba and Santos who also provide more of that. The other issue Amorim had was there was no natural position for Bruno, yet his recent comments probably mean that he shouldn't be here this time next year.

21 Oct 2026 21:34:12
The name being floated as the replacement for Carrick is Julian Nagelsmann.

Unsure on that one. Did well early on but then failed at Bayern and Germany.

But who knows.

21 Oct 2026 22:39:18
That's harsh, he didn't fail at Bayern. In fact I think he has one the highest points per game ratios. He just didn't win the number of trophies that they expected at Bayern.

I think if we end up with Nagelsman then that suggests that Vivell is having a greater say on the manager process than Wilcox which would suggest a slight shift in power behind the scenes.

22 Oct 2026 07:23:40
Shappy,

I agree with your post. It is similar to one I made over the past week. Whilst it might not be a popular choice among fans, it might be the best pairing for the club, as Nagelsmann and Vivell have worked together before.

The club might actually pick a manager who would suit the current set up.

Still, it is all ifs and buts. I think the club will turn to Conte. It will be another roller coaster ride.

22 Oct 2026 07:51:54
Nagelsman was my favoured choice apart from the fact he was at the world cup and would have been a delayed start. A unique character (bit marmite) but if Vivell gets to take more control they have shown they can work together.

Will be interesting if and when the board relieve Carrick which direction they go.

21 Oct 2026 20:32:36
You would wonder why Giggs was at the game, next interim manager???

21 Oct 2026 22:40:04
Unlikely, ex-players go to lots of games if they can.

22 Oct 2026 09:09:06
Shappy, you can talk all you like about Vivell and Wilcox and their influence etc., but let's face it big Sir Jim's inability to stay out of the way and let them do their jobs is a big part of the problem. The kind of lad who probably reckons he knows more about football than everyone else.

22 Oct 2026 12:27:24
Bilko, I don't think Sir Jim is that big of an issue. Yeah, sometimes I wish he would talk a little less, but he is the face of the new ownership model, so he will of course be asked his opinion by the press. Which can place him in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If he refuses to comment then he'll be seen as difficult, uncaring, or aloof. While if he does speak he can accidentally misspeak, or his comments can be taken out of context. This is why clubs have media managers who brief staff before they speak to the press. I do wonder if that includes Sir Jim at United as often the times he's said something that could be considered controversial it hasn't been at a football related press event, but at ones for business.

Either way I think the biggest issue we have behind the scenes could be having too many cooks. Obviously when INEOS took charge of the day to day running they realised that the management structure was a mess and they needed to bring in more football experts, but in doing so, and with the speed in which they did it, I wonder whether they brought in too many people. Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and Christian Vivell all brought in, and it seemed that their was a lot of overlap with their job roles. So much so that it wasn't long before Ashworth left without a direct replacement. Now it's the job of Wilcox to manage the football "vision" of the team, to take charge of rebuilding the squad to suit that vision. Yet Vivell's job centres around recruitment both into the first team and the academy to bring in players to suit the clubs long term vision.

There have been rumours of disagreements between Wilcox and Vivell, which in itself isn't a major issue, there should be some level of disagreement and challenge in upper management inorder for due diligence and to offer alternative views or options. However, if those disagreements aren't managed correctly then it can create tensions within the management structure. Which can obviously be detrimental to the club. It probably does it help that Wilcox and Barrada have a previous working relationship from their time at City. Which even if Barrada doesn't give Wilcox preferential treatment when managing these disagreements, it could easily be perceived that he is if the reasoning isn't communicated adequately.

Ultimately the removal of Ashworth worked in Wilcox's benefit, it was Wilcox who pushed for Amorim, and who choose to make Carrick's appointment permanent. There have also been rumours of him maybe overstepping his role with managers/head coaches when it comes to the tactical decisions for specific matches (his coaching background can be both a benefit and potentially as challenge).

It's all starting to paint a picture of a man who doesn't seem to play well with others and seems to need to have greater control than his role should probably dictate. He doesn't like having a recruitment expert challenge his views when it comes to hiring players, he didn't get along well with Ashworth. He hires managers and then tries to dictate to them how to do their job. You could even question whether the ability to influence a manager is something that comes into his thinking when hiring a manager. Did he hire Carrick as he was the best manager for the job, or because he was a manager who he felt he could assert his control over.

If the two managers he has directly chosen have both lasted less than 12 months, then you have to start questioning him more so than the managers. Maybe we will see Wilcox follow Carrick out the door, it's starting to look like that might be what is best for the club. Which probably leaves the door open for Vivell to take charge as DoF, unless they want a clean slate and move him on as well and bring in a single replacement for both guys.

21 Oct 2026 19:58:15
If that's a happy great squad who looked great in training l think Carrick is going to the wrong training ground each morning. Absolutely shocking, that dressing room is in a state. Bruno, isn't interested maybe in a mood over his contract offer. Anther manager incoming but who's next?

21 Oct 2026 20:10:21
Bruno just called carrick out too watch his post match interview! 🤦🏼‍♂️.

21 Oct 2026 21:49:25
Tim_99,

Yes he did, it was certainly far more polite than Martinez. It was good to hear his thoughts and it explains why he appears disgruntled on the pitch.

The Captain has spoken out now. For United to play a high press, they woukd need to drop Maguire, as he would get caught out far too easily, playing in a high press team. The Hull game away is a more recent example of this.

Ultimately, Carrick and Co are out of their depth at Utd. Who would have thought things would have got far worse since SJR took over. That said, the training ground is magnificent, if only it had players worthy of training there.

21 Oct 2026 22:03:20
And to think we all thought we couldn't get any worse than the glazers.

21 Oct 2026 22:40:38
It's all imploding.

20 Oct 2026 11:22:59
Another rumour today, is that Bruno has turned down the offer of a contract extension. I'd imagine the club will likely trigger his 1 year extension and try and sell him if they can.

20 Oct 2026 14:27:57
Not sure it works like that MH.

20 Oct 2026 17:30:34
Good news.

20 Oct 2026 18:25:32
Even factoring how impressive Bruno has been in his time here, it honestly might not be the worst time to part ways.

At 32 he is probably on the decline and can see a similar situation to Mo Salah and Liverpool if he does sign a new deal but then finds himself being benched in certain games and kicks off. Also freeing up his wages could help prioritise spending in ofher areas mainly defence.

Also from his point of view could either earn massive money in Saudi or sign a 1/2 year deal at a European giant and try win the champions league.

20 Oct 2026 18:53:54
Bruno has without doubt been our best player over the past 5-6 years. However, all good things must come to end. I also feel that Bruno is having a similar affect on our team that Gerrard had on Liverpool's, in that the team seems to have to be built around him and only performs well when he performs well.

20 Oct 2026 22:06:19
It probably is the best time to maximise his selling fee but who is going to come close to providing his assists in the current squad. If keeping him means reaching the Champions League again then he has basically covered any loss in transfer fee.

If he is sold I can't see us qualifying for the Champions League and how will potential signings for us view the team. It's just such bad forward planning or lack of it by the United management team.

20 Oct 2026 22:39:23
The club will have to move on from Bruno at some point, but I wouldn't think for second that getting his wages off the book will result in increased investment in new players. Casemiro and Sancho both left last summer, and our transfer spend was below promoted sides.

The INEOS philosophy is to reduce the wage bill and still expect results from the squad.

21 Oct 2026 08:45:53
Bruno's costing us £15m+ a year. Any top midfield replacement will cost us more than double that in wages and amortization. It's the same sort of situation with Rashford. Barcola is costing Liverpool about £35m a year.

Pay up or don't pay down. Given our existing debt, interest payments and capital expenditure plans, I know which one I'm betting on.

21 Oct 2026 09:52:54
I know, it was wishful thinking. It is classed as profiteering if I remember correctly what ED002 once said.

21 Oct 2026 12:58:36
Bruno being sold would be classed as a 100% profit. Had he been sold for his release clause in the summer, United would have been able to have spent another £175-£250 million extra.

The club also had to pay up the £80 million in owed transfer fees, which didn't help.

If Rashford, Onana and Mount( both Onana and Mount at a slight profit) had been sold last summer, then the club would have been able to on a very good spending spree.

Unfortunately, high wages and underperfroming players, have meant the club struggle to move players on.

21 Oct 2026 15:37:58
£80m? Try half a billion lol.

21 Oct 2026 19:05:31
Id sack him, never mind sell him. along with the others. Diabolical attitude.

20 Oct 2026 06:53:07
Rumours passed on say some of the higher paid players feel they are being deliberately targeted to make them leave. Some actually wanted to leave summer just gone after being told they are being replaced in a year and some of those players are down to the last year of their contract.

As many as half the team don't want to be there or don't want to play when they might have played through a small injury before because they feel the club want rid of them.

20 Oct 2026 09:40:22
Shaw, Maguire, Bruno who else is in that category?

20 Oct 2026 11:18:51
I'd sell Dalot and Mazraoui next summer, neither are good enough. Unfortunately, that means one hell of a summer overhaul in defence.

20 Oct 2026 12:06:35
Without UCL then I can't see it happening, relying on selling players again and we know how that goes. Also what calibre of player we attract if we fail to get into Europe. All cast major question marks over things.

20 Oct 2026 17:33:52
Spurs managed to sign expensive players without European football, so it's not impossible.

21 Oct 2026 10:08:00
Manchester United broke the world transfer record in a season without Champions League.

19 Oct 2026 18:06:26
I'll throw this out there again as an alternative name to those mentioned for when Carrick is finally dismissed (only 5 more games until international break 👍)

Kieran McKenna

Knows the club
Plays a similar game to Amorim
Young enough to stay the course (if the club learn from past mistakes)

19 Oct 2026 18:10:26
No please not no experience again, surely can't keep going down this road of gambling . Retirement home for ex players and coaches now!
I would ordinarily say not a chance but with idiots running the club who knows.

19 Oct 2026 19:56:21
"knows the club" is what is hurting us.

19 Oct 2026 20:53:05
Its a resounding no from me.

19 Oct 2026 21:14:37
Why is it so important that the manager/head coach knows the club? Not worked out that well for us so far!

We already have a manager who is championship level, don't need to replace him with another.

We were promised best in class. Well the best managers and coaches out there have no history with United, and I'm fine with that. Just get the best person for the job.

19 Oct 2026 19:46:09
JBR

McKenna would be beyond Moyes level stupidity.

19 Oct 2026 23:25:49
The problem is that most managers worth their salt are not interested in the gig and why would they be? Not only is it currently a players graveyard but also one for managers.

20 Oct 2026 08:14:16
No, no. Just no!

20 Oct 2026 08:25:36
So that's a no then..

I feel we will be having this discussion every 18mths or so if we continue with any of the previously mentioned managers, for a. multitude of reasons.

15 Oct 2026 19:34:42
What route do the club go down if they decide to replace Carrick?
Conte, the top level experienced manager.
Nagelsmann, who I think would be a risk. Not an elite manager for me. Flattered to deceive in other 'big' jobs.
Hurzeler, another risk.

Probably on par with Amorim, although Amorim had actually won something.
Howe, the steady Eddie who I fear would be another yes man for the board.
Anyone else? I'm actually a bit stumped when it comes to any other names.

15 Oct 2026 19:59:45
Its a tough one 2toms.
Conte is my choice because he is the best fixer. Short term.
He will organise motivate and improve what we have.
Fabregas would be more of a long term option but i doubt he'd leave como mid season.
Naglesman is an interesting one. Again quite devisive. Hurzler doing great at Brighton like de zerbi and potter.

I do like him he is a very intelligent guy and very engaging. A great option you'd think but won't leave Brighton mid season and will cost a fortune in compensation.
Get a fixer in for 18 months like conte and if that works for longer than that then all the better.

15 Oct 2026 20:36:07
That list probably highlights the mistake we made letting Amorim leave.

15 Oct 2026 20:51:08
jd, I don't think Amorim was the answer. We played some absolutely dreadful football under him

I'd go for Conte. He would at least be entertaining and throw some fudge into the players who wander around the pitch.

16 Oct 2026 10:41:37
This was the discussion we had last year, every manager brings risk, and the club is such a mess. Hurzeler is doing well at Brighton & Hove Albion, in the club with an anaesthetic eye for talent.

16 Oct 2026 11:32:32
I pressed send accidentally.

Would Hurzeler be able to step into one of the biggest jobs going? Conte would, but given the state of things, how long would he last before blowing a fuse? And Howe, another uninspiring chap, I don't see him being a solution.

We believe we are one of, if not the biggest club, yet we appoint a Technical Director who appears unqualified, a COO who hadn't done that role before, and before Red Man says it, a Manager who failed at Middlesbrough.

Until we fix those basic problems, the chaos will continue.

16 Oct 2026 11:34:53
doesn't matter who is in charge as manager when the club can't move on players that shouldn't be anywhere near the team.

add that with a dof who sees himself more as a coach and has admitted himself he likes to interfere, that is all we need to know about how this club is ran

inoes are just as crap as the glazers, woody and the rest before them

until the club is ran for footballing purposes we could have PEP or klopp.

even prime fergie.

the manager ain't the issue, when players who are still here that can't play football get new contracts and 4 and 5 chances.

carrick should never have got the job, but he was the cheap option, like our window was. he may not be fit for purpose but that squad is shocking and it will tell when we finish bottom half this season yet again.

and until the club stop making money worth the owners sticking around, this is where we are at,

we might get the odd cup run, but major trophies is a longgggg way off.

16 Oct 2026 11:36:13
RA was stuck up his own backside. He was adamant that his 343 formation would eventually work, no matter the cost.

16 Oct 2026 13:40:23
Hurzeler, Howe or Nagelsmann. In that order of preference for me. All 3 require higher intensity from their teams which is what we seem to be lacking most. Simeone would be good too but never going to happen.
Carrick looks like he's had enough anyway.

16 Oct 2026 14:07:11
Howe is my top choice. He's someone who does the basics right. Our squad struggles with complexity. You could see that under Amorim. They just couldn't rap their heads around the system.

I'd bring in Howe for a few years to steady things, get persistent champions league football, and recruit players of a level needed to attract an elite manager. Obviously, it's not foolproof because our finances are hamstrung by debt. But Howe has a good team that know how to get results in the EPL with limited resources.

16 Oct 2026 14:26:10
insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Changed manager, changed players. Nothings changed.

United are doomed until the ownership changes. Until there is no more revenue to Syphon out the club the we are stuck.

Depressing.

16 Oct 2026 15:50:03
If the club decides to replace Carrick then I only want it happening one of two ways.

Either they replace him with a permanent manager in the middle of the season, or he stays until the end of the season and we replace him then.

What we need to do is stop this cycle of temporary managers. It keeps setting ourselves up to fail. We bring in a temporary manager and either things get worse in which case what was the point of changing, or they improve and we paint ourselves into a corner with having to potentially hire the temp full time.

16 Oct 2026 17:50:28
We could just have 2 interims per season, one till Christmas one after sure there are enough ex players in the MU Retirement home to suffice the next 5 years like that.

16 Oct 2026 19:34:57
I've said it before, and I have no idea if it would be possible, but I'd try and get Emery from villa.

16 Oct 2026 20:35:34
It doesn't matter who the manager is imo. The way the club is run, as soon as the tough gets going the manager is gone.

Nothing will change until the ownership changes and we get the right people in running the club properly. We've tried to top quality managers, the up and coming managers and were still here having the same debates.

Berrada is no better then Woodward, wilcox is no better then murtaugh. These guys are just yes men, picking up and handsome wage and telling us what we want to hear every now and again.

We could get jesus Christ in as the next manager and he couldn't turn these sour grape into wine.

I honestly hate match days now. Yeah we will have a good half here and there, but this isn't the Manchester united I love.

Bad owners, bad people running the club, second rate players, treating our loyal staff and fans badly. We've been slowly become a second rate team who have lost ambition and happy with champions league every few years. But oh well we will have a new stadium soon, that will paper over the cracks.

16 Oct 2026 22:33:26
we re no longer a club with long term planning - it worked to a degree with Chelsea so I would sort of reluctantly go with Conte and hope that in 18-24 months when it all blows up its finally enough for SJR and glazers to pack up too.

18 Oct 2026 09:54:34
Dannycnew, basically hit nail on head. exactly how I feel. A hate match days now, its depressing. i'm glad like today when its 4pm and all over whatever the result. Unfortunately, United are getting hammered today and Carrick will be sacked tomorrow and the cycle continues.

its been a mess for so long no one knows what to do. United are 80/1 to go down. looks a great bet.

19 Oct 2026 09:56:49
Hammered? Really?
80/1 seems optimistic. But I can't jest, I put a tenner on Spurs to win the league at 33/1 :D.

15 Oct 2026 10:54:03
I read this rumour and it makes sense

Carrick lost the dressing room following the reintegration of Rashford into the squad. Apparently Carrick assured Rashford that he would play a major role in his plans for the season. However, this reportedly raised concerns among other players, particularly Cunha, who wanted clarity on his role given that he and Rashford operate in similar positions.

Cunha is understood to have approached Carrick over the situation, but Carrick reassured him that Rashford's return would not affect his playing time.

Despite those assurances, Carrick's decision to repeatedly start both players together, even when the combination wasn't working, reportedly became a source of frustration within the squad.

The Manchester City game was reportedly the breaking point.

That was the moment several players lost faith in Carrick's decisions, with trust in Carrick said to have deteriorated significantly. They also say there is also growing discontent among some players over the board's decision to sack Ruben Amorim last season. They reportedly believe Amorim had established a clearer footballing structure and that the team performed better under him, despite the disappointing results.

Lisandro Martínez is reportedly among those who hold this view which could also explain his apparent frustration after the match against Atlético Madrid.

15 Oct 2026 11:23:02
So basically what the non-Glazerite fans have said all along.

15 Oct 2026 11:44:09
The club brought in a manger to rebuild the culture, squad and win. From the recent Bruno interview, the squad were behind the tough decisions, freezing certain players out, getting certain players out and going through the pain of change. The squad were told according to the interview the board fully support the process and know its going to be hard and get worse before it gets better. The squad were apparently happy with this.

The board did the worst possible thing, they pulled the plug early because the manager called them out publicly as they didn't fulfil their end of the deal from the managers perspective and bring in players in Jan.

The team then see the players that they had first hand experience of coming back in and replacing players that helped the team finish third last year. No reinforcements coming in to positions they know they need support in when playing more than once a week.

15 Oct 2026 11:54:20
It would be interesting how things would have played out if Amorim didn't call out Wilcox and nail his own coffin. I personally wish that were the case. I'm not sure where we go from here.

15 Oct 2026 12:38:06
You all seem to forget the football was dire under RA

I'm not having it that this is all because Rashford come back in, that's codswallop, why would Cunha not just work harder and show he is better than Rashford, Sorry RedMan your playing a tune to your own narrative because you hate Rashford and Bruno too by the way.
Cunha been useless all season any player worth his sort would show he is better not down tools

More likely scenario is what Martinez alluded to, they are trying to do exactly same as last season and they been found out and they have not evolved, clearly players don't believe in methods or coaching or training but to try lay that at Rashford door is diabolical, because you heard it on social media.

15 Oct 2026 13:07:52
JSU,

I didn't write the rumour, I saw it and posted it and it makes sense in terms of general people management.

15 Oct 2026 13:31:52
Where did you see it redman i'd like to read that article.

15 Oct 2026 15:14:19
I think the key thing Martinez was talking about was constant and regular change of the Manager. We don't know the full story but maybe it is about them trying to bond and work together yet the higher structures keep interfering and sticking their nose in.

Does Wilcox come into the dressing room try to give team talks or undermine the management for instance? There is something deeper here that we are not seeing.

15 Oct 2026 15:23:50
Stan not a chance that is happening, so self respecting manager of any level would allow that to happen . Strange how different people hear the same words but hear something else completely different

RedMan where did you read that, I like to see who wrote it?

15 Oct 2026 16:51:16
Ken

Not an article but a rumour and not sure origin but I bet social media somewhere like Twitter.

15 Oct 2026 17:17:06
Lest we forget RA wasn't pulling up any trees and the football United played def improved after he left. He is not setting Serie A alight either which is a much easier league than ours.

Nearly all United supporters know that fundamentally it's the failure to buy better defenders which is really hurting the team. If United concede at least one goal every game it puts huge pressure on the rest of the team to get a win as they must score at least two goals.

15 Oct 2026 17:53:37
Salford

Amorim is history but when you bring a transformation manager like him in it's to make tough choices. Big transformation doesn't happen quickly and I was very comfortable that Amorim was taking tough decisions for the better. Vision and plan.
Yes results improved initially but the football gradually worsened, we have fallen back to where we were again. RA has gone.
Yes buying ordinary and missing targets has hurt us. But the manager situation is a disaster and it is clear there is a poor spirit in the squad.

15 Oct 2026 18:07:55
Renewing the complete defence won't solve the problem of poor midfield and attackers and lack of pace in this team, your clearly pinning hopes on defence fixes this, the players been bought are miles from what's required at United I think this squad gone backwards and what is it 400 million in last 2 summers everyone of them is squad player at best.
I know our standards have slipped but if anyone thinks we got any great players apart from Bruno is this squad our standards are even lower then I thought not one of them makes City or Arsenal team not even sure any make Liverpool team
No strikers, slow 2 or 3rd rate midfield no defenders even worth a mention and a GK that if we are being honest and not judging him against Onana is a number 2 pushing to be number 1.

couple that with inexperienced team of coaches that's United now plus the idiots running the lunatic ex player retirement home.

15 Oct 2026 20:40:32
The football improved after Amorim?! Is that a joke? Every single player in the squad has regressed since Carrick arrived. Amad, Mbuemo and Cunha were all looking good under Amorim. We had two good (smash and grab) games against City and Arsenal, and then the rest of the games under Carrick last season had more than a sprinkling of luck.

Since then the football has been absolutely dire. I see without doubt the theory that the fitness instilled in the squad by RA was what carried Carrick through those final games of the season. Our passiveness and general lack of a gameplan or plan B this year are blindingly apparent.

15 Oct 2026 21:13:48
Why should Cunha have to work harder to prove himself? Rashford sooked his way out for his dream move, clearly worked harder over there but has only crawled back with his tail between his legs cause they didn't want him. he should have had to work his way back in and not starting from the get go.

16 Oct 2026 04:24:32
Every player no matter if your Maradona or Messi even Ronaldo always has to work harder to try improve and also prove there worth, that's a given in football and should be in life in general

If you don't want to work harder and prove yourself you should not be trying to steal a living as a footballer

Competition for a starting place should be a given and you work your socks off to get it, or keep it

What a crazy thing for you to say! Of course Cunha as to work harder so does everybody in the squad.

16 Oct 2026 13:54:42
Competition for places is right and healthy. However that is against a reasonable competition. In this instance Carrick has given Rashford an advantage from the start. Cunha should have been put in from the start. Rashford should have been made to work hard and wait. He was instead just slotted in and Cunha displaced. Terrible management and that isn't competition for places.

16 Oct 2026 15:56:20
I dunno how much truth there is in that, but what I do know is that even when things got bad under Amorim last season the players and the coaching staff had a united front. There was never any in fighting or bad atmosphere coming from the players, like we had seen previously.

Then Rashford returns and the first time we hit a bump in the road and we're right back to the in fighting and discontent, the bad atmosphere.

Now I don't believe one player is entirely responsible for that, but certainly the difference between a bad run of results/performances to the atmosphere around the club between this season and last season is absolutely stark.

Last season was the anomaly over the past decade for when things go wrong. When you start to look at what was the difference between last season compared to this season and all the ones before and there aren't too many things that stand out other than Rashford not being a part of the squad last season.

16 Oct 2026 18:45:47
The only thing about that "rumour" that makes sense is that you believe it because it's exactly your opinion.

You should look up echo chambers and how algorithms work on social media.

13 Oct 2026 12:00:10
What is everyone's thoughts now on the summer window buys, I'm really asking those who didn't want to pay over the odds for players? I was one of them and I was wrong. I thought we were right to walk away from the Fernandes lad at West Ham. I thought we were right to not go in for Alex Scott at 80 mill as quoted by media or 65 mill for Adam Wharton but I was so so wrong.

Same with Hall as Newcastle the old United would have pushed and pushed, the lad wanted to come and the old United would have found the money - going down the cheap route for Santos and Tielmans will backfire if it hasn't already we should have thrown the money at a better midfielder alongside Baleba - Tielmans would be good on the bench at Liverpool or Chelsea not as first choice with us.

Going to be a long horrible season with Carrick gone in next 6 weeks. God only knows where we go next but don't be surprised if it get worse than it is today.

13 Oct 2026 12:44:11
The only player there are regrets its Eliot Anderson. But even we would go as high as the price was, he would probably chooce City.
I always wanted Eliot and Baleba plus one more, i was of the thinking that Baleba Anderson and Mainoo is potentially title winning center.

Then there are Fernandez or Tonali that although good players with some good attributes, not worth overpaying and better wait for better options to be available.

13 Oct 2026 13:33:46
I said from day one Tielemans and Santos terrible buys, I rather buy one elite player than 2 or 3 low rent players

I honestly don't think even last summer was good buys in Cunha Mbuemo or Lammens

None of these are the required level that United need, but of course if we're happy mid table then they are fine.

13 Oct 2026 13:41:44
I thought that way for a while but not now- heard transfer guy on talksport yesterday saying Alex scott won't move in January but Bournmouth will let him go in summer for 100 million- whatever your opinion of him that's the price they want today - trouble is everyone want s minimum 85 mill now - we paid 50 mill for Santos who was never worth it, and even if we paid 15 mill he has hardly played so we would have still wasted 15 million.

I think we should have gone in harder for top targets including Hall. Anderson had apparently told city in April he was joining them so he was a non starter.

13 Oct 2026 13:44:08
I think we bought one potential starter in Baleba, and two squad players.

Tielemans is unsuited to a midfield two. He needs players to cover for his lack of athleticism, and has been a liability for us. The type of player that looks a bargain on paper, but is simply not what we needed.

Santos is a conundrum. Theoretically a player that has everything required to be a complete midfielder, but struggles to bring it together on the pitch. It's a bit of red flag that Chelsea were looking to get rid despite knowing that Enzo was pushing for a transfer. Tells me that they didn't think he could make the jump required. Plus the fee was far too high.

Anderson would have been ideal, but nobody could compete with City's dodgy money.

I rate Tonali, but he was overpriced, and works best as the anchor in a midfield 3.

Fernandes has massive potential. However, there are huge questions with his attitude. The fact that he has already fallen out with the manager at Spurs speaks volumes.

The biggest mistakes in the transfer window were not addressing lb and striker. We are inexcusably short there.

Overall, I'd say that we did the transfer business of a club content with challenging for Champions League qualification. A club that is playing the odds with investing just enough to get the big meal ticket, but nowhere near enough to win things. The owners want to keep the salary bill down, while gambling that we have just enough to secure champions league revenues. That's the level of ambition.

13 Oct 2026 15:17:10
Players we bought are not even on level of champions league requirements we will struggle with top 4 with this set up.

13 Oct 2026 17:14:16
@ Je suis unite, I don't agree on Lammens and Mbuemo, I think both of them are very good buys, not convinced by Cunha though.

13 Oct 2026 18:27:27
I think all the players we bought have the potential to bring us nearer to the title but they are all let down by a) rubbish defence b) not being played correctly and coached into a system that plays to their strengths c) like the rest of the squad have clearly not had a serious physically hard pre season training.

13 Oct 2026 18:22:51
I'm not saying Mbeumo is a bad player, but he's not amazing. He gives the ball away a lot and needs multiple chances to get a goal. Top defenders wouldn't be scared if you saw him running at you.

I said on another post, Lammens is not a great keeper. He should be nothing more than a backup. He gets away without any focus on him as he's not a complete idiot like Onana before him.

I like Cunha, but mainly because he actually puts a shift in. But he doesn't suit the system anymore. You need someone with pace to play on the left of a 3. Especially a United team completely void of any pace.

But if the goal is to challenge at the top end of the league, the signings last summer and this summer were poor and will likely prove to be a waste of money.

13 Oct 2026 23:54:03
Some people struggle to understand that we needed numbers this summer. Anderson, Fernandes and Baleba would have costed us almost 300m. I'm not defending the club, I'm actually pointing out their incompetence. Years of bad business have put us in a situation where we needed a lot of new players and didn't have enough money for top quality additions.

That's why they went for the cheaper alternatives in hope they can sign a few midfielders, plus LB and ST. But being so incompetent, they failed to do it all.

14 Oct 2026 01:39:42
Padding the squad out with players who aren't good enough to drive us forward is not the answer, H94. I'd much rather have signed a proper Cas replacement and then given the other two spots in the squad to youth players.

All that said, I think it's a little too early to be writing off our summer signings. Baleba has barely played. Tielemans is a good squad player, but I don't think we'll ever see the best of him playing alongside Bruno and Mainoo.

Santos confuses me. Carrick clearly doesn't rate him, which for a £50m signing is a little worrying. Then again, he doesn't seem to fancy Yoro either, and he cost even more. Maybe both will come good in the future, but we need players who are ready to step up now, or enough quality in the squad to be able to ease these players in without team performances taking a nosedive (kind of like we did with the Class of 92).

14 Oct 2026 07:36:50
I wanted Scott, but frankly, that ship has sailed now.

14 Oct 2026 14:34:36
No point filling the squad with inferior players, that's just total waste of money and time.

Might as well just promote the youths up if your going to say just fill squad with bodies!

Menemo is not a bad player and put him in a decent team he may do OK, but he ain't the star of the show that's for sure
Cunha look at his stats this season awful

Lammens not recovered from WC we only think he good because measured against Onana, he should be a number 2 pushing for a place, that his level atm.

Tielemans runs in treacle
Santos 5 clubs by 21 not pulled up trees at any

We spent hundreds of millions on this lot and not a great amongst them, couple of average players that's all

Put a low level manager and coaches into mix an inexperienced pair above them into the mix and Current United comes out!

16 Oct 2026 02:46:28
Fallguy i don't thiko Mpuemo is a top player to start with. But then i keep reading that he needs a lot of chances to score. I think his conversation rate is average to good. When at Brentford, the year before we buyed him, i think he had the best or one of ghe best conversion rates.

I think he is a very good finisher, i would also say that this is the only attribute he is top at.

16 Oct 2026 09:06:36
At the time, Tielemans was being touted as bargain of the window by many. Myself included.
No one could've imagined him being as bad as he's been.
Santos I thought was a shrewd signing, I still think he could be.
The problem is, the club is rotten.

It amazes me how quick new players come in and seem to drop in morale and performance.
Baleba could be a brilliant signing, just as long as his head doesn't drop and he goes the way of many others before him.