Manchester United Rumours Mobile

11 Nov 2026 21:49:44
So we pay £7m to release Poch from his USA contract but still allow him to take charge of the next 2 USA games and burn the time he could be spending getting his feet under the table. The lack of nous and backbone in our leadership is staggering

11 Nov 2026 22:36:05
Well, if he's the man they've identified as the one they want, then realistically they were always going to have to pay the £7m to get him out of his contract. And if Poch has made it clear that he wants to see out these two games before leaving, then surely that's a compromise you have to accept to secure your preferred candidate? I'd rather the club show a bit of patience and get the appointment they actually want than rush into something for the sake of getting someone in.

The bigger question is whether they've got the right man and a clear plan in place beyond the appointment itself.

11 Nov 2026 23:05:20
Let's also hope whatever promises that they've made poch that they deliver on them.

11 Nov 2026 16:04:33
Only INEOS would wait till an international break to poach an international manager

11 Nov 2026 17:01:50
Plenty sticks to beat them with. I don't think this is one of them.

11 Nov 2026 18:50:36
🤣🤣CS good humour.

11 Nov 2026 10:24:43
What is required now is a manager who demands control of buying and selling players. I understand that we can't alway get or sell players we want and prices and wages are key, but a new man must demand much more power with these decisions. It is obvious that the club expected to sell a number of players last summer to raise some capital. Onana, Rashford, Urgarte, Zirkzee etc. so l understand that the budget was small. Add then the cost of sacking RA and his staff, hiring Carrick and his staff etc. I don't expect much business in January as the money just isn't there. Not sure how all this will turn out, but we need to find a few gems in the window, hope some players get back fit soon or promote some young lads.

11 Nov 2026 11:54:10
Not sure I agree, what we need are people who know what tbey are doing making the decisions. Brighton will have a team making decisions based on solid data, recruiting the right players for the right positions. We on the other hand seem to have no clear strategy or approach, buying players who don't fit, for positions we didn't need.

The days of the Manager having the full sign off ofnplayers has long gone. The Manager should identify the style of play, and the positions that need strengthening, but they won't have knowledge of enough players to always pick correctly.

11 Nov 2026 13:13:23
Totally wrong take redcon. Part of the mess we're in is because ETH decided the players but had incompetent negotiators.

11 Nov 2026 14:45:09
A manager/head coach should be involved in the recruitment process. They will know which areas that want strengthening and prioritise accordingly. I imagine this happens or should happen.

Next, the DOF, SP identify targets and lists 1st choice, 2nd choice etc an presents them to the manager/ head coach. Then purses them if the manager agrees so.

The club IS still a patchwork quilt. Unfortunately, given how the club is run I don't expect much to change in the foreseeable. Being a United fan is like being a Turkey at Christmas and catching Bernard Matthews grinning at you. I think I'm showing my age here.

11 Nov 2026 15:16:14
I disagree, the reason we have suffered so much is the repeated chopping and changing of the types of players we are signing to suit the current manager, leaving us with a squad of players who never really suited any specific style of play.

What we need now is a united vision top down, with everyone on the same page.

A clear plan for the style of play, the kind of players needed for that and a manager who suits that vision. Then we need to recruit and rebuild the squad to fit that vision. And if the manager doesn't work out then the vision doesn't change, just the manager. With us going out and finding another manager who also shares that vision.

The problem in the past is we've gone for a possession based manager, and started to rebuild the squad to suit that style. Then when it hasn't worked with that manager we've sacked them and changed the vision to a counter attacking style and brought in a manager who suits that. We've effectively thrown the baby out with the bath water.

Rather than understand that the issue is probably either limitations with the manager or the squad (probably both), but not with the tactics/style.

Every style of play has it's strengths and weaknesses. Possession football can be slow, and requires highly technical and intelligent players. But can be prone to issues with physicality (few players have both physical and technical skills to a equally high level), and they can be prone to losing goals to quick transitions. Whereas, a high pressing, counter attacking style requires physically quick and strong players, with high levels of stamina and mobility. But it can struggle against low blocks, and can also be weak to quick transitions with players being caught high up the pitch and out of shape.

We've seen a tactical issue (most likely highlighted due to not having players with the required skill sets) and then decided that style of play doesn't work, rather than trying to work out what we need to do to make it work.

It's the flipping between different styles that has lead to us recruiting players for those varying different styles and never having a squad capable of playing any style consistently to a high level.

If Pochettino is the man then hopefully it means we are committing to a style that suits him and that is why he has been chosen over other possible candidates.

I like his style of play and think that it closely aligns with my view of what a Manchester United team should play like. Hard-working, energetic, pressing, quick counter attacks and using width to stretch play.

11 Nov 2026 10:06:07
Reports that United have officially opened talks with Pochettino. Again more incompetence from the club that this being reported before an official announcement has been made about Carricks future.

Also let's just remind ourselves that the removal of Carrick will put the club at nearly £100m in compensation and severance costs for managers and backroom staff post SAF.

11 Nov 2026 12:33:46
Lets be fair, this happens with pretty much every other major club in world football.

We knew about Maresca to City long before it was announced, Alonso to Chelsea, Iraola to Liverpool, Mourinho to Real Madrid.

We live in a world of fast paced media due to social media taking over from print media as the main source of information people will go to.

That means there is a rat race to be the first to break the news, and with a lot of information being passed around through agents (who are looking to manipulate the media to maximise their profit) along with footballers typically being young men who lack life experience, while also often not being the brightest. It isn't difficult to get snippets of information. For example over a decade ago I knew of a transfer in lower league football before the player had even sat down with the club he was moving to, I knew where he was going and that they had already offered him triple his current wages. The story didn't brake until two days later when he was spotted going into the training ground of his new club for his medical and both clubs then announced the deal. It was a record deal for the league at the time, and I knew about it two whole days before it was in the press. I'm not going to be the only person whose ever been privvy to some information before it becomes public knowledge, and in this modern world of instant media people are far less withholding of that information than I was at the time.

There are people everywhere with cameras in their pockets and the ability to quickly inform the world of what they've seen, often with a photo for proof.

People like Fabrizio Romano have become millionaires, becoming famous and building careers out of leaking information. He now gets to travel the world in the lap of luxury meeting his football heros. All because he has made a career out of breaking news before clubs can arrange a press release.

11 Nov 2026 14:00:45
Kurtis perhaps carrick is in the loop in fact I'm sure he is.
Dreaming up things to moan about without knowing anything about the detail.

11 Nov 2026 14:14:43
That's what you would hope is happening, Ken, but you have to admit that, from the outside looking in, the whole situation reflects poorly on the club, particularly when there are reports that Carrick is still carrying on with his responsibilities as normal. Ultimately, as someone else has said, they're all grown men and understand the nature of the business they're in.

However, that doesn't excuse the way the club appears to have handled the situation. IMO, the communication and overall management of Carrick's position over the last couple of weeks has been really poor. You can't expect professionalism, clarity and accountability from the people working within the club if those at the top aren't prepared to demonstrate those same qualities themselves.

11 Nov 2026 18:32:26
Ports i hear ya. But how do you know that carrick is not in the loop amd offered to stay till the get the right person.
Id argue if this is the case the have been very professional and covered there bases well.

They didn't envisage the poor points return this season and were caught on the hop.
Sticking with Carrick and not jumping on conte or Howe seems sensible.
Im 99%sure Carrick is well in the loop.

11 Nov 2026 18:38:33
Ken

I agree, in fact I suspect Carrick has known for a couple of weeks. The team suddenly changed and really had a go, almost like they suspected things were changing.
This given three games to see what he could do sounds nonsense, more like timing is better for us at the international break, stay for the three games and we will make it worthwhile. It happens in business when key staff need to stay to the end.

11 Nov 2026 18:53:52
Yeah, I hope that is the case, Ken, and if it is, I think it says a lot about Carrick as a person and the way he is choosing to handle the situation. My only, personal criticism is that I think the club could have communicated things far better, particularly given the level of media scrutiny they are already under. A bit more clarity would have avoided a lot of unnecessary speculation and negativity.

Ultimately, though, it's their decision how they choose to manage things, and if they feel this is the right approach, that's up to them. The only people who are likely to be disappointed by the way it's been handled are the fans, and I'm sure it'll all be forgotten pretty quickly if results and performances improve! 😂.

11 Nov 2026 19:38:11
I can't be sure redman but i strongly suspect that to be the case.
They gave him the opportunity and he didn't do well this season. He realises that I'm sure. I would suspect he was told he was going to be replaced and carrick is being professional to the end. That is to be respected imo.
They needed to be careful not to jump in on the wrong man and make a knee jerk decision.
Time will tell of they got it right with poch.
I wanted poch when they opted for eth.
I think he is potentially the right man in the right place at the right time.
A likeable guy. Works the press well. Good experience and a lot of ex players speak well of him.
@ports i understand your point. But they can't come out and say Carrick will be leaving when we get the one we want.
The club can't try and control the narritive in today's savage world of hyperbole and nonsense.
You even see it here everyday. People make up scenarios in their head and are convinced they are right so no matter what the club do people will have their opinions and as you see some are quite extreme.
Saying nothing until the is a deal done is the best way to handle things. Protects Carrick to an extent and allowed them time to not make a knee jerk decision.

11 Nov 2026 09:33:08
Looking like it’s pochettino then. Thoughts?

11 Nov 2026 09:46:18
Should have ideally gotten the job when EtH was hired. His Spurs side played some good stuff back then and even the US side played some beautiful football at the world cup. let's see what he can conjure up from what we have here at United.

Best of luck to him if he does get in.
Carrick the coach was never good enough for this role. Good for him that he is being relieved here before things got worse and the fans turn on him. Playing legend for us but never good enough for this mighty role.

11 Nov 2026 10:01:07
I don't know what to think any more Tim. We've considered him on 3 previous occasions and not appointed him which causes some concern. I loved him as Spurs, his record since has been ok but not hugely impressive, and I never understood why he took on a national team.

If we get the Southampton and Spurs version then I'm happy.

11 Nov 2026 10:18:51
I think we are too scarred by the owners incompetence to completely trust any decision they make. I've wanted pochettino for a long time back to when it was him or Eth. Just hope he gets backed, what INEOS promise and what they deliver has been proven to be 2 very different things.

11 Nov 2026 10:44:06
The way this is being done is also shabby, leak after leak, we've approached Poch, he's ready to accept, and all the while Carrick remains in place. I used to love United but as a club we are an embarrassment.

11 Nov 2026 11:16:40
My guess is Carrick is aware of what's happening and probably has been since Bournemouth game.

11 Nov 2026 12:02:08
Agree Banjoe. It seems that the decision was made post Bournemouth and Carrick had been made aware of the decision. He would have been interim by the time replacement was lined up. That gave time to the decision makers as well. No wonder player performances have also marginally picked up.

11 Nov 2026 12:08:09
Rinse and repeat, poch is not the answer, will be sacked in the next 12 months, fell out with the board at chelsea over making decisions about players and transfers. Might save us from relegation could be the new big sam.

11 Nov 2026 12:30:37
Who would you have gone for Leahy?

11 Nov 2026 13:03:37
The timing isn't right but i'd go for emery, give poch a 12 month contract if that's where we are not 5 years and then another big payout.

11 Nov 2026 13:05:42
Poch is a great appointment. The way the club have done it is awful and I'm amazed he wants to join that leadership group. He's perfect for United. Should have happened last summer. Completely idiotic decision making but at least we can move on with a highly competent coach.

11 Nov 2026 13:19:07
I'd have preferred Howe in. Better tactician.

I wouldn't grumble over Poch as a stopgap. He's a better coach than Carrick for what we need, now.

11 Nov 2026 13:30:28
Thats probably one level up from where we are right now, Leahy. Emery would be a smart pick but i don't think he would have been interested with how things are being run here at United.

11 Nov 2026 13:30:59
Jeez Nounare you serious? I like Howe but why on earth would you rank him above Poch?!

11 Nov 2026 14:35:01
Leahy, why do you think Emery would join us?
Some people say ohh but Conte is free.
Why would he join as well?
People need to realize we aren't an attractive destination at the moment.

11 Nov 2026 18:03:50
Don, better tactician. That's about it. They're both good man-managers, improve players and play decent football. Poch, from what I've read over the years about them both, is probably a more 'feelz' manager. Howe goes much more into the minute.

I'd also argue his body of work is as good as Poch's. Taking a small team like Bournemouth to the EPL, and winning the Geordies their first silverware in 60 odd years whilst working under the constraints there, is as impressive to me as Poch's (winningless) period with Spurs, and winning a couple of minor trophies in Paris. Not to mention it not working out at Chelsea. Though I wouldn't blame him for failing at that club.

Howe's quite, studied demeanour probably works against him as well. Not sexy enough.

I like both, but I do rate Howe at least his equal.

11 Nov 2026 19:57:54
He won the league with psg in his only full season in charge. Didn't win it after joining them half way through season in 3rd place after tuchel was fired the season before they finished 2nd and got to cl semi that season.
Had psg in cl semi spurs in final.
Howe is a good coach and seems like a nice guy. Probably the best English coach of his generation. He under achieved with his newcastle team to an extent imo.

But did win a minor trophy their 1st for 60 years and got them into cl a couple of times.
I don't think Howe will ever be city chelsea Liverpool or Arsenal coach or coach for a top club in Europe. Poch has better experience better results better trophy haul (not great for either)and a couple of near misses in pl and cl.
Wilcox agreed with you nou that's got to be a concern for you🤣.

10 Nov 2026 14:12:52
Away from the manager saga for a minute did anyone see or hear stefan borson (financial expert) on talksport say that he's been told the club are up for sale. It's not official but that's what he's heard and the asking price is 5bn+

We can but dream because we need rid of all of them, glazers, INEOS the whole lot.

10 Nov 2026 14:46:28
Sad thing is we may get someone in who'll clear the debt and spend money on players etc. but they're pretty much guaranteed to be as bad as the Glasers in other ways.

10 Nov 2026 14:53:48
Can you get any worse than the glazers? And Ineos.

Any new owner that comes in will have wiped the debt that alone is more than what these leaches and rats have ever done.

10 Nov 2026 15:11:46
New owners probably won't have any obligation to clear the debt and might be happy for it to continue to roll on as long as the revenue is there to cover it.

10 Nov 2026 15:46:14
Saw this. Be interesting to see where it actually leads. I might be wrong, but didn't we have something similar reported a while back, with the Glazers supposedly considering a sale? Almost feels like they put these stories out there to test the water, gauge interest and see what sort of offers might be on the table, rather than any genuine intention to sell.

The £5bn+ valuation is interesting too. How does that actually break down in terms of ownership? Are we talking £5bn+ for 100% of Manchester United, or is that the figure being quoted just for the Glazers' remaining stake? Quite a difference between the two!

10 Nov 2026 15:59:57
The club probably won't be debt free in our lifetime. We need to get comfortable with that fact. No one will pay the Glazers their 5bn, and then clear the clubs debt afterwards.

Put it this way, we are currently £1.15bn in debt. A new stadium will cost us a further £2bn, which in truth we need to build. That then puts us a a total debt of around £3bn.

Now let's say we wanted to pay that off over a 30 year period. Realistically the best interest rate we will be able to get will be around 5% (it'll likely be more than that).

%5 interest on £3bn over 30 years equals £4.5bn of interest on top of the initial £3bn, meaning we would have to pay back a total of 7.5bn over 30 years, which equates to a debt repayment fee of £250m a year.

If we are paying £250m a year to clear the debt in 30 years time that doesn't leave a lot of money left to spend on transfer fees etc. Which we will need to do to remain competitive and maximise our revenue so that we can repay the debt.

Which probably means to be able to pay off the debt and still have enough money to spend to keep us competitive that we will have to spread the debt repayment over a longer than 30 year period, probably more like 40-50 years or more.

There will be Manchester United fans who'll be born, live a full and long life and die without ever knowing the club to be debt free.

10 Nov 2026 16:56:26
I'm pretty sure that anybody that buys the club has to clear the debt as there are some terms that say something like that.

10 Nov 2026 17:24:49
No we don't need a new stadium.

10 Nov 2026 18:30:46
Incorrect fallguy nobody that buys the business has to clear the debt. Unless its a heavily sponsered purchase from a state backed entity the debt will likely increase short term but will need to be paid down unlike our current arrangement.

So medium term the debt would decrease but slowly and at a higher cost than or existing payments in all liklihood
Shappy this is not a mortgage🤣
Finance at that level works very differently than you have laid out.

10 Nov 2026 19:31:52
Surely the glazers have to clear their debt. They essentially mortgaged us. And have kept remortgaging it. If I sell my house for 500k and 300k left on the mortgage I have to clear it. Not make the new owner pay to the 300 k as well as my 500 k.

10 Nov 2026 19:33:40
The glazers want the stadium to be built because it will add significant value to their asset and maximise their return if sold.

I doubt they would sell now.

10 Nov 2026 20:29:09
The Glazers don't have to do anything. That's how ridiculous the leveraged takeover is. By the time they eventually sell, they will have made billions in profit without risking any of their own money. They are likely to leave the club in billions of debt too. And the great Ferguson called them great owners. Was that a horse?

10 Nov 2026 20:33:24
They are selling a business not their personal home Danny.
A loan in a business can be carried forward a mortgage cannot unless in extraordinary circumstances.

10 Nov 2026 23:02:57
If the Glazers sell, SJR has first refusal. He could out together a consortium to buy Utd. A leveraged buyout is now not possible under the rules. They wouldn't be under any obligation to clear the debt.

They could however, decide to wait until June 2029, where United can reportedly pay back the debt at no additional cost/very little cost.

The debt itself could will depend upon those financing the deal and whether they want to clear right away, to free up the clubs spending power. The interest gnaws away at the SCR. Clearing the debt, would enable United to spend more and hopefully become more competitive and win the league again, without falling further behind.

However, much would depend on who is still recruiting for the club etc, as nothing is a guarantee in football.

The Glazers are under no pressure to sell, their Teflon heads show that nothing sticks to them.

11 Nov 2026 09:40:29
There is likley no obligation to clear the debt, however it will be taken into account in the final valuation of the club

The headline £5bn valuation might be before or after this has been taken into account, I suspect probably before.

Obviously £1bn of debt is a big amount +/- on the actual amount paid and any sensible buyer would be accounting for this. I am assuming the likelihood of a sovereign purchase is not big

The Football Board Room podcast did an interesting one on any potential sale and realistically how few people could actually buy it. It suggested that even Ineos wouldn't have the money/inclination to do a deal at a £5bn valuation.

It did suggest Spring next year could be a signifciant point in time.

11 Nov 2026 09:52:46
Just a sidenote -I have yet to hear any so called expert from the world of business - Alan Sugar and simon jordan in particular -mouthy as he is he knows about money - who thinks a 90, 000+ seater stadium can be built in the UK in 2027 /2028 for anywhere under 3 billion.

They started building a 63000 seater 11 years a go at around 1.3 billion -completed just under 8 years ago. I tend to agree got to me 2.5-3 billion today for a 90.000 seater.

10 Nov 2026 12:06:49
Meeting to decide on carrick isn’t until tomorrow and a decision might not be made until Thursday. God this lot are incompetent. Would anyone really be surprised if there’s another U-turn and they decide to keep him. Best in class my **** why the bleep do they need to go to Monaco anyways? That’s what zoom calls are for. All expenses paid for the 2 muppets to go on a jolly up no doubt.

10 Nov 2026 13:25:03
Tim this is not something that they can afford to screw up again. What's your rush and panic?

10 Nov 2026 13:46:57
Sorry Ken, where i'm trying to come from is how this is treating carrick. All those leaks aren't just conjecture they are obviously based on insider info so it just seems unfair to me to drag it out longer.

He needs to go but seems unnecessary on a human level. Practically too I just don't understand why they have to go to Monaco, thought we were cost cutting etc so surely a zoom conference in 2026 would be just as good.

10 Nov 2026 13:51:43
Ornstein wouldn't have reported it unless he was fairly confident that Carrick is gone. I presume the meeting is to decide on the replacement. I don't care if the announcement isn't until Thursday. So long as there's a new manager in position by the end of the international break, it's fine by me.

I'm honestly just relieved that they haven't dithered any longer. Carrick's a nice guy, but the job is beyond him.

10 Nov 2026 16:04:24
I wouldn't say that is incompetence, it's just doing the process correctly. The problem is that in this new age of social media we as fans know things far sooner than we would have previously. Which makes it feel like they are dragging their heels, because we want instant action and reaction.

In years gone by we would not have known about planned meetings, or what was even being discussed at the club. The first we would have known anything was when the club made a press release. Which would probably have come after several days maybe even weeks of meetings and planning, all done without our knowledge.

10 Nov 2026 18:34:57
Carrick is fine i'd imagine Tim.
He will be well paid and i'm sure he will get over the fact he made a complete horlix of things pretty soon.
Nice guy but wrong man in the right place at the wrong time.

10 Nov 2026 19:33:13
Good way of putting it Ken 👍.

11 Nov 2026 11:13:01
Why would anyone buy United for £5 billion ( + 1 bn debt and 3 bn stadium)?

Maybe only handful of people / companies in world who could afford this - and they're billionaires for a reason - plus would have to justify buy to share holders.

No competent business would ever pay that much.

10 Nov 2026 07:12:17
It is looking increasingly likely that Carrick will be sacked today, and rightly so. Utd are in a relegation battle due to his lack of management, leadership and tactical nous.

Wilcox needs to go too. The recruitment was shambolic during the summer. It was very unorganised, with a clear preference - by prem proven players.

When the January transfer window opens, they need to be quick at bringing new players in, and ruthless with moving certain players on.

The predicament the club finds them in, they need to sell to raise funds for new players. Martinez will likely leave, and quite possibly Bruno, as it is unlikely the club will trigger his one year extension given that they are in a relegation battle. Mount needs to go, along with Rashford and Mazraoui. I'd add Dalot to the list, but at least he can stay fit.

10 Nov 2026 07:32:40
Indeed MH.
Let's wait and see.
Hopefully we see that sort of approach.
99% are probably doubtful that we will see as you lay out but in hopeful we will.
Perusing if its Howe and wilcox i think we will see more of the same and be back at square 1 in 18 months but if they go with naglesman or poch i think we will see more change.


Twill be interesting couple of weeks and winter window.

10 Nov 2026 09:17:53
I think you're right fellas. All change again.

Seems Poch will finally get a shot at this one.

USA have two fixtures coming up on 14 and 18 Nov and turn I'd imagine he'll come in?

10 Nov 2026 09:39:23
Thinking about the managerial situation over the last couple of weeks, I've increasingly come to the conclusion that the approach the club needs to take, and one I think the fans should be prepared to accept, is bringing in a manager now whose primary objective is to improve us, stabilise things and move us forward. The manager who follows them should then be the one tasked with taking us to the next level and genuinely challenging for the league and domestic cups.

I think for too long we've expected every new manager to come in, improve the team, rebuild the culture and then deliver trophies, all within a relatively short period. If it happens that way, brilliant, but unfortunately, history suggests otherwise.

Carrick came in and improved things last season. In hindsight, we probably should have recognised that improvement, built on it and then made the decision to upgrade when the right opportunity presented itself. Solskjaer did something similar. He improved the atmosphere, brought some positivity back to the club and made us a better team. But again, rather than recognising that he had taken us as far as he could and making a planned transition, we stuck with it because things were going well. Eventually, it turned, we hit rock bottom and the next manager was left having to rebuild almost everything from scratch.

That's the cycle we need to break. We need to stop making managerial appointments based on the immediate need to rescue the club and start thinking two appointments ahead, with a clear idea of what each manager is expected to achieve and how they fit into the bigger picture.

Personally, I think we're probably two managerial appointments away from winning the league again. I genuinely hope the next appointment proves me wrong and is the one who takes us all the way, but I think that's a big ask given where we are currently. The important thing is that whoever comes in now makes us better and leaves the club in a stronger position for whoever follows.

On a separate note, looking at the league table yesterday, we're only eight points behind Chelsea in fifth. A decent run of results and things could suddenly look a lot healthier. There's still plenty to play for this season.

10 Nov 2026 10:30:41
I hope as much but it pains me to say Mad Hatter don't hold your breath.

10 Nov 2026 11:34:03
It might just be me but I won't believe he's actually gone until it's officially announced. With these lot of incompetent clowns I don't trust anything.

10 Nov 2026 16:15:01
It's a sad state of affairs, and while I think it's clear that Carrick is lacking in some areas as a manger. I genuinely don't believe anyone could have got that much more out of this squad under the circumstances.

If managers made as big a difference as a 100m player, then managers would cost 100m to hire.

Think about it logically. Hypothetically if we went to Villa to get Emery how much would they demand for him? 30m maybe at most. Yet if we went to sign their best player they'd want at least double that, if not a figure approaching 100m or more.

That figure is the value the club places on that person. Clubs know managers don't have as big an impact as players. That's why they'll sack a manager and not the players.

Any manager at United this season would have the same issues that Carrick has had with lacking quality, lacking specific skills, and injuries.

I like Pochettino, and if he's the guy then I'll support him like I've supported every manager. Although I do feel like he has a slight whiff of yesterday's man. A manager who promised so much ten years ago, but his stock has fallen since then. Certainly we aren't striking while the irons hot with him. Maybe that won't be a problem, maybe that might actually be to our benefit, he's learned his flaws and has grown and is maybe better placed to handle it now. Yet, if things don't go well for him immediately you can imagine what will be written about him, the guy who lost the one horse title race to Leicester. The man whose only major silverware came at PSG. The man who has found himself managing the US men's team.

If it's Poch I wish him the best of luck and I'll get fully behind him. But he'll need a miracle to get us back on track.

09 Nov 2026 22:09:06
Carrick might be going, ornstein just tweeted that the club are looking to make a change. When and to whom who knows.

09 Nov 2026 22:24:20
Timing makes sense in the international break and this little two week period post bournemouth hasn't been too damaging with the champions league win, we could have lost to chelsea and drawn with villa under any manager if we are being honest.

I assume considering the stay of execution post Bournemouth that they have lined someone up who is a bit more complicated to get than Howe/Conte/Nagelsmann.

I think it will be Pochettino.

10 Nov 2026 07:17:20
The 3v named being touted for the job today are
Poch, naglesman and howe.
I like poch and i think he would be a good appointment he would have been my choice when they went for eth at that time.
Naglesman is someone that intriges me. If he comes in i think it spells the end of wilcox so that would be a good thing.
Howe would mean wilcox stays and that is my biggest reservation with Howe. He had proven to be a decent coach a steady eddie a bit like poch.


Howe and poch are probably a little lower risk but with potentially less upheaval but perhaps less reward.
Naglesman higher risk but with the prospect of higher reward and a new and different philosophy.
Very interesting to see which way they go.
I like the idea of a complete different direction. Looking forward to seeing which route they chose.
A sensible steady eddie might be order of the day i'd prefer to move forward with more radicle change.

10 Nov 2026 09:09:35
Poch would be fantastic if we can get him. Had also hoped for him at the the time ETH was appointed but also when Amorim was and last summer too. He's perfect for us. His trophy record isn't brilliant but he improves teams and his football is great to watch.

09 Nov 2026 14:21:19
Does anyone agree that Zirkzee would do very well in the right team?
I think is skill level is high and he can finish when he gets a chance i think he would do well with pace and runners around him.
You could argue he deserves more chances a bit like amass considering whomever has played has not done well in those positions.
I don't think he will ever be the answer for us but i think there is a very good player in him.

09 Nov 2026 14:33:17
I agree, Ken.

09 Nov 2026 14:37:06
Yes completely agree, i mean at a basic level what is the point of having a backup striker if you don't play him when your first choice is injured.

Of course he has fundamental flaws as a player (he is a striker who seems allergic to getting into the box), which strangely no coach has attempted to change but teams started sussing out how to defend against Mbuemo up top from about Carricks third game in charge as interim, why he still persists with it now is odd.

We are nowhere near a good enough team to play a strikerless system, need to go back to basics and play strikers as striker (Zirkzee), left backs as left backs (Amass), wingers as wingers etc.

09 Nov 2026 15:04:29
I think he's a good player, and I've always felt that playing him alongside Cunha and Mbeumo, with those two either side of him, could work really well. Tactically, I actually think there's a decent argument for it.

He isn't your traditional number nine. He's much more comfortable dropping into pockets of space, receiving the ball to feet, linking play and bringing others into the game. Rather than constantly looking to run in behind, he can come short, draw a centreback or midfielder out of position and create space for Cunha and Mbeumo to attack. Both are capable of making those aggressive runs inside, so I think there's potential for a really good combination.

I don't think he's a 20 goal as season striker but I think we sometimes overlook what he could offer in terms of the overall balance of the team. Not every striker has to be an out-and-out goalscorer, particularly when you've got players like Cunha and Mbeumo capable of contributing goals. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to him getting a proper run of starts as the number nine rather than just some sporadic appearances from the bench.

My only reservation is his demeanour. He can look a little too casual at times, and I do wonder whether that laid-back approach works against him in the Premier League. There's a difference between being composed on the ball and looking like you're not quite playing with the urgency or intensity the game demands.

09 Nov 2026 20:20:37
Now I'm not comparing him to Berbatov in terms of quality, but he had a relaxed style about him too which worked.

Zirkzee is the closest thing we have to a fit striker and Carrick isn't picking him. that's on the coach. But, him Cunha and Bruno would all be stood within 5 metres of each other given where they like to receive the ball.

09 Nov 2026 21:14:41
Ken

Until we try it we won't know, but Zirkzee could be our Sutton if we had a Shearer. However, no one has dared try it because even if Sesko was fit it would mean not playing Bruno.

09 Nov 2026 21:27:09
I agree redman he should have had more chances. I think he has shown some good stuff but we've also seen a lit of garbage from him too it has to be said. We don't see him in training and eth amorim nor carrick have got anything from him.
I think the epl is all a bit frantic and physical for him.

10 Nov 2026 02:58:52
I like him and technically he is good. My reservations are that I can't see him scoring 20ngoals a season, doesn't have that killers instinct and he doesn't always work hard enough defensively. Attackers should be the first line of defence.

10 Nov 2026 04:48:56
At the minute we don't need to talk about our striker being a 20 goal a season player, what we need is what can he do until January. I think he should be played with Cunha and Mbeumo and let them be a fluid front 3.
More responsibility and he may shine.
He is not the long term answer, but he maybe the now answer.

10 Nov 2026 08:02:54
Zirkzee is horrendous. The fact we're having this conversation tells you how far we have fallen. Comparing Zikzee to Berbatov is like comparing a Kia to a Rolls Royce.

10 Nov 2026 09:39:05
I'd argue Kia's are more reliable.

BUT given where we are at the moment and that he's scored goals, he's surely offer more than Amad, so stick him in the middle with Cunha and Mbeumo either side. Least there's more of a focal point.