03 Nov 2026 23:15:43
Have said before I want to see Lacy getting more opportunities, his cameo tonight was impressive.

The ball to Cunha for third goal was excellent and shows the difference between him and Amad in terms of creativity at the business end. He needs to be playing more.

Thought Yoro was again our best defender, not much competition I know, but despite not playing his proper position he has applied himself well over recent times.

I still think Heaven has a good future, but he must stop being rash and lunging into tackles.

The difference second half was passion, commitment and pace. These have to be fundamental basic qualities and not optional extras.

Such a shame for Baleba, does not look good, could be out for a while.

Was good to get the blood pumping second half again, it was enjoyable to watch.

1.) 04 Nov 2026
04 Nov 2026 11:07:17
I agree I want to see more of Lacey, he's clearly a super talented lad, but more than that you can see that he really wants to play for the team, and that kind of enthusiasm is infectious.

Amad I think is having a tougher run of form right now, but he's still got so much ability. Over the previous two seasons only Bruno was creating more chances per 90 minutes than Amad. He will be fine, I think the injuries, disruption to pre-season and the poor form of the rest of the team are having an impact on his current form.

The real challenge will come once Sesko (or another striker is signed) returns and Mbeumo is moved back to the right. Giving us Mbeumo, Amad and Lacey all fighting it out for one starting spot. Unbelievable depth.

Cunha's fighting spirit and passion are things that will make him a fan favourite. It's great to see and we need a couple more players with that sort of attitude. Again it can be infectious to the other players around them.

Yoro has been surprisingly good at RB, and I think he should get an extended run there. It's a good position for him to gain experience in with less pressure than you get at CB. In the past we've seen players like Wes Brown and John O'Shea get game time when they were less experienced in the fullback positions to great effect.

Heaven desperately need more experience around him, he's got talent and the ability, but he just makes the errors of youth and inexperience. Having someone alongside him who can talk him though the game and reduce those errors is needed. I wonder if we can get MdL back fully fit whether he'd work well alongside Heaven.

I really feel for Baleba, such an unfortunate injury. I hope he gets the chance to fully recover, and we don't rush him back. Hamstrings can be tricky things, and a second tear could put him out for quite a while. One of the often not discussed things around injuries is how the body often tries to compensate for an injury or issue in one part of the body; Which can then cause greater tension or stress in another part of the body, increasing the risk of injury in that area. This is obviously a bigger issue for professional sportsmen as they tend to push their bodies to the limit, which increases the chance of injuries if their body is compensating an injury elsewhere.

I thought having Mainoo back also made a big difference, he was clearly a little rusty in the first half, but he is by far our best midfielder so far this season.

While we have been all doom and gloom on here recently, and rightly so given the performances and results. There are actually quite a few promising players within this group of players.

Players like Lammens, Yoro, Heaven, Dorgu, Mainoo, Baleba, Amad, Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko and Lacey have all shown real quality and potential. I also think Andrey Santos has been okay so far, with a few bright moments. I think he will turn out to be a good signing in time.

The problem is that we still have too many players who have over time shown themselves to either not be good enough, or lack the mental fortitude to perform when things get tough.

Players like Maguire, Shaw, Dalot, and Mount have consistently underperformed. While the likes of Rashford, Bruno and Martinez have at times performed well (amazingly in Bruno's case), but have shown they maybe lack the mentality when the chips are down. We also still have the likes of Bayindir, Onana, Mazraoui, Ugarte, and Zirkzee still part of the first team squad, all of which need to be moved on as they aren't good enough.

That's 11/12 players who are potentially good enough (most still very young and developing), and 12 players we need to move on as they aren't good enough or lack the right attitude.

When you consider that most of the more senior/stronger characters in the dressing room are in the latter group that needs to be moved on, while the former group is mostly younger, more impressionable, and easier led players; you can see why it's so challenging for a manager to get a consistent tune out of this squad.

You're left in a situation where you either don't play the players that need to be moved on, which will upset the apple cart and they probably bring the mood and performances down for the whole squad. Or you play them to keep the squad harmony, but they have consistently proven they aren't good enough, meaning you fall short of where you need to be. As well as not developing the ones who might actually have a future at the club.

This is a problem that cannot be solved by the manager, and can only be solved by those above him, by moving on those that need to be weeded out and bringing in more suitable replacements.

2.) 04 Nov 2026
04 Nov 2026 12:51:49
It i'd time to sell Amad. He is often injured and is quite an inconsistent. With him being at the club for over 5.5 years, he would be classed a pure profit.

Lacey looks livelier, hungrier and more determined than Amad. The question is, does Carrick have the balls to drop him.