Manchester United Banter Mobile

10 Apr 2026 13:26:02
Win against Leeds, and we should be good for UCL. Drop points and we may get a bit nervy in the run in. We've had and eternity to wait for this game, so I hope we show up and do the business with a convincing win on Monday night.

We have not played well in our Monday games this season, so they need to focus and get their heads in gear for a Leeds team getting dragging into trouble at the bottom.

08 Apr 2026 21:39:29
What's amazing is that Diego Simeone and his son are manager and player!

09 Apr 2026 19:06:47
Why is that?

09 Apr 2026 20:29:50
I didn't want to ask. 😂

09 Apr 2026 21:44:32
Crazy statement.

10 Apr 2026 07:26:31
Me neither, Ken. 😂

10 Apr 2026 13:53:43
The only real point is that the manager getting his son through to the first team takes some doing, as does the son getting there with his father as boss, having to avoid every pitfall and potential accusation in relation to nepotism. It says a lot for the skill and character of both, given it appears to have been successfully managed.

10 Apr 2026 15:19:51
He is a little mini me. He plays like his dad did, super aggressive and a very tidy player.

10 Apr 2026 16:23:36
There have been a few during the Premier League era;

Steve Bruce and his son Alex.
Harry Redknapp and Jamie.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Darren.
Brian Clough and Nigel.
Gordon Strachan and Gavin.
And of course more recently,
Darren Fletcher and Jack (pretty tenuous but factual! Also, Tyler was unused sub).

Don't think many managers would play their son without discussing the matter extensively with his management team, and the son would no doubt have to have stood out to avoid the obvious favouritism allegations.



Most of the above examples had reasonable careers, a couple of standouts in Redknapp and Clough, but seems to be pretty acceptable success rates.

07 Apr 2026 10:49:25
Harry Maguire signs new one-year contract at Old Trafford.

He has been solid for Carrick recently and is a good character in the dressing room. He certainly has his critics here but I don't think this is a bad move.

07 Apr 2026 11:23:02
One more year is acceptable, but this is the last one.

07 Apr 2026 12:24:41
Booooo!

07 Apr 2026 14:01:16
Deserves the contract, dropped and hammered by the fans. Didn't let it get to him, got his head down and got back into the team. That is the mentality every United player should have.

{Ed025's Note - to be fair Grim he is the best centre back you have mate..

07 Apr 2026 14:07:31
Don't have any issues as long as we aren't making him our no1 choice and have to rely on him for most of the season.

07 Apr 2026 14:48:40
Absolutely the right decision. We have too many gaps to cover in one window, and this will allow for the CB position to not be an urgent need, dependent on what happens with Martinez/De Ligt.

I would expect to see Yoro get more minutes next year, and more games to go around for everyone. We will definitely need a solid 4/5 for this position.

07 Apr 2026 14:59:44
Considering the wild range of possibilities for when de Ligt is going to play again, and if he even comes back anywhere near his previous level, and then on top of that, Licha Martinez hasn't played a full season since he joined the club.

This feels like a no brainer.

07 Apr 2026 17:02:37
We needed to retain him for his experience and his character.
Not least, because we should be parting ways with at least 3 of the back line this summer, so we will need some stability.
He is a worthy backup CB.

3/4/5 choice.
I note the contract extension is for at least one more year, so I suspect a rolling one-year extension, providing both parties are happy to continue each season. He will know when his time is up.

07 Apr 2026 19:30:45
It is a 12 month contract with the option for a further 12 months.

07 Apr 2026 23:25:44
I admire Maguire's resolve, but we're not winning a league with him as a regular starter. As a squad player, he does have a role. When fit, de Ligt and Martinez are guaranteed starters, but I think we need another given their injury records, and basically that's because I don't see Maguire as a good enough replacement.

08 Apr 2026 01:48:11
With de Ligt and Martinez's injury problems, that leaves us with Yoro Heaven and Maguire. So keeping Harry was a must, we can't rely on others.

08 Apr 2026 06:51:37
Maybe, when his career ends, he can step sideways. He's made a living out of going that direction. 😂

08 Apr 2026 08:49:26
No brainer. We'll need some depth if we're in the Champions League, and a replacement top new CB will cost us £50m+ and the same sort of wages. We have more important priorities this summer. Hopefully Yoro, who has looked better in a back 4, and Heaven will benefit and improve from another year of experience, and De Ligt will get back to fitness.

With Martinez being unreliable, we can't afford to let any of the other 4 leave. We'll still probably need a supplemental one.

08 Apr 2026 11:40:25
Whilst I haven't been a Maguire fan, he has shown the right attitude and mentality to succeed at Utd, which will bode well for the youngsters at the club.

They can't afford to buy 2-3 CM, a LW, 1 xCB, and a LB all in one summer transfer window.

09 Apr 2026 09:35:31
Terrible day of circumstances that we have to give this average Joe a new contract.
Slow and getting slower, not always available.
I agree that it's probably better to err on the side of caution, but it's not ideal at all, imo.


Good attitude, but I won't throw bouquets at him for that.
Ok, been up. Let's hope we don't have to rely on him too much to play, as he won't improve and his best is very average.

09 Apr 2026 10:18:45
Right there with you Tumble.

09 Apr 2026 17:24:31
It's a good deal and Harry is a fine backup. But that was always his level at a club like United.

His attitude is spot on, but his ability isn't anywhere near the standard of previous 1st-choice centre-backs.

Not his fault, and he has taken unfair criticism over the years, but for me, he epitomises all that's been wrong over the years.



Overpaid on inadequate players for the first team and kept them too long. Wasting money and time.

09 Apr 2026 22:14:01
How long into the new season before the usual suspects start banging on about getting his inflated wages off the books?

Gotta admire his self belief, though. He truly thinks he is one of the world's best!

Bless him.

10 Apr 2026 17:13:24
I think he said in both boxes, Keefy, and I think he is right. I was never a big fan of his, never wanted and never rated. But, given the need for midfielders this year, and the injuries to de Ligt and Martinez, renewing Maguire would push the need for two defenders to the next year. Maybe, and I wish it, we can buy one this year and one next.

Without Maguire we are left with Yoro and Heaven as non injury prone defenders.
I am glad he stayed. I also will be glad if there is no need to overplay him because that means Yoro, Heaven, etc. have stepped up. Maguire is for certain matches in which we defend deep because of his lack of speed.

05 Apr 2026 09:57:11
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Why United Should Consider Bringing Back James Garner

05 Apr 2026 13:46:07
He was available on a free this summer if we had approached him, but we didn't, so he signed a new contract 6 weeks ago and will stay at Everton.

05 Apr 2026 16:02:01
Maybe Ken, or maybe he signed a deal to make sure Everton get a fee for him.

He is from Merseyside, so could well have family connections to Everton. They also gave him his chance, and he might be one of the few players who has some moral fibre.

His deal that ran out this summer, I believe (according to press reports at least), had a one-year extension that the club could trigger.

So they could have unilaterally extended his deal. Maybe a new deal, with a gentleman's agreement or even a buy-out clause, was agreed. Who knows.

Ultimately, my post wasn't really tied into the likelihood of him signing, just that I think he'd be a very shrewd signing given his skillset and our need this summer.

05 Apr 2026 20:03:59
Agree, Shappy, that he could be a shrewd signing. Always rated him as a younger player, and now has matured.

05 Apr 2026 22:00:51
His contract was expiring in full end of June. He signed a new deal to stay there.
I think he has turned into a very good player and is versatile, plays rb a bit too. But he was not viewed as a potential free. A couple of England caps won't change that to a 40m plus buy. Let's be realistic.

06 Apr 2026 07:56:23
Shappy,
If he signed a contract to enable Everton to get a good fee, yet wants to return to us, then frankly I don't want that in a Utd player. Decent player, having a good spell, but fawning over someone who is probably a long way down the line of quality midfielders isn't the best way.

Available on a free, and not wanting him then, but willing to pay a big fee is very Fellaini-like decision making. Leave well alone.

06 Apr 2026 12:17:12
I thought we were right to sell him and he's obviously improved a great deal. I like his versatility and workrate. We need a bit of that. Pretty sure his impressive single cap will double his fee.

06 Apr 2026 11:32:13
Red Man, I agree that there are definitely more talented players.

Veron was a far more talented player than Nicky Butt, but he wasn't half as effective for us.

Sometimes the best player for a club isn't the most talented player, but the right player to enable the whole team to click and work to their maximum efficiency.

My concern is that a lot of the players we are being linked with are naturally more inclined to play the box to box No.8 role be that as a destructive ball winning No.8 or as a creative on the ball No.8.

The only one who we have been consistently linked with who fits the mould as a natural sitting and shielding No.6 is Baleba, and I'm not even completely sure that is his best position either. He is a comfortable passer, but lacks imagination, and he has an aggressive tendency to jump and try and win the ball (but that could just be the enthusiasm of youth).

Successful sides do not just stick the biggest name players together ala Galactico style. The best sides recruit players who complement eachother and bring out the best in eachother, which makes sense as football is a team game.

Casemiro is the only player we currently have who can comfortably play that sitting No.6 role, which is why we look so much worse when he isn't playing.

Mainoo isn't a player who'll naturally sit and shield the back four, neither is Bruno, or Ugarte (who is often mistaken as a holding player due to the perception that players who make a lot of tackles are the defensive lynchpin).

We see it all the time when Casemiro isn't playing, we suddenly have big gaps open up centrally which nearly always leads to us conceding goals. We say it's a lack of legs in midfield as we see players struggling to sprint back to cover, but the issue isn't their lack of legs, but the fact they were in the wrong place which opened up the space.

Casemiro last season was trying to play too much as a box to box driving player which meant he was occasionally out of position and without a more natural sitting player like Kroos alongside him it left big spaces. This season he appears that his legs aren't as gone as we thought, when in reality he has just learned to adapt his game and sit more often, meaning the space never opens up.

We need to bring in at least one player who is more about defending the space than winning the ball. They will tend to win the ball a lot due to them playing as that shield in front of the back four, but they won't go chasing the ball and leave gaps open behind them.

James Garner fits that role well, is EPL proven, homegrown, and a former academy player to boot (meaning he is less likely to be overwhelmed or struggle to adapt to our club).

There are other options out there, Eduardo Camavinga would be another that I would have high up on my list. He's certainly the bigger name, more naturally talented and shiny option, but he does come with a bigger risk of whether he could adapt to the EPL or playing for United (although you'd hope having played for Real Madrid he'd be able to cope with the pressure, although that isn't a given).

We need a natural sitting No.6 type player, of those we have been linked with Wharton and Anderson are the two who could probably adapt to that role best, but it isn't their natural role and playing them in it will not get the best out of them. Which seems silly to spend such a huge amount on a player to then play them as a square peg in a round hole, even if they can do an adequate job there.

06 Apr 2026 14:01:26
Garner signed a new contract 6 weeks ago. He is not moving from Everton. He is not an option. Simple.

06 Apr 2026 20:51:26
Garner would've made for an upgrade on Ugarte, but for his own sake, it made sense to stay at Everton, where he's a regular starter.

06 Apr 2026 22:50:39
Manuel Fernandes, Garner and Anderson. Greedy.

07 Apr 2026 04:45:00
Garner probably doesn't want to come and be a 4th choice back up. Yes, he would be incredible to have that depth on the bench. But, that is not what he wants, I imagine.

Question is, when are we going to see someone from the youth team step up into that role? Has anyone looked ready?

{Ed025's Note - 4th choice back up DB?, he walks into the united side mate and the only player you have that is a better midfielder is Bruno..

07 Apr 2026 12:54:26
Yeah, because Garner's better than Casemiro, right? Absolute nonsense 025.

{Ed025's Note - he replaces Cas for me WR, hes been decent but hes a bit of an old turnip now and he strolls rather than runs these days mate, he still gets in your midfield though because lets be honest the likes of Mainoo and Ugarte are championship players at best and thats before you throw in Mason out for the count Mount..

07 Apr 2026 13:08:02
Whiskey, Casemiro is leaving! Breaking news. 🤣

07 Apr 2026 13:32:58
That's hardly the point I'm making, is it, Fizz? I stated that he is not better than Casemiro.

I'm well aware he's leaving.

08 Apr 2026 02:06:22
Fantastic post, Shappy, one of the very best.
Just my opinion, but I think Garner is a very tough guy. He did renew his contract so he can see who really wants him and has him as a priority.

Because, if he was free, a lot of clubs would take him for third or fourth option for their rotation. But who wants him badly and is going to pay 70 millions?

08 Apr 2026 10:22:56
The answer to that heaven is nobody. He renewed his contract because its the only or at least the best offer he had on the table at the time. He did not renew it to see who wanted him that's one of the thickest things I've ever read on here🤣

08 Apr 2026 12:59:45
No, not exactly. But he did think, my personal opinion, that if he is good, and if someone really wants him come summer or next, someone can pay and buy him. And that's a win win situation with Everton pocketing money too.


It was the only offer on the table because you can't offer a contract to a player who plays for a team in the same football association before his contract expires. So, you are right, he hadn't another choice.

08 Apr 2026 13:22:00
Heaven you are very poorly informed.
Any club club can speak to a players agents/representatives and make a contract offer while he is employed elsewhere. Use your head.
If he could have got a free move in the summer he would have pocketed an extra 5-10m personally, i don't think getting a fee for Everton entered his thought process or his representatives. Do me a favour

08 Apr 2026 15:33:23
He had an option of an extra year extension, Tumble. I don't think he could leave for free.

08 Apr 2026 15:41:41
There was no option, Heaven. His contract was expiring in full in June.

08 Apr 2026 15:43:43
Also, Heaven, that option is not the player's option. When it does exist, it's the club's option; the player is powerless to stop a club enforcing it and has no option to force it on the club. If they don't want him to stay, they just don't take up the option, like we did in Sancho's case.

08 Apr 2026 15:56:20
That's what I say, or, I mean, if you prefer, it's the club's option. So, at the very least, Everton would trigger it in order to not lose him for free. Ideally, Everton would extend his contract by 4-5 years, as they did.


That's what Moyes, more or less, said, if I remember correctly, and more or less confirmed that they had the choice of +1. I, of course, believe him.

08 Apr 2026 17:12:03
Everton didn't have an extra year option. His contract was up in June.

08 Apr 2026 17:25:12
If you say so, Tumble. If you have inside information, or better information, that's fine. I go by what I read. Moyes hid that there was a year extension for James Garner, and I do believe him.

08 Apr 2026 18:32:57
Yes, cos his current contract had expired, so he got a 3 year extension on increased terms. The details are in the public forum, it's not difficult to check.

08 Apr 2026 19:11:52
Yes, it was going to expire because Everton didn't trigger the one year extension yet. But they had this option, you must search what Moyes said, it's public and it's not difficult to check. Anyway, move on.

04 Apr 2026 19:39:14
Must be so much fun on the Liverpool page 😅😅😅. The tables have definitley turned. Slott forever 😅😅😅.

04 Apr 2026 21:29:57
Everyone writing them off against PSG, be like them to get a result! That lot in Europe are a different animal! Hope not, mind u, a nice hiding would be lovely by PSG. 🤣

04 Apr 2026 22:51:59
Liverpool had several chances to score against City and failed to take one. Salah has lost that edge which made him a great player. Offensively, overall, though, I think they are OK.
In defence they are not settled at all, and that's where their problems lie.

City have been rebuilding and will be the team to beat next year if Pep stays.

They are playing with confidence again, and Cherki and Semenyo have really boosted their creativity and attack. Guehi is taking his time to bed in, but is a solid performer and a very good defender.