Manchester United Banter Mobile

13 May 2026 18:01:58
I understand the FA Youth Cup final v City will be on BBC tomorrow night, fyi.

13 May 2026 19:02:17
Cheers, Red Man. I was intending to go until they changed the venue.

13 May 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 36 - Quick Round Up

12 May 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - MCR has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool, Brighton and the Third-Man Run Problem

12 May 2026 00:33:52
Let's assume Barcelona don't take up the option and we get Rashford back, could it actually be a +ve?

1. He's probably happier in a 4 at the back system.
2. He has a relationship with Carrick, assuming he's going to be the head coach/manager. He just might be happier now that we're looking like challengers.
3. He can fill in at CF, probably more effectively than Zirkzee.


4. A good second CF that's worth his salt will be costing us £60m + £150-£200k a week, so probably £20m+ a year which is more than Rashford's wages.
5. We're going to need more depth.
6. Transfer money can be allocated to those positions where our need is more critical.

I'd definitely be playing hard ball with Barcelona.

12 May 2026 06:51:18
Give it 2 months, and his poor attitude would be stinking the place out again.

12 May 2026 07:46:15
Just get rid. Absolutely nothing to discuss regarding Rashford. If he isn't sold or loaned, then gardening leave. The End.

12 May 2026 09:30:16
Fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.

12 May 2026 10:24:39
I always loved Rashford, local kid who made food. He was exciting when he arrived, but became very streaky, and I was ok with that as he could always change a game. He also has big balls, the penalty at PSG proved that.

But then his form and attitude worsened: the cars, the blind, the tattoos, the parties.

Fell out with managers, and ambled around the pitch like he couldn't be bothered.

I see no way back for him, nor do I think he would want to come back. Barca pay the money or we allow other clubs to bid, the price is nice, and I think there will be a few wanting him. If he refuses to move, then he gets frozen out.

12 May 2026 11:13:17
On top of everything, everyone has said, hasn't Rashford basically said he doesn't want to return to United? Don't need the likes of that anymore!

12 May 2026 11:23:13
He's not coming back.

But what's this with his attitude and falling out with managers? I haven't really heard of him being a bad influence with a bad attitude.

I think his race was run at United, and he had had enough with the club.

Best of luck to him, he's done well at Barca.

12 May 2026 11:32:38
This boat has sailed, and that's coming from someone who still thinks Rashford would easily start for us and is as good, if not better, than all our forwards at the club.

What would be the point of reintegrating someone who was publicly in the "bomb squad" a year ago? It would completely undermine the manager and any sort of team spirit we have going for us at the moment.

12 May 2026 11:42:04
Angel, Google Rashford disciplinary issues at United. There were plenty. Parties, turning up late, and of course, ambling around the pitch.

12 May 2026 12:01:30
I see he was disciplined twice by Eth, Ajh, which I agree with.

I haven't heard anything on his attitude. That's what I was getting at.

I just think he looked like a guy that didn't want to be there, and I understand it too.

I'm glad he seems to be doing well now, though, and much happier.

12 May 2026 12:33:12
Dec 2022, late for team meeting.
Nov 2023, out clubbing after a heavy defeat.
Jan 2024, went clubbing in Ireland the day before training.
Dec 2024, dropped following poor training.


Remember, RA said he would rather play his grandmother than Rashford.

That's the impact he was having.

I'm pleased if he is happy, but I am still p1ssed that he appeared to down tools and sought to leave. Good luck to him, as long as he is nowhere near United.

12 May 2026 12:37:54
With you, Dsg. He's a good player (not a great player), and would add a lot back to our squad.

But it feels really unlikely neither Utd nor Rashford wants/needs a reunion, so time to cash in the chips and move on.

12 May 2026 13:42:47
Agree with AJH on this. I have no ill will against Rashford, but he doesn't want to be at United. He's doing well at Barca, likes it there, and I'm happy for him.

For me, this is usual Barca nonsense. They loaned the player. He has proved his worth to their squad. He wants to stay, they want to keep him, and they can buy him for a more than fair price.

The problem is that they never treat other clubs with respect. They're trying to wrangle a deal where they get the player on another loan, and avoid paying a fee.

You can guarantee that they are pushing Rashford to tell United that he won't go anywhere other than Barca.

I've said this before, but I would call Barca's bluff, and dump Rashford in the reserves if he refuses to be sold to a different club. However, that would leave us with a player that has no interest in being here on a massive wage. Still, it's better than allowing Barca to get away with their thoroughly unprofessional approach to transfers.

12 May 2026 13:44:43
There is a work rate issue with him, but also I look at it and see that he'd be up against Cunha. 10 times out of 10 I start Cunha. Rashford isn't a good hold-up player, and doesn't challenge for headers, etc., so I don't start him over Sesko, or, indeed, Mbeumo as a makeshift centre forward.

So he'd be a squad player, and you absolutely want good pros for that. There's plenty of evidence to say that Rashford is not that.

12 May 2026 16:44:26
Lol. 14 goals and 14 assists for Barca, and a worldie and a La Liga title, not bad for someone for less than 30 million, and certainly would warrant starting at United no problem at all.

I would guess those figures are better than Amad, Cunha, Mbuemo, but the ship has sailed. To say he is not good enough for us is a bit ridiculous.

Well done to him at Barca, I say.

12 May 2026 17:24:39
He represents good value at 26m. Will they pay it? I think Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko all have more league goals than Rashford this season.
It's a dumb comparison, as they are playing for different teams in different leagues, so not comparable.
Rash is a decent player when putting in the effort.

He was not putting in the minimum acceptable effort at United; he was unhappy.
He seems happy there and has done well and won the title. Good for him. Will they buy him? You would think at 26m they would jump at it; they can flip him on at the end of next season and profit if it doesn't work out.

12 May 2026 20:36:24
I'd prefer Greenwood. 👍😬😬

12 May 2026 21:43:12
But he got 0 out of 10 in one match, Jimbo. 😆

12 May 2026 23:48:31
I know Eric, strip him of his professional status. 😜

13 May 2026 00:05:53
He strolled around the pitch putting in zero effort. If you don't get on with the manager, play so good that the fans can see that you are working hard and not the problem.

Previous players used to sprint to try and save balls from going out when they knew they could not catch them. But that created a spirit and atmosphere that was infectious through the squad. The fans responded. Saving a ball from going out would get an enormous cheer.



Rashford lost me when he started strolling around the pitch, giving zero effort, and would avoid heading or challenging for long balls because he was scared. No one will convince me that he was not ducking out of challenges.

No way back. Going back is no good anyway. Fans would turn as soon as it got tough. A new player has some rope before they turn.

13 May 2026 09:01:58
Agree, Dodgy.

11 May 2026 11:07:36
Can anyone here see Utd spending upwards of £100m for Anderson, which is what he prob cost. I can't see it but think it will be a huge mistake if he would come to us.

If we get five or six years of his current form or better, it will be a bargain just like the £105m Arsenal paid for Rice was worth every penny.

I would rather spend that sort of money on him than buy a player or two for £50m or £60m, who might improve the team but is not at elite level.

We are at a critical juncture for the club's future. Pep may stay another year, but I can't see him staying much longer.

He will want to go out with a big trophy in his final season and will do whatever it takes, including paying huge sums for the players he wants. Liverpool and Chelsea need to sign players, and Arsenal will use their position of strength to buy players to maintain their trajectory. Bayern, having fallen short in Europe again, will sign players. Madrid likewise, and especially as they have not won a trophy in two years. PSG have shown they know how to buy well.

If we don't buy top top quality this summer, we will quickly slip back into mediocrity.

11 May 2026 11:21:38
I think, just take the money out of it. The focus should be: are we buying players that a) are better than the current pick, and b) are or could be genuine, very good/world-class players (subjective, I know).

If the answer is yes to both those questions, money is of no relevance to us.

The Club, Ratcliffe, Berrada, Wilcox and co will decide how much they are willing to spend on those types of players.

I do not care if he costs 50m or 100m. I only care if he makes us better, and imo he definitely does that.

11 May 2026 11:29:38
We can probably forget about Anderson. Looks like he's guaranteed to be off to City.

11 May 2026 11:49:31
I think valuations of players matter less when they are the right age, English and Premier League proven in terms of quality.

The age allows some sort of safety net that their value will remain if it doesn't work out completely.

English and Premier League proven should remove some uncertainty around adaptability to the club and the league.



The two bona fide examples of this are Rice and Kane. Signing them at age 22/23, you could have probably paid any amount and they would have been good value in terms of service and quality. I think Anderson fits into this category. Ideally, you would want to see 1 more season of him in the league, but someone else will get him before.

11 May 2026 12:42:54
He would be the engine room of our midfield for a decade, so worth every penny, imo.
If City indeed are interested, then I doubt it will be a contest, unless he's up for the challenge of being the wheel in an evolving Utd side as opposed to another cog in the City midfield. If City aren't in for him, maybe we're in the driving seat, as I can't see another top Prem team that needs him that much.


But, there are alternatives, and we do need a handful of players, so I can see both sides of the coin. We'll be able to afford another starter if we swerve him, yet he's probably the best (if not shrewdest) signing we could make this summer.

11 May 2026 13:07:29
He does seem to be the best out of the available midfielders in the Premier League, but I'm not too worried, to be honest. There's actually a huge pool of available talent that could improve us centrally.

Unless City get whacked with a ban or a significant punishment for cheating, I think Anderson is nailed on there.

Would he and Mainoo work together? I'm not too sure. He's quite aggressive and gets about the pitch. He's quality, but I think someone to sit and break up play/dictate play might suit our team slightly better.

The team behind the years did well last year with the transfers. I have faith they'll get it right this summer as well.

11 May 2026 16:46:14
Worth every penny in this market.

He's been my first choice since the start of last season.

Suck it up. The money's there.

11 May 2026 17:16:27
I can't see Anderson or anyone else, for that matter, staying for a decade, or if it's even healthy for either side to do that nowadays...

I personally would prefer upgrades every 2-3 years, keep it refreshed.
I would certainly take Tonali and Bruno from Newcastle, I don't care if they've not got 10 years in them.

I think we need some experience, not keep buying potential and worrying about resale values.
I would take those two over 1 Anderson anyday.

Then worry about a cb and a striker.

11 May 2026 17:36:04
Anderson would be my first choice, and I think, given his age and so on, then spending 100M on him is better business than 80M on Tonali. Joao Gomes, Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott, Ederson, Manu Kone, ...

there are so many players that we could get for the 40-60M range, but really I'd prefer us to get Anderson and one other rather than 3 CMs. I really think he's that good.

11 May 2026 17:44:46
Anderson is a fine player. Really good imo and would be someone I'd like to see in our team.
But he might have his sights set on City, and if he does, then no point in chasing him. If he is undecided, I throw everything at it in the hope everybody can sign him.
I like Baleba a lot, but him and Mainoo are very young and lack know-how and experience.
Tonali I like very much, Bruno G is also a very good player, both have epl experience also.
Wharton I don't see the attraction, but lots of others do. I've not seen too much of him tbh to have a strong opinion.
Outside of epl there are lots of good options on the face of it, but epl is like a different sport, so can they transition?
Tochimene (spelling) might be up for grabs, he is a very good player, as is Ederson and Kone at Roma, but can they do it on a wet Wednesday in Coventry? It's a big adjustment.


We have nobody in the academy doing well on loan who plays in midfield, and no obvious candidates from the academy to even squad fill. Two needed: Anderson and Baleba and Tonali, any two from that three would be great business imo.
I am hopeful we will buy well.
Cb lb rb cf lw all need depth, and preference would be starters in all those as Sesko is our only option as a cf currently.
I do see 5 or 6 coming in and at least 8 departing. I think type players coming in must be good enough to start and buying any potential should come outside of that.
50plus games next season so depth is needed. Not just bodies, we need real quality ready to go.

11 May 2026 20:44:54
We should be aiming for Anderson, Tonali, etc. The issue we have is, if we buy two real quality players, does that push Mainoo out again? Or are we buying a tier 1 to sit alongside him, and then a further 2 to bolster the squad?

You could argue we need one 80-100m signing and 2 40-50m signings.



Anderson or Tonali.
Plus 2 from Baleba, Fernandes, Ederson and Scott.

Or you gamble on 3 from the second list, and pump the surplus 50m into a lb, cb, sk fund.

Both paths are acceptable. I think the club will get it mostly right again, within the transfer market.

11 May 2026 21:36:01
Push Mainoo out of where Jimbob?
No player will play 50 plus games next season. We need 3 midfielders, Mainoo plus 2 more of equal quality, so no matter who is left out of a game there is no drop in quality.
Are Bayern worried about pushing Diaz out if they sign Gordon?
If you hand 3 top midfielders for 2 spots, they can each play close to 40 games, not too many do that anyway.
Ideally we should have 4 of similar quality, like Bayern, Barca, City, etc.
Injuries come, form comes and goes, so I don't see signing 2 as pushing Mainoo out; I see it pushing him to command a place.
We used to have Keane, Butt, Scholes and Veron fighting for 2 spots, and that's the way it should be imo.
Can't have too many quality players. You need to change a game from the bench in a big CL game; I'd rather be looking at bringing Tonali or Mainoo rather than Kone, for example.


Same as we need to sign another starting cf to push Sesko and complement him. No point in signing someone who is of much lower quality.
There will be enough games to keep players happy. I don't see a queue of players wanting to leave PSG or Barca or Bayern because they only start 20-30 games.
They have big calls to make, and because the cupboard is so bare, there will have to be compromises, no doubt about that, but midfield and cb are the areas that you can't hide mediocrity, imo.
You pays your money, you take your chances!!
I'd be placing my chips on 2 x cm, 1 x cb, 1 x cf, 1 x lw, 1 x gk, all good enough to start regularly without a huge drop in quality.
Notwithstanding, we need 2 fbs also. 🤣

11 May 2026 23:32:37
Agree with you, Ken. We need to get back to having two top players for every position.

Have read all the above views about Anderson etc. To my mind, he is the closest player I have seen to Roy Keane in years, apart from Declan Rice. I would do all I could to get him.

12 May 2026 00:24:12
Yep, Salford, he is excellent. But, if he has his sights set on City to replace Rodri, then we need to look elsewhere. But, if there is a sniff, id throw the kitchen sink at it.
Ederson is a really good player too, at a good price.

Tonali is also excellent, imo. Baleba has huge potential, but the AFCON thing bothers me, along with his inexperience, particularly in Europe, where Ederson has plenty of that, as does Tonali.
Lots of options if Anderson says no.

12 May 2026 03:58:02
I agree with you, but the reality is, as we have seen, that players will get disgruntled if they are not selected and throw their toys out of their prams.

Even with those mids you mentioned, there was a clear starting two, and the other two picked up the scraps.

12 May 2026 08:53:00
Let's go back in for de Jong. 🤣

12 May 2026 09:12:17
They don't get disgruntled at bid successful clubs. If they do kick them out.

12 May 2026 10:48:18
He may be worth the money, but our funds are limited. I'd be surprised if we spend that amount on one player. We have too many positions needing strengthening.

12 May 2026 10:50:44
Cannot see us buying 3 mids for the life of me. Two plus a lucky academy promotion, probably Thwaites.

12 May 2026 11:54:40
Ken, Wharton is held in high esteem by Renee Meulensteen for what that is worth. I have not seen much of him, or could hazard a guess as to what his cost might be. Que sera!

12 May 2026 12:03:45
I'm also not sure Wharton is at the required level. Would he keep cropping up in these threads if we weren't English? Decent enough, tidy player with a good engine, but I think we need to aspire for more.

12 May 2026 12:51:44
Thwaites is miles off and won't play any minutes next season unless a virus attacks the squad. Miles and miles off being ready for men's football.
Good potential, but very, very far from ready.
Kone has had a terrible loan spell too, so we are not getting anything from the academy.

12 May 2026 13:18:43
Yeah, Patrick, lots of people rave about him. I've just not seen enough of him play tbh.
To be fair, he has been a stalwart in their most stalwart period ever at Palace, so he must have good qualities.
I do like a type of player that you don't notice until he is not here, and he does seem to be that sort.

12 May 2026 13:32:43
Well, the Fletcher bros seem to be in and around the first team squad, and they've both been completely underwhelming. If Thwaites is below them, we may as well scrap the academy and start again lol.

12 May 2026 16:41:16
Well, Spenno, he is below them. Has he been selected ahead of them? He finds U21 a big step up from the youths. He is a kid and a long way off being ready.

12 May 2026 20:41:26
The Fletcher twins are absolute garbage. We should be offloading them to a Championship team for a tidy sum, and keep churning through until we develop one worthy of the first team.

I'm all for us winning youth trophies etc, but that is when we need to be on selling them, when they are in the spotlight.



If they are good enough, they will force their way in. If they truly are good enough, they will stay the distance.

Whether that be Lacey, Kone, Thwaites or whoever, there will be youth products coming through, especially in the early stages of the season when games are aplenty.

12 May 2026 20:59:05
Very harsh, Jimbob. It's very difficult to step into the first team. I think we often discard players too quickly. Rashford was a revelation, Kobe was a success very quickly, but many take time to adjust.

People forget that Scholes took some time to step up, and look how he turned out.

Lavcey looks ready to be given a chance. Surely there are others we should be blooding.

12 May 2026 23:52:03
AJH, our midfield has been an area of concern for at least a decade. How many youth prospects have come through?

Which bit is harsh? The Fletcher comment? Have you watched them? They have been garbage.

We are mooted to be spending up to 200m on central midfielders this summer. That does not sound like we have prospects knocking the door down, rightly or wrongly.