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18 Sep 2026 22:06:38
Unless we get Conte there is literally no point in getting any other manager in.
The top brass can tell Carrick to get in whatever coaches he wants and all the tacticians, scientists and support they want and tell him to be ruthless in pursuit of winning the league.
Fundamentally Carrick is a decent principled man.
Read his comments about JJ. Absolutely bang on.
He knows how to win football games . He won everything!!
Get the only guaranteed winner in and buy him whatever players he wants or stfu and give Carrick some time and stop being total anchors.
1.) 19 Sep 2026 08:35:24
There is no such thing as a guaranteed winner.
2.) 19 Sep 2026 14:37:07
De Zebri might be available soon. Didn't some people want him?
3.) 19 Sep 2026 14:48:08
Not me that's for sure, De Zerbi is a poor mans Conte but Ken likes him a lot I seem to remember.
4.) 19 Sep 2026 15:58:07
Would we be doing better if we had Fernandez and Tonali?
Things have been very poor for us. It's quite clear we have not yet adapted to the loss of Casemiro. Also, too many players have simply not been up to snuff, particularly some if the World Cup players. It will be interesting to see if things change when Baleba gets fit and adapted to the team. Right now a lot seems to be resting on him.
I also wonder whether Rashford might go on a streak once he breaks his scoring jinx. He seems to have been working hard at least, getting into good positions, but his final ball has been poor. Very much like Spurs. until the 88th minute today. They created good opportunities in the first half but failed to capitalize. Having finally put the ball in the old onion bag I think we'll see an improvement.
5.) 19 Sep 2026 20:13:44
Recruitment is the problem, not the manager. Of course we need players with ability but this has to be allied with drive, commitment, determination and passion. What we do not need is watery players who couldn't tackle a fish supper.
They say the era of ball winners and tough nuts is over and that it is all about technical ability now. I think that a few intimidating players in your team makes a fundamental difference to your approach to games.
6.) 19 Sep 2026 21:44:49
Yeah i like de zerbi i like what he did at Brighton and he did OK at marsaille.
I didn't want him at united as i think he is very emtional same as conte.
I think he is a good coach bit of a head case at times but i don't mind a but of that but i think he is a bit ott at times.
He has a brand new team it will take time. He needs results quickly. They don't look cohesive at all and lack a striker big time. Some poor buys at hugely inflated prices. Most on here had them to finish above united this season.
7.) 19 Sep 2026 21:46:52
Spot on the best teams always have dominant players who drive them forward.
8.) 20 Sep 2026 01:16:21
Do you think we could get Emry out of Villa?
Just had most of his team dismantled. If there was anyone who might be dislodged atm
Not asking for Carrick to go at all but would be one of the few people I'd be happy with as a replacement.
{Ed0666's Note - you kind of are asking for Carrick to go if you’re talking about his successor. Personally I think you guys should get steady Eddie for a couple of seasons, take a beat consolidate, get top 4, earn some money and then mount a title challenge in a couple of seasons..then go for the big name managers/coaches like Enrique’s of the world.
9.) 20 Sep 2026 06:01:26
Howe??? Decent but not good enough. He presided over a shambles at times at Newcastle. His three best players wanted out. Isak Tonali and Gordon. They obviously weren't convinced by him. Jury is out on him nice Guy that he seems to be.
Why waste more years consolidating. Try now to get a top top manager and spend the time doing a proper rebuild giving him the chance time and players he needs.
10.) 20 Sep 2026 15:52:12
No proper manager as you say wants to stay though once they find out the clowns they are working for that's why we end up with 2nd 3rd rate managers and 2nd rate players now too.
18 Sep 2026 21:57:34
Is Xabi Alonso getting sacked?
Maybe we could get pinch him from Chelsea?
He's a winner ?.
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16 Sep 2026 23:06:55
I am choosing to imagine that the objective was to lose while trying to pretend that we were trying to win ?.
15 Sep 2026 20:56:58
There are a lot of whiny doommongers at the moment so here's a few hypotheticals:
1. Which available manager would you prefer to get in tomorrow to replace Carrick? Why? What makes you think they will be a guaranteed success?
2. What formation and style of play do you think we should be moving towards to establish a league-winning approach? How is this different from the style of play that you've seen under Carrick and is it significantly different from anything that any other Premier League team is doing?
3. Name two players that you think would transform our team into consistent serial winners? Beyond improving the player that they are replacing in the first-team squad, what makes you think they will change the overall dynamic so that the team has the right mental attitude to be winners?
1.) 15 Sep 2026 21:33:39.
Amorim.
343.
Truffert and Munoz.
2.) 16 Sep 2026 08:16:10
?
If only Amorim hadn't got himself sacked on purpose, eh!
3.) 16 Sep 2026 12:25:35
Let's turn those questions around, to illustrate how loaded they are.
1. Why do you think Carrick was the best choice of available managers at the end of last season? What makes you think sticking with him guarantees success?
2. What is Carrick's style of play? What specific improvements in how the team is set up in attack and defence are demonstrable over Carrick's tenure?
3.
Do you think that we would have started the season with a squad containing 1 outright striker and 1 outright left back if a more established manager was in charge?
4.) 16 Sep 2026 18:22:22
Pep.
433
Needs more than two.
Hakimi and Mendes.
—
I'm not sure he is/was. Sticking for a reset and to handover a better squad to an elite manager ie Enrique.
4231 quick passing, rotations, overloads on the wing, 1 dimensional no plan b. Slow to react/trusting in players.
No - the club fails any manager of any standing.
5.) 16 Sep 2026 20:21:41
Nice try DP but trying to flip the questions around doesn't make them less loaded.
1. He managed to do something Amorim didn't, which was win games with the players he had. I don't think there are any managers who can guarantee short term success. Even Enrique or Pep would need some time. Neither of them will never come to United so if Carrick can't get things moving then I'd go for Conte and buy whatever players he wants in summer 27.
2. I think the way the team are playing in attack, with some quick, fluid passing is promising. That said the defending needs to improve a lot. The thing that is missing is intensity. It's not really any different from most of the prem to be honest. It's the same way City, Arsenal and Liverpool play.
3. I don't think managers are in charge of recruitment anymore. I'm not unhappy with the players they did bring in. We've no idea what went on behind the scenes with potential targets, so who knows who they were trying to get.
For what I it's worth, I think Baleba and Sesko will become world class players.
29 Aug 2026 08:46:08
The only one of the midfield transfers I'd have picked out at the start of the summer was Baleba, but I'm fairly impressed with the other 2 midfield signings as well.
Makes me feel like any LB or ST additions will be equally off everyone's radar. Hopefully not off the radar completely. ??
1.) 30 Aug 2026 06:25:20
I heard we were linked to Manatovic. No idea if that is true.
2.) 30 Aug 2026 11:52:27
Grim, that's the kind of player I expect we will sign at this point. To tell you the truth, I'm not mad about it.
We need to fix the midfield this summer, and we've done that well, in my opinion. I expect it'll take 4-8 weeks at least for us to fully start to see the benefits as the new midfield develops its identity.
I've always been a bit of a fan of those lesser known players signed on the left wing for smaller fees who have that unknown quality about them.
Sometimes they become big hits, like Vidic, Chicharito, or Park, and sometimes they are the next Bebe or a Djemba-Djemba.
I don't mind signings like that brought in when we need a depth option more than a first choice option. We have a little more wiggle room to take a gamble when it's a back up role. If they don't make it, then it's no real issue.
23 Aug 2026 10:33:08
Wow. There is a lot of whining going on here. ?
Don't you all get that it's going to take another couple of seasons to get a good enough squad to actually challenge for the league?
We don't have to players!
Doesn't matter who's coaching.
1.) 23 Aug 2026 11:27:10
It's a combination of not having the players and many of our best ones being young and inconsistent.
Once players like Heaven, Yoro, Mainoo, Santos, Amad, Lacey, and Sesko reach their full potential, then we will be in a place to challenge.
Yesterday, I think, can mostly be chalked down to missing a few key players, while some of the players who played didn't have a full pre-season and maybe aren't quite fully match fit/sharp yet.
2.) 23 Aug 2026 11:29:43
They lost against Hull City, not Man City. ??♂️??
3.) 23 Aug 2026 11:41:28
It wasn't the loss being whined about pre se. More the manner of the loss and the players' attitude, again/still.
4.) 23 Aug 2026 11:54:34
Well said, Fizz.
5.) 23 Aug 2026 12:28:05
It's 1 game, the first game. Still new players that need time. Come on lads.....
6.) 23 Aug 2026 14:17:29
What's the problem with attitude, Fizz? They simply couldn't run more, with more intensity.
7.) 23 Aug 2026 15:27:53
Nothing is wrong, it is all part of the plan. We will be better in a few years. We just need a few more weeks to be up to speed. What is everyone worried about? We did some good things in the game. The players tried their best. Stop being negative. Stop it. Just stop it, okay?
Terrible start to the season, we need to get better quickly. We can and should expect better from the club.
I agree we are a few seasons away from the reset we so desperately need.
Odd then that Barada is claiming we are trying to win the league for our 150 year anniversary, when our eyes tell us we are still laying foundational bricks for the future.
We need to move some players out. We have too many average squad players happy to hang around. We need another leftback and a recognized striker. We are regularly playing Cunha and Mbuemo at 9, which is not working.
8.) 23 Aug 2026 16:57:10
I do think we'll improve massively after this blip, starting next weekend.
I do have a bigger concern over the centre-forward situation: when I first began supporting United, the selection was Hughes and McClair, with Davenport in the wings.
Since then, I've seen them all from Cantona, Cole, Ollie, Yorke, RVN, Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov, Owen, Chico, RVP, Ibra, Lukaku, Rash, Martial, and I can honestly say if they could all be ranked then the current pair of Sesko and Zirkzee would be sat right at the very bottom.
You can say Zirkzee isn't a centre-forward and I'd agree, the fact no-one can hold their hand up and say what he is sums it up.
And I'm sure many will point at Sesko being a young, developmental player bought in to coach and mould into one of the greats.
Please. His name was being banded about for years across Europe before we bought him. I know he's been out and not at match fitness (is anyone apart from the Brentford squad, who've been on some kind of miracle grow all summer?). But seriously, we're not winning anything with this selection of attacking players. We need a bread and butter scrapper of a centre-forward that the opposing defenders are petrified of. Of course they're not going to stump up for one of those, but if they can pull out a crazy loan for the likes of Osimhen/Endrick I'd love it. Even Nicolas Jackson, the player with the lowest shot to goal ratio I've ever seen, would be an upgrade.
30 Jul 2026 23:38:34
Style of play?
Understandably, a lot of the posts have been focused on the recruitment of players. Hopefully there will be a few more astute signings but my purely personal view is that we won't get good value on players Madrid or PSG don't want.
I'm more interested in the style of play that we develop this year and it will be interesting to see if Carrick can stamp his identity on that.
The second half of last season was fairly pragmatic and really just showed how chaotic Amorim was.
It would be great to see the side develop a really strong identity again and that will be how I judge Carrick more than anything else.
1.) 31 Jul 2026 06:48:57
RedD
Chaotic? No. Amorim had a fixed idea and had a style of play he wanted to implement. It wasn't going well, but it needed time and the right players. Carrick implemented more of a counter-attack game.
We don't really know yet what style Carrick wants. We only know Middlesbrough.
I am equally of the opinion that Madrid players are not necessarily the answer; they are being let go, if they are, for a reason.
2.) 31 Jul 2026 10:16:27
NRD, I agree that you rarely get good value signing players from other top sides. Not only is there normally a good reason for why they are prepared to sell them, they are also normally on high wages already, meaning you are forced to paying large fees and wages for a player that for some reason a top side is prepared to let leave.
There are also occasional exceptions to the rule. Sometimes a player just wants a new challenge, or a top club is facing financial challenges and needs to sell a player, or they have a new manager who wants to take the team in a different direction that does not suit a specific player. However, these are rare and you will want to be 100% sure that this is the reason for the sale as it will be an expensive purchase, which comes with higher risks.
For example, I rate Tchouameni as a top player, but personally I think he is someone to probably avoid this summer. He'd be very expensive (70m+, and wages of around 350-400k per week), and you have to wonder why Real Madrid would be happy to let him go to fund the signing of a 30 year old who needs an operation and has a recent history of injury issues. The final issue is that I'm not sure Tchouameni fits the current football meta. When looking around for alternative players with a similar style of play/skill set it becomes obvious that there are very few options. Personally I think that is because the current football landscape doesn't really have a place for that old school defensive midfielder.
Midfielders now typically fall into one of two categories, technically gifted passers, and physically dominant pressers. Both are expected to do a large amount of defensive work, but they are also both expected to contribute to ball progression either through passing or carrying.
For me Tchouameni is more like the Makelele, he'll stay deep, shield your back four, win the ball when it comes near him, and make mostly safe, short passes to more technically secure teammates. He's not a presser who'll jump out to win the ball, and he's not an expansive passer who will switch play with 50 yard passes, or thread dangerous through balls through the middle. He's also not a player who'll typically get on the ball and carry it 30-40 yards up the pitch, or dribble through lines of pressure.
Really he specialises in winning the ball in front of the back four, and being able to drop deep between the CB's to allow them to get on the ball and pass forward. Undoubtedly he's the best in the world at doing that. Unfortunately in the modern game that isn't a skill set that has proven to be particularly successful given how other teams are playing. At Real Madrid for example they don't get pressed high all that often, and they tend to have the majority of the ball. Meaning for most of the game their is little need for a player like Tchouameni to be on the pitch and he doesn't really offer enough on the ball to justify him being there. That is why they want to replace him with Rodri, a player who is good defensively (not as good as Tchouameni though) but also great on the ball.
Like you I am also really interested to see how our style of play develops under Carrick. He seems like a good blend of idealism and pragmatism. He's clearly intelligent and can coach a ball dominant style of play similar to how he played as a player, and we saw that at Middlesbrough. Yet he isn't rigid with it, he's prepared to be flexible, and to adjust the team style to suit the players he has available. Which is what we need as we rebuild this squad.
Someone who has a preferred way of playing, a vision to aim for, but is prepared to adapt to get the best out of what he has until he has the right tools to play the way he wants.
It'll be interesting to see how we play this season, there are some interesting things we are seeing in pre-season, which is where Carrick can actually start to implement some of his principles of play.
We seem to be setting up more in a mid-block, rather than a low block or a high press. That gives good balance as it creates some space in behind but without bringing the wolf to your door like a low block. We seem to be looking to play in packs, with quick passes, one or two touch, drawing teams over to one side of the pitch, then quickly switching play into the space on the other side.
It's effective, and when it clicks you can get some lovely quick interplays and score some well worked goals. While it also allows good defensive coverage, which is creating more stability in defence and less pressure on individuals to save us. It's a very team focused approach, rather than playing to individuals. I think that is something that the media are missing out on as Bruno has thrived as it does get the best out of him, but it's not set up to play for him. If you take him out then it will still work the same, just maybe a slight drop in efficiency due to Bruno being replaced with a player not as good as him (although long term I can see Amad being his replacement and being excellent in there).
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30 Sep 2026 17:33:47
The rules are all agreed by the 20 clubs in the league and they're there to ensure sustainability as much as prosperity. This is why club owners can't pump unlimited amounts of money in without the club being able to support that level of spend on an ongoing basis.
Otherwise what's to stop them doing that and then dumping the whole thing and leaving the club in severe financial distress?
16 Sep 2026 20:21:41
Nice try DP but trying to flip the questions around doesn't make them less loaded.
1. He managed to do something Amorim didn't, which was win games with the players he had. I don't think there are any managers who can guarantee short term success. Even Enrique or Pep would need some time. Neither of them will never come to United so if Carrick can't get things moving then I'd go for Conte and buy whatever players he wants in summer 27.
2. I think the way the team are playing in attack, with some quick, fluid passing is promising. That said the defending needs to improve a lot. The thing that is missing is intensity. It's not really any different from most of the prem to be honest. It's the same way City, Arsenal and Liverpool play.
3. I don't think managers are in charge of recruitment anymore. I'm not unhappy with the players they did bring in. We've no idea what went on behind the scenes with potential targets, so who knows who they were trying to get.
For what I it's worth, I think Baleba and Sesko will become world class players.
16 Sep 2026 08:16:10
?
If only Amorim hadn't got himself sacked on purpose, eh!
15 Sep 2026 20:59:22
Anybody who thinks that we should be bringing a 15-year-old into the first team for a Premier League match is deluded.
He'll be absolutely massacred, humiliated, probably injured, and potentially on the scrap heap before he's 18.
15 Sep 2026 20:15:32
Who cares? He's nowhere near ready for 1st team action in the PL.
As Klopp said... "The whole world plays football".
We can find plenty of players to replace him.
Make him wait.