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12 Aug 2024 21:24:10
Sander Berge left out of Burnley's squad for their first game of the season this evening.
Seems to suggest that there is something in the rumours of him leaving. Will it be to ourselves, or to someone else?
1.) 12 Aug 2024 22:06:16
He’s also missed most of pre season with the same injury that kept him out of tonight. Nice try Shappy!
2.) 13 Aug 2024 07:53:27
Romanoesque!
3.) 13 Aug 2024 08:58:48
Be a shame to not keep the trend of signing injury prone players going!
4.) 13 Aug 2024 11:45:59
Wazza, where did you hear he is injured, I've scoured the internet and not found any mention of him being injured. The Burnley manager didn't mention him as being out injured.
5.) 13 Aug 2024 12:47:50
He has not played any pre season due to injury so was not considered last night and it was reported at the match last night that he was left out due to that reasoning.
6.) 13 Aug 2024 12:50:09
Shappy, Parker said so, and confirmed it's what has kept him out of some pre-season fixtures.
You can't have Googled too long as it's the first thing that comes up when searching Sander Berge injury.
"He picked up an injury in Spain. He had a bit of discomfort in his quad. It's not a big injury, it's quite a small injury to be honest with you. "
Nice clickbait though!
7.) 13 Aug 2024 13:33:59
Wazza to be fair I searched last night and that article you've quoted was published at midday today, 15 minutes AFTER I posted saying I hadn't seen anything to say he was injured.
From what I read he was expected to be in the squad and wasn't, which seemed suspicious. As it was he is injured, so that's that then.
12 Jul 2024 18:16:32
Sancho back at the club and training with the first team.
Apparently talks between Sancho and EtH have taken place and they've agreed to draw a line under the situation.
He will now be available to take part in pre-season games.
Is this a case that Sancho has realised his options weren't as good as he thought?
Or is this the player and the club doing what is needed to push up the offers to facilitate his move away.
I guess we'll see what happens over the next couple of months.
1.) 12 Jul 2024 19:28:08
If true, my opinion of ETH has gone up a little. Sancho still has a long way to go.
2.) 12 Jul 2024 19:55:26
Or sancho has realised this board ain’t getting rid of another manager for players and he’s having to knuckle down
Still hope he’s gone tho.
3.) 12 Jul 2024 20:02:32
2 adults in a room, having a chat.
It's surely a bit of both, no offers and ETH drawing a line, giving a clean slate to align with the current mood of the club. Everything is new.
I hope he can put his head down and make the best of his second chance at the club.
4.) 12 Jul 2024 20:08:07
Hopefully just the club strengthening their position, and Sancho isn’t smart enough to be any the wiser.
5.) 12 Jul 2024 21:17:13
Well this is interesting. People can and do have the right to change their minds. He’s better than Antony who Ed said was available for transfer, and with Greenwood on the way out and likely Pellestri too, makes sense for him and Amad to compete.
Plus he can play 10. Why not let bygones be bygones. If he wants to come back and show the form he shows in Dortimund then awesome for both parties.
6.) 12 Jul 2024 21:41:06
I’m in the get rid camp. Glad they’ve come to an amicable cease fire, but a Leopard doesn’t change its spots and he’s still the petulant kid that fell out with the boss in the first place.
7.) 12 Jul 2024 23:45:46
I would suspect that the big boys “suggested” that ETH needed to sort it out between them both as well as Sancho realising he was damaging his chances.
I am also in the out basket.
8.) 13 Jul 2024 06:24:10
I don't really care about the detail of what has happened and him being back and no issues with it. The realty is he has been poor for us even before the spat under previous managers barring the odd game and not sure he can cut it at united and hence selling him would be ideal.
9.) 13 Jul 2024 06:54:52
Agreed Ahmad.
Beyond what happened, he’s not very good and needs to be moved on.
The laziness and ego are part of his personality, people don’t change.
10.) 13 Jul 2024 07:10:46
As Ahmad said he has been at the club three years now, hasn't set the world alight has he?
Maybe the wages are putting people off, clearly he has the ability and mentality as we saw at Dortmund, unfortunately the consistency might never be there and he is destined to sit the last few years of his contract out at United.
I guess this doesn't help our PSR and getting some of the big wage earners out.
{Ed001's Note - when was this fabled Sancho ability shown at Dortmund? If people had actually watched him play, instead of reading his PR bull, they would have known he was terrible there except when coming on very late as a sub. Even then, it was more down to rank amateur defending that he got decent stats. He is so far up his own backside that he can lick his own tonsils and will not achieve anything until he grows up.}
11.) 13 Jul 2024 09:20:52
Absolutely spot on Ed001. People saw highlights of that game against PSG and couldn’t see past it. He was no good for Dortmund, couldn’t hold down a starting place, and his G&A numbers were as poor there as they’ve been for us. That’s without mentioning his attitude and mentality.
The last headline I read started “England International Jadon Sancho…”. PR nonsense.
12.) 13 Jul 2024 09:44:51
I will still be surprised to see Sanchi still with the club once the window shuts.
However this allows for him to show what he can do in pre season, see whether he can reintegrate with the new coaching structure.
Would not be surprised if he still moves late in the window.
13.) 13 Jul 2024 10:11:47
We dropped a bomb buying him, and now we are paying for it, no one will pay the money we want or the wages either so to get rid we are still going to end up subsidising his wages.
Not surprised they made up, there wasn't really a choice, it doesn't look good on Sancho but neither does it on United. I rather suspect that's all parties are working together to find a solution that will involve him playing elsewhere next year.
14.) 13 Jul 2024 10:19:39
Absolutely bang on the money Ed001. Bang on it. Get rid asap.
15.) 13 Jul 2024 21:34:15
Get rid. Bad attitude and not good enough anyway. Not worth the hassle.
16.) 14 Jul 2024 07:25:17
Ed 1 is totally correct here. It’s total PR spin, because even though I know he’s not a great player, and all my Cory fan mates say the same, my mind still thinks he should get a (yet another) chance. It’s brainwashing. He’s done nothing positive of note since he joined the club, and Italian and German leagues are far more suitable for him than the rigours of the Premier League.
Being him back, get him training and fit, sell him for maximum value. Smart move by the club.
If he does stay, he now has to win back over the fans too who frankly want rid.
03 Dec 2023 12:53:13
Heard a rumour today that United and Barcelona are exploring the possibility of swapping Sancho and Raphinha initially on loan, but with a possible view to it becoming a permanent deal if it works out.
If there is any truth to this then I think its a possible deal that could work out for all parties.
United and Sancho need to part ways, while Sancho probably doesn't want to take a step down/ backwards.
United really need someone who can lock down the RW spot, and Raphinha was one of the best RW players while at Leeds.
Unfortunately for him it seems Xavi doesn't quite rate him, despite him playing well when called upon.
Stylistically I tend to think that Sancho does fit better in a side like Barcelona and Raphinha in a side like United.
I'd be pretty happy if the club managed to pull something like this off, what is everyone else's view?
1.) 03 Dec 2023 15:28:02
I mean I’d be delighted if we can pull that off. But I can’t see it.
2.) 03 Dec 2023 21:44:52
Sounds like a computer game transfer to me.
3.) 03 Dec 2023 21:52:43
Would rip your arm off for that deal but it’s all pie in the sky.
4.) 05 Dec 2023 01:58:03
We could do with new negotiators, or they might come back from Spain with a bunch of Rapini.
5.) 05 Dec 2023 09:07:03
Shappy
Wishful thinking. Why would Barcelona do that. He will end up somewhere in Italy as that's generally the league players end up when they don't work out in PL. He is not good enough for any of the top 3/ 4 teams in Spain and unaffordable for any in the next tier.
Its one of those players who will be hard to shift unless we take a bath on the transfer.
6.) 05 Dec 2023 21:09:51
Rumours today it’s Rashford ??♂️.
7.) 09 Dec 2023 20:22:57
I’d be happy if Rashford went tbh along with Sancho. The pair of ‘em aren’t bad players, as long as they get their own way. We aren’t currently in a place where we can carry talented babies though, so I’d get radical and get rid of the pair.
08 Jul 2023 14:41:19
DDG is gone, club just wished him well and said goodbye on Twatter.
1.) 08 Jul 2023 14:49:36
Great servant, but right time for MU and himself to move on, some of the replies made my blood boil though, clearly not fans but even still. he's got my respect and wish him well in his next venture.
2.) 08 Jul 2023 15:22:56
He's big, he's brave he's Spanish Dave
He makes great saves, he never shaves,
Flying through the air
Come and have a shot if you dare!
He indeed has been a great servant as well as a true professional in his behaviors. He will inevitably divide some on opinions, but no one can doubt some of the class saves over the years (Mata's freekick)
Ed002, what teams would be interested? Roma? Saudi clubs?
3.) 08 Jul 2023 15:43:50
Our best player over the last 12 years, gutted he is going but it is the right time for him and the club.
4.) 08 Jul 2023 15:22:56
He's big, he's brave he's Spanish Dave
He makes great saves, he never shaves,
Flying through the air
Come and have a shot if you dare!
He indeed has been a great servant as well as a true professional in his behaviors. He will inevitably divide some on opinions, but no one can doubt some of the class saves over the years (Mata's freekick)
Ed002, what teams would be interested? Roma? Saudi clubs?
{Ed002's Note - David De Gea (G) If Mr Mourinho stays at Roma, then perhaps interest. Perhaps someone in Spain or the Middle East. Manchester United have a list of potential replacements but want a new contract.}
5.) 09 Jul 2023 07:07:25
Good time for both parties to move on. Clearly looked very uncomfortable under ETH’s system. That being said, a brilliant keeper for us over the years. Wish him all the best. Italy seems an obvious move in the absence of decent Spanish interest - or of course Saudi!
28 May 2023 09:30:51
Heard a rumour this morning that United might look at Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich, as well as closely monitoring the situation with Ryan Gravenberch.
Bayern yesterday sacked their CEO Oliver Kahn and their Sporting Director Hasan Salihamidzic, possibly opening the door for some players to leave who might have been intending to stay under the previous regime.
Pavard would be an interesting option, capable of playing both CB and RB he'd be a very good option.
Gravenberch too has great potential but just can't get the game time he needs with players like Kimmich and Goretzka ahead of him.
1.) 28 May 2023 09:50:18
Think Ed002 said that Pavard is reluctant to consider us because he wants to play primarily as a cb.
2.) 28 May 2023 11:30:14
A RB who can also chip in at CB is a good shout, as is Frimpong.
I think Bayern have a number of players who should be of interest. I assume the Mount thing has legs and if so that would probably kill off any interest in Gravenberch and De Jong, and what of Sabitzer.
3.) 28 May 2023 12:13:02
Interesting thread this and might have legs as we know Erik likes players who can play multiple positions to limit the impact of injuries in the squad.
4.) 28 May 2023 13:25:20
Back in February, it was reported that his expected fee this summer could be £26.8m because his contract is up next year - that would amount to a bargain.
That said, it's likely that Bayern would still want more than that for a versatile defender approaching his prime.
The problem is that he wants to play CB and there can be no assurances offered by United that he'll be first-choice ahead of Varane.
He can play RB, but he might be reluctant about coming to a club where that could be his only consistent option.
That does also render Barcelona as a questionable option given that the superior Kounde is already playing RB to accommodate other players.
Personally, I'd expect him to move to a Serie A club.
5.) 28 May 2023 22:50:42
We really need to be looking at Gravenberch. I’m not sure if he’s even available but if he is and a a low price it’s a no brainier. Le fee is another player I hope we take a look at.
6.) 30 May 2023 10:44:36
varane missed 14 league games, went off 6 times, efl only played 90 mins in the final missed 4 games and subbed off once. Class act but never been consistantly fit for games throughout his career. Any cb coming in would get a minimum of 25 games a season if fit/ available.
Shappy's banter posts with other poster's replies to Shappy's banter posts
03 Nov 2025 07:39:04
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Manchester United Show Resilience Despite Worst Performance Since Brentford
1.) 03 Nov 2025 12:00:45
Shappy, it's still very encouraging. we lost the head for 5 minutes, got it back and could've nicked it at the end.
I've been extremely encouraged. Could've been second and I was not expecting to say that after last season and this season's start.
Long may it continue, long may we continue to defy the odds and get better results.
2.) 03 Nov 2025 14:25:48
The biggest question for me is still midfield. Casemiro has been excellent during this run, but the team look fragile without him. The problem is that he struggles to last a full 90 minutes.
It’s a sorry state of affairs that there isn’t a single player in the squad capable of covering for him. Ugarte has been very underwhelming, and the manager doesn’t trust Manioo in that role. However, at some point during the season, Casemiro is going to get injured or burnt out. All the progress is in danger of collapsing when this happens.
3.) 03 Nov 2025 17:02:38
I’m really pleased with how things are going but will reflect properly after Spurs. It wasn’t good enough on Saturday but we came away with an away point, there’s certainly a positive in that.
It’s time to see if the good form is the norm or if it’s blip. We had a couple of good results but we need to give it until after December to understand where we are at. Amorim will have had more than enough time and the new players/ regime should be settled.
4.) 03 Nov 2025 17:19:19
Lots of positives last few matches Saturday showed our weaknesses that we all knew are still there.
Fullbacks lack quality that goes for amad too in the defensive sense.
Midifield not quite where it needs to be. Anderson would be a welcome addition
We lack a forward to really come on and change the game I feel zirkzee will be gone in January.
5.) 03 Nov 2025 18:02:20
Throwing Zirkzee and Mainoo in might very well have changed the outcome.
When we play against 2 quality CBs, with a very well drilled side around them, we struggle to penetrate. Throwing in Mainoo and Zirkzee I have noticed makes ordinarily organised defences double up on Zirkzee and leave gaps elsewhere.
They are, as a pair, I think quite unpredictable, so in Amorim's defence, you could argue they may not have changed the game, but for me it should have been worth a shot, Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko offered very little.
6.) 04 Nov 2025 10:38:45
Will casemiro get burnt out with 1 game a week?
7.) 04 Nov 2025 11:41:10
Gnev! You'd imagine he won't. The lack of fixtures is ideal for our older players most notably Cas. And I believe we are seeing the benefits.
He has got himself into the best shape has been in since coming to this club, we just need to manager his minutes correctly. He's a big player for us this year given our lack of quality at CM and RAs reluctance to play Kobbie there.
8.) 04 Nov 2025 13:33:24
I think it’s a tough ask for a player of his age, and the damage done to his body over the years, to play a full season in a two man midfield.
Credit where it’s due. He clearly put in the work to get in the best condition during the summer. But I can’t see him maintaining this level for a full season. Even with one game a week. What you’d want is to be able to rest him for some games. But the moment he’s off the pitch, we look a shambles.
I think that he’ll have to be rested over the Christmas schedule, and I’ve lost all confidence in Ugarte.
9.) 04 Nov 2025 16:10:04
Always said Cass is our best midfielder by a country mile, he will last the season with a game a week that’s not the problem because he will miss games because Red cards he picks up, then that’s a major catastrophe with what we have available for midfield as backup… hopefully Ugarte and Mainoo can be sold in January pointless keeping either because clearly RA don’t rate either of them.
10.) 04 Nov 2025 17:58:50
Ugavrte has been the biggest disappointment for me, but he’s not good enough to play in a 2 man midfield.
11.) 04 Nov 2025 22:47:04
Agree about Ugarte playing in a two man midfield. My worry is that teams usually have three in midfield and that they overload us there. It's one reason why Cas gets so many yellow/ red cards. As fit as he has got he is not so young and his stamina is still suspect and when faced with three in midfield it gets too much for him.
02 Nov 2025 13:57:09
Shappy has written an article entitled, Manchester United Show Resilience Despite Worst Performance Since Brentford
26 Oct 2025 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Manchester United Overview So Far This Season
25 Oct 2025 12:59:34
Shappy has written an article entitled, Manchester United Overview So Far This Season
25 Oct 2025 12:20:18
Shappy has written an article entitled, Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United's Top Signing Last Decade
09 Nov 2025 10:38:52
Barcelona will obviously try it on, why wouldn't they. No club signs a player for the selling clubs benefit.
We have to be realistic, Rashford is not young anymore, at 28 he has one last big contract offer available to him, and this is his last chance to sign for a top club. There aren't many clubs bigger than Barcelona and if they want to sign him and he wants to join then we would be silly not to do the deal.
From his perspective any club he moves to bar maybe going to Saudi will involve a pay cut. If he can't have his dream move to Barcelona because we refuse to sell him then I'd expect he'll refuse to sign permanently for any other club, knowing full well that we will have to pay him his wages. He'll end up going out on loan with us paying a proportion of his wages until his contract is up and he leaves on a free.
We will have to negotiate well with Barcelona to get a deal that suits everyone. I suspect the options will be to accept a lower fee from them and get the majority of all of the money upfront, or accept a larger fee to be paid over multiple years to spread the outlay for Barcelona. Either way if he wants to go and they want to take on his considerable wages then it's best we do a deal.
This is where the new management structure will earn their crust, can they negotiate a good deal, or at least a fair one.
As fans I suspect we will find it hard to remove our red tinted specs and we will see any deal, even a good one, as not good enough. We have a funny way of wanting our cake and eating it. In one breath we will say that Rashford isn't good enough, has had a poor attitude, and isn't worth the massive wages he's on. Then in our next breath claim he is worth 60-70m and that many clubs would want him, that we shouldn't accept a lower fee. Both things cannot be true.
He can't be not good enough for a team that finished 15th last season, but has aspirations to challenge for titles, but also be worth 60-70m and 300k a week to many clubs that are already challenging for titles.
If we get 30m then that's 30m profit, while his wages are reportedly 17m a year with a contract until 2028. Meaning that next summer if he leaves then that represents a 34m saving on wages on top of any transfer fee. For a player that offers us very little on the pitch any deal that moves him on makes good financial sense.
I suspect that we will accept a slightly higher fee (30-35m) spread over multiple years over a smaller (20m) fee paid up front. However, if the club has greater need for the cash sooner over the value over time then they might well accept a lower fee.
11 Oct 2025 11:16:09
I'll be very happy to see the back of the Glasers. They have offered nothing to our club but have taken plenty from us.
That said I am cautious over who it is who eventually buys them out. I'm overall pleased with how INEOS have managed things since they bought into the club. I wouldn't want any new ownership to rock the boat with that. Ideally a change in ownership would either see a total buyout by INEOS, or they at least own the controlling stake in the club so as to not complicate the running of the club.
We have to remember that anyone prepared to pay the eye watering costs of buying us will be doing so with their own agenda, and that may or may not be in our best interests.
Be that sports washing or merely for financial gain. The last thing we need is a power struggle with billionaires squaring off against eachother across the board room.
Personally, what would be my ideal situation is for INEOS to increase their stake to around 70% or more, then maybe a minority stakeholder comes in with around 30% stake. Meaning we are shot of the Glasers, but there isn't going to be a power struggle, or change in how the club is currently being run. INEOS owning a significant majority over anyone else makes things far more secure.
I have a feeling that Sir Jim might set things up and in place for some kind of partial fan ownership held in trust for after he dies. Meaning his legacy will be rebuilding the club and then giving it back to the fans. INEOS is suspect will still own a majority and controlling stake, but the rest being fan owned.
29 Sep 2025 18:29:07
I can't imagine it's true, it would be a ridiculously dangerous and stupid thing to do.
It's one thing to say the team needs to play a front foot, attacking style of play. And completely another to dictate to a coach/ manager what formation the team have to play. What next which players have to start?
You hire a manager to manage the team, it is down to them how they set their team up, ultimately they will live and die by the results they get.
We have ended up in the almighty mess we find ourselves in by having unqualified people making decisions about which they know very little, certainly not their area of expertise. It would be a shame after all the good work rebuilding the club structure behind the scenes only to start repeating the mistakes of the past.
{Ed025's Note - "it would be a shame after all the good work rebuilding the club structure" ?...when did that good work actually happen Shappy...i must have missed that..
27 Sep 2025 09:53:15
Some transfer rumours are like a boomerang, quickly thrown out there but will soon return.
With the position our clubs holds in the world we get linked to far more than most clubs as it garners more attention. Often linked to a player who is negotiating a new deal, no doubt the media have found this information via the players agent or intermediaries. While other times our name is linked to a player who is looking for a move and they want to broadcast that to as many clubs as possible, so being linked to Manchester United makes more people sit up and pay attention to them. Then there are the quiet news week links, when there isn't much to report so the same name gets dragged up and reprinted as being of "interest" to Manchester United. It's just a throw away article designed as click bait.
Be that Strootman, Sneijder, Gaitan, or now Frenkie de Jong. Apparently we have something for Dutch players ?.
27 Sep 2025 09:46:14
Over the last decade we have spent over a billion on players most of which haven't even come close to being value for money. Huge fees, huge wages and underwhelming performances.
Many of these players we have ended up stuck with after they've flopped as no other clubs are willing to match their wages.
I'm not saying we shouldn't spend big on some signings, but we need a more balanced approach.
I really like the idea of scouting the world for the best young talent at academy level and looking to bring them into the club.
The signings of Sekou Kone, Ayyden Heaven, Chido Obi, Diego Leon, and Enzo Kana-Biyik have all happened under the new ownership. If even one of them becomes a regular first team player then that represents the best investment in players our club have made in over a decade. With the club having spent only a few million in total to bring them ALL into the club. While their low wages and high potential means even the ones who ultimately don't make it, we will still be able to sell them for a profit.
We have actually seen this model used at our club before the INEOS take over. We signed young players like Hannibal, Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez, Harry Amass, Toby Collyer, the Fletcher twins, and Garnacho from other academies both in England and abroad, with us selling Hannibal, Kambwala, Fernandez, and Garnacho all for a profit. If Amass and Collyer don't make it to the level we need, then no doubt they will also sell for far more than we paid to bring them in.
With the tighter financial regulations in football this has to be seen as a sensible way to run the club both from a financial perspective and a footballing one.
It allows us to bring in some of the best young talents from around the world, players who maybe initially flit between the under 21's and the first team while they settle, they may even go out on a loan or two (look at the new role for Jonny Evans), or provide squad depth for the first team. Quality depth, who aren't being paid a fortune, and who are happier to be a rotation option.
If they take their chances then they become first team regulars, if not then after a 2-3 years we sell them at a profit and reinvest that money into the first team squad.
If every year we spend 3-5m on a handful of young academy players, but we sell 3-5 ex-academy players for 20-50m then we are making huge profits. Occasionally we will get a first team regular out of it, or maybe a player like Garnacho who has talent but isn't the right fit for us who we can sell for a huge fee on their own.
Over the past decade our best value for money transfers haven't been brought into the club through the front door with the big fanfare, but quietly slipped in through the backdoor into the academy before flourishing into the first team.
It's not the only approach we should look to do, but definitely an important one that we can and should be exploiting far more.
18 Nov 2025 22:16:17
Amorim's system ideally requires legs in midfield. Mainoo is very talented but the only thing that holds him back is his athleticism, he doesn't naturally have the lung power. That doesn't mean he can't develop it though.
My biggest concern with Mainoo though is this seeming lack of patience to play. Look at Foden at City, despite his obvious talent he wasn't a regular starter until he was 22, despite being in the first team picture since he was 18. Mainoo is just 20.
If he wants to be at a big club then he will have competition for his place. If he doesn't want to fight for a starting spot then he'll need to accept playing at a mid table club.
He isn't happy playing second fiddle to Casemiro and Bruno, two top class players who are amongst our top performers this season. We will also look to bring in at least one of not two more stops class midfielders by the start of next season. The competition for his place isn't going to go away.
Hopefully all the talk is more from his agent than it is from the player. But ultimately if he doesn't want to fight for a starting spot with us then we will need to move on from him.
15 Nov 2025 10:22:40
He's a pundit, he is paid to give an opinion. Unfortunately in modern society to be a successful pundit you need to controversial, you need to say things that will illicit engagement from fans.
He's just doing his job, what he is paid to say publicly and what are his own personal opinions are probably not the same thing.
09 Nov 2025 17:15:54
Redseven, Ugarte has more minutes because he is more suited to replace Casemiro. Mainoo is better suited to replacing Bruno who tends to be able to last longer in games and is the captain.
It's unfortunate, but he will get minutes as the season wears on. He just needs to be patient, keep his head down and work hard with the coaches.
09 Nov 2025 13:08:24
DSG, are you serious? You'll be happy going into the second half of the season with only 3 senior midfielders, two of which are over 30 and their performances start to drop after 60 minutes?
Amorim has said Mainoo needs to work on his endurance and mobility, that takes time. Months of training to build it up not weeks.
I fully expect to see Casemiro and Bruno tire more at the season wears on and as such their will be more game time available, it's down to Mainoo to prove himself when he gets a chance. Let's be honest, he hasn't played as well as either Casemiro or Bruno in the minutes he has had.
If a club wants to be successful then minutes have to be earned not given. Mainoo needs to step up when he gets his chances. So far this season he hasn't, that isn't on the manager that's on him.
He is very talented, and I understand his frustration. But he needs to develop the right mentality, running away from a challenge rather than rising to it is not the right mentality.
Wanting to leave on loan, what does it really say about him and where his head is at?
Effectively he's admitting he isn't good enough or he doesn't have the right mentality to earn the minutes at our club so he wants to go somewhere where it's easier.
If he wants to realise his potential he cannot afford to have that mentality. He needs to be a fighter, take the knock backs and use them as fuel to be better and to overcome those challenges.
Surely he's better placed to be successful here both in the short term and the long term. Surrounded by people who knows him, where he is comfortable and knows what he needs to do, where there is a plan for him. Moving to another club, even on loan brings as many challenges and potential pitfalls as it might minutes on the pitch.
What if his new manager sees him in trainings and decides he isn't right, or doesn't fancy him, what if that club changes manager and coaching staff, what if he doesn't settle at that club, in that new city or potentially new country, what if he picks up an injury.
He's a young player, a player who isn't the finished article, he shouldn't be focusing on short term aims such as getting into the England squad. He should be focusing on maximising his talent, and realising his potential. If he focuses on that then the short term things will fall into place.
From the rumours I've heard his agent seems to be the one poking the bear, trying to either get him a new big contract (which of course lines his pocket) or a big move (which again he will benefit from) .
Young footballers need to remember who they are listening to and what that persons motivations are. If he wants to be a great footballer he needs to listen to his coaches and manager, if he wants to earn more money then he needs to listen to his agent. It's that simple.
09 Nov 2025 11:04:35
Casemiro had been phenomenal this season, especially for a players whose legs went last season.
The shift in tactics and team shape has really helped him, moving from a high press to more of a mid block, as well as the defence pushing up higher has meant he hasn't had to cover as much space as he did before. Which is definitely getting the best out of him.
The problem is that his performances start to dip after 60-70 minutes, and we need to be careful not to run him into the ground, so we do need to sub him off more and manage his minutes. The problem is that we don't have anyone else in our squad with the same profile as him. Meaning we have to play slightly differently when he's not on the pitch, which probably plays into us conceding more when he's not on the pitch just as much as the his absence affects us.
We desperately need to sign a natural replacement for him in January if we want to make the most of this season. In truth we need to sign two naturally defensive midfielders, one in January to rotate with Casemiro, and one in the summer to replace him as his contract is up.
The other issue with our midfield that is clear to see is that Bruno's performances are starting to trail off later in games. I can't remember exactly what the stat was but it was something like his defensive actions and distance covered are dropping by nearly two thirds after 60 minutes compared to before.
Bruno has played a lot of football, has hardly ever been injured, or missed a game for us. I think he's missed something like 17 games for us in nearly 6 years. There was even a couple of seasons where he played 96% of all the available minutes for us across the season for us in all competitions. That will start to catch up with him. While his new role playing deeper is also more physically demanding than he is used to when playing higher up.
The problem is clear, we lack depth in midfield, we play well when Casemiro and Bruno are fully fit and playing, but we drop off badly when they aren't playing or when they start to tire. Unfortunately Ugarte just doesn't seem suited to the EPL, he's got talent and skills, but he is a bit of a mad dog chasing wrappers in the wind. The transitional style in the current EPL leaves him chasing shadows, it requires someone who reads the game well and acts on where they know the ball will be rather than chasing where it currently is. While Mainoo needs to start being given more game time, I'm a little unhappy with his seeming desire to try and force getting game time, and his willingness to leave (even on loan) to get it. It doesn't show a real commitment to the club that have trained him and given him his chance. He's 20 years old, and probably wouldn't and shouldn't be a starter for a top club challenging for major honours. He still has parts of his game he needs to work on. That said I think we should be looking to introduce Mainoo in games around the 60 minute mark and even start him in a few games. Whether that is by giving Bruno a rest (which he will need) or by pushing Bruno higher up (where he can still be impactful even if he's starting to tire later in games) .
I think it's clear that Amorim would rather play Cunha as a false 9 over Zirkzee, so there can be times when we rest or sub Sesko where Cunha can be played through the middle creating a space for Bruno to play in that left side No.10 position making space for Mainoo in the No.8.