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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
08 Mar 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, United Need A Savvy Summer To Build Depth
1.) 08 Mar 2026 12:05:25
Good post, Shappy.
Artetadyce and his London Stoke side. ???
2.) 08 Mar 2026 12:16:41
I agree there's value in the market, and I like your suggestions.
I'm hoping we get Enrique as the new coach, so I could see him bringing a player or two from France. If Vini Jr goes to PSG, Kavra would be nice, but Diomande looks promising, and I'd expect JJ Gabriel to be pushing next season.
I quite like Mateta over Vahlovic. I'm not convinced by him at all. Lautaro Martinez or Alvarez would be a dream.
Exciting times ahead, but UCL is key. 21 might be on.
3.) 08 Mar 2026 15:03:51
Sorry, Lautaro Martinez is dreadful. Definitely take Alvarez.
4.) 08 Mar 2026 17:25:43
Utd Road, I prefer Mateta over Vlahovic personally as well, and with one year left on his deal he might be available for a reasonable fee. If he is available for around 25-30m, then great. But I'd be reluctant to go much north of 30m for a player who will be 29 by the start of the season, had a move to AC Milan collapse over issues found in his medical, and who is ultimately being bought for squad depth rather than as first choice.
I think, with the money we spent on Sesko, along with his promising performances, I doubt the club will want to block his development, but he does need at least someone who he can rotate with, especially if we will play closer to 60 games next season rather than 40 this season.
5.) 08 Mar 2026 18:59:56
I suggested Mateta before, but he recently failed a medical for a move last window, surely we don't need another crock!
Sesko has got a lot to learn, and needs an experienced striker with pace to learn from, but it would also be nice to get a winger who could actually cross a first-time ball.
We need lots of players for most positions, so it is a matter of what we can get and what level they are. We have not bought a world class player for years.
6.) 08 Mar 2026 19:27:08
What about Obi Martin? Let's not forget him, guys. I know JJ is the talk of the town, but he is 15. Sure, give him some time next season, for sure.
We also have Wheatley and Biancheri. The latter scores goals for fun.
I have said before we need to spend big on midfield and defense before we restock the frontline. Diomande being an exception, I guess, but again we do have stock there already.
7.) 09 Mar 2026 05:21:45
I am not sure Latauro Martinez is dreadful; he is probably better than anything we currently have!
Seems like Obi is well out of favour for something or other that happened under the RA reign. He doesn't seem to have been given a proper chance, and I'm not sure he will now.
I agree we need a defence, that's for sure. I said for years we need an experienced CB with pace and got shouted down when I said de Ligt was a waste of time because he has been injured for most of his career. How's that going? We need CBs, full backs, midfielders, and certainly an experienced striker with pace, and someone who can cross a ball first time would not be too much to ask.
Of course we then need an experienced manager to gel this together.
Atm, all we have is mediocrity all over the pitch, the manager, and above.
Yes, it's a bit better than it's been, but it's still nowhere near the level United should be aspiring to.
Our players that get injured disappear for months on end.
It's all a bit of a mess...
Sjr has even gone very quiet since the last statement he made went down so well. It's quite embarrassing how United, all round, has sunk to this level, and now we have fans saying anyone above 25 is too old and we should be looking at players from the Championship...
8.) 09 Mar 2026 17:44:36
Mateta is decent, but my goodness he misses some sitters as well.
07 Mar 2026 14:10:19
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, United Need A Savvy Summer To Build Depth
1.) 07 Mar 2026 19:58:20
Agree with all those except Vlahovic, although on a free, I wouldn't say no, but he smacks of the old guard and the silly signings of the past.
I still think we need more of a churn of those players. With that squad, next year's problem will 100% be the defence.
2.) 07 Mar 2026 20:13:46
I'm not Vlahovic's biggest fan, but on a free maybe give him a 3 years plus one deal, and he would probably be a more natural fit at CF in the EPL than Zirkzee is, unfortunately.
Really, it's about finding someone who can take the pressure off of Sesko but who won't block his development. Then, on top of that, making sure we don't spend a load of money for a player who'll sit on the bench.
There are better strikers out there. Absolutely, on paper someone like Ollie Watkins is ideal, homegrown, EPL-proven, and at 30 still has a few good years in the bank, but won't block Sesko. The problem is that he'd probably cost 50m plus, which is madness for a player to add squad depth. Which is why I'm suggesting someone like Vlahovic.
3.) 07 Mar 2026 20:48:18
Juventus have offered a new contract to him in the last few days, and, seemingly, the expectations are that an extension will be agreed.
4.) 07 Mar 2026 23:39:05
He is a good player. Good squad addition.
5.) 08 Mar 2026 03:13:16
I think Sesko has done enough this year to prove he can lead the line next year, so perhaps we need an understudy.
I don't think Vlahovic would do well with a rotation role at this stage of his career.
I know he's a free, but that's the only appeal to him.
I think he would be too slow for the EPL.
6.) 08 Mar 2026 10:24:36
Good post, Shappy.
Artetadyce and his London Stoke side. ???
19 Feb 2026 11:00:12
What do you guys make of the Mateus Mané links?
I'm actually pretty excited by them. He's the type of player I love to see us sign. Young, homegrown, strong, quick and exciting, clearly an intelligent player.
We talk a lot about the issues in midfield, and 100% that is where we need to focus our attention first this summer.
Yet if we include Bruno and Mount more as number 10's, that really leaves us with Mbeumo, Cunha, Amad, Sesko and Zirkzee for the two wide positions and up front. Of which Zirkzee might leave and is arguably better suited as a No.10 even if he does stay. We definitely lack som quality in depth in those wide positions.
Now Dorgu might come in and play some games as a winger, that might even be his best position. Yet we still feel slightly light up top, especially if we are going to play an extra 20-25 games next season with Europe and cup runs.
I really like what I've seen from Mané this season. He's powerful and difficult to knock off the ball, he definitely doesn't look like an 18 year old. He can play right across the front line and remains impactful wherever he plays, which suggests he's an intelligent and adaptable. The way he carries the ball and that teams need to double or even triple up on him to try and win it back also makes a lot of space for his teammates. If he was at a bigger club with better players around him then his impact would be greater.
I like the idea of Mané and Dorgu playing on the left, Mbeumo and Amad on the right, with Sesko and Cunha as the striker/false 9 giving you tactical flexibility depending on whether you want a focal point or a more free flowing attack.
That looks to have a lot of really good options, with some great young players who should only get better over time.
1.) 19 Feb 2026 14:59:32
Mount and Zirkzee need to be gone by the end of the next transfer window.
Also, we need fullbacks a long time before we reinforce the forward positions again.
2.) 19 Feb 2026 22:19:22
Zirkzee for sure needs to move on. Don't see where he fits in our team. As for Mount - time is ticking for him, for sure. Not reliable enough to persist with, as always injured. Technically a brilliant player - one that should consider a move to Italy or a similar league.
3.) 20 Feb 2026 10:50:44
Jimbo, if we got rid of both Mount and Zirkzee this summer then that would just leave Sesko, Mbeumo, Cunha, Amad and Bruno in the first team squad to cover the four forwards positions (LW, RW, ST and No.10). Five players for four starting positions isn't even enough for a league campaign, let alone playing in Europe and in two domestic cups. Even if we permanently moved Dorgu forward as a winger, that still only gives us 6 players for 4 positions. Personally, I think Zirkzee will leave, as he's the guy who doesn't have a natural starting position in the team and he's someone we could get money for. I doubt Mount will leave, as his wages and his injury record mean very few clubs will be interested. Also, if he can stay fit he is actually a real asset to the squad.
That would give us 7 players for 4 spots (Bruno, Sesko, Mbeumo, Cunha, Amad, Mount, and Dorgu). Common belief is that you need two players for each position to have the squad depth needed to compete in 4 competitions. This means we would still need one more forward player, especially as Mount will likely miss part of the season injured, Dorgu might be needed at LB, and Bruno's future is not certain. Someone like Mateus Mane would make a lot of sense, as he's tactically flexible enough to cover all four forwards positions, is young enough to be happy to be a rotation option and not start every game, and with Wolves being relegated shouldn't cost a ridiculous fee. Probably something between 30-40m, which should be around what we would get for Zirkzee.
4.) 20 Feb 2026 16:31:14
You're assuming we won't promote anyone.
5.) 20 Feb 2026 22:17:12
Or indeed, make some squad additions in the summer which are not only inevitable but critical.
6.) 21 Feb 2026 03:51:00
I've been piecing together positions for next year, trickle-feeding these front players in as on-topic. This assumes we are competing in 4 comps and go deep into them. If we exit FA and League Cups early, you can drop one of the 4 for each position. Wide Left Matheus Cunha Patrick Dorgu Shea Lacey James Scanlon Wide Right Bryan Mbeumo Amad Diallo Bendito Mantato Enzo Kana-Biyik Centre-Forwards Benjamin Sesko Chido Obi-Martin Gabriele Biancheri JJ Gabriel Immediately, though, I feel that to truly 'compete' the striker position possibly needs something more, but I am happy enough as both Mbeumo and Cunha can, and will, play in that position.
Assume that players who currently play in these positions and are not named should be sold.
18 Feb 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, What United Should Look For in the Next Manager
1.) 18 Feb 2026 13:36:50
Who on here would have suggested Carrick as our permanent manager when Amorim was being questioned? I'd go as far as to say no one.
We have been short sighted so many times before. In my opinion a few good results (if you call a draw at West Ham and almost collapsing against Fulham good results) shouldn't put Carrick at the front of the list. But this is all about opinions.
I really enjoyed reading your article Shappy. For me I'd be leaning heavily towards Luis Enrique as you suggested. I think he would be unobtainable though and Marco Silva becomes my second option with McKenna third.
2.) 18 Feb 2026 15:25:44
I wouldn't have suggested him and I still don't its too early.
I wouldn't suggest mckenna under any circumstance
Nor would I consider Silva.
3.) 18 Feb 2026 19:39:36
A lot of people were very happy when we appointed Jose, and ETH, and Amorim. I'm kind of lost what to think now, there are no guarantees whoever we appoint. Enrique is the current flavour of the month but as we have seen on here, we all have different thoughts on who we might want, or more clearly who we don't want.
One thing that is true is that up until last year our recruitment had been bang average, and that's being generous. That hasn't helped any of the Managers we have had, even LVG and OGS were clear they didn't get the players they asked for.
4.) 18 Feb 2026 21:41:31
Agree ajh no standout. I wouldn't be too keen on Enrique.
De zerbe intrigues me.
Glad its not tuchel.
5.) 19 Feb 2026 07:08:22
Honestly think it’s the worst pool of managers to choose from that I can remember. Not 1 standout. A bit like the standard of players around also just pretty average all around.
6.) 19 Feb 2026 08:23:09
JD, it's all about opinions. No manager in the EPL has more points than Carrick since he took the job. He is currently the best manager in the league based on form.
Obviously the old saying is form is temporary, class is permanent, and we still have a lot to see from Carrick before we can safely give him the job.
But right now I see him as being in the driving seat. Managers are similar to players in that they need to find the right club to show the best of themselves. Great players have moved to the wrong club and looked awful, average players have found themselves at the right club and look top class.
Just because a manager has a good CV and has been great at another club that is no guarantee that they would be great at United. We've seen plenty of evidence of that over the past decade.
I've currently got Carrick as first choice because he is actually showing success in the role. If the performances and results drop off then that opens the door to other candidates. But if Carrick goes unbeaten for the rest of the season and finishes 4th or even 3rd then I think that makes it very difficult for the club to pick someone else who is not guaranteed to do better than him, especially as there is little to no evidence to prove they would do better.
There are a lack of standout candidates right now. Probably only Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann neither of which are guaranteed to be available or have even expressed an interest in our club of they were.
Everyone else is probably on a similar level to Carrick, shown promise but ultimately unproven. It wouldn't make sense to replace Carrick with someone at a similar level but would actually be less proven than him in the role.
For me it's Carrick's to lose.
7.) 19 Feb 2026 09:50:56
Blackpool, I think it's the result of a shift in how clubs are run.
The all powerful manager who runs the club is a thing of the past, we are seeing more of a shift to a "head coach" model, where the responsibilities of the head coach are far less impactful than that of a manager.
The money involved now means clubs simply cannot afford to give so much power and control to one person, especially a person who is unlikely to stay more than 3-5 years at most even if they are successful, often less than 3 years.
With this new model we are seeing younger managers/head coaches than ever before. Guys in their 30's and in some cases in their 20's in roles that 20 years ago wouldn't have been given to anyone before their were 40 at least. Possibly because innovation is valued higher in a manager now than experience.
Just look around at who is managing some of the top clubs in world football right now.
Alvaro Arbeloa is manager or Real Madrid having never managed at senior level. He took over from Xabi Alonso who was only a senior manager for 3 seasons at one club before taking over at Real Madrid.
Vincent Kompany managing Bayern Munich, not even 40 yet. He had two years at Anderlecht and two years at Burnley which culminated in relegation to the Championship before he got the Bayern job.
Mikel Arteta hadn't managed at senior level when he was given the Arsenal job.
Liam Rosenior had 2 years at Hull and 18 months at Strasbourg before taking over at Chelsea.
Fabian Hurtzler was 31 years old when he was given the Brighton job.
Cesc Fabregas at Como, Inigo Perez at Rayon Vallecano,
8.) 19 Feb 2026 10:46:15
Hit send by accident ?♂️
Managers like Julian Nagelsmann and Will Still managing top level clubs at the ages of 28 and 30 respectively. Along with many other managers who got top level jobs in their 30's such as Dominic Tedesco, Andoni Iraola, Thiago Motta, Edin Terzic, Sebastian Hoeness, Ruben Amorim, and Carlos Cuesta to add to all the others I've mentioned.
When managers are given reduced control, and they are being sacked sooner and sooner it makes it harder for any of them to cement themselves with the kind of reputation that some of the older managers who were given more freedom to forge.
They had more coaching and life experience by the time they typically started managing at the top level, they were given more time and freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. All of which enabled them to build a stronger reputation.
Younger managers are given less, thrown in younger, and judged more harshly. Which makes it much harder for them to build a strong reputation. Look at Nagelsmann for example, he was one of the best young managers, doing bits at 28 in the Bundesliga. Yet his time at Bayern is considered a relative failure, despite him having one of the highest ever win percentages of all Bayern managers. Despite him being younger than some of the Balon d'Or winners when he took over the biggest club in Germany.
We've got highly talented young managers who are being thrown on the scrap heap as "past it" or "not good enough" who are still younger than Cristiano Ronaldo. Guys who have achieved more in their short managerial careers than people like David Moyes.
Marco Silva is a perfect example, many fans are turning their nose up at him probably on the back of a short unsuccessful spell at Everton (who were in a total mess top to bottom at the time) . Yet he's gone to Fulham and has managed to get them playing some great football, and last season managed to get them to finish with their highest ever points tally.
How many managers can we say in the league are definitely better than him? Pep sure, Glasner and Emery probably (as they have achieved more with not to dissimilar resources), Slot and Howe possibly but hard to tell as both have had clubs with far more resources to achieve more. Think of it this way if Silva and Slot swapped places last season would Liverpool still have won the league? Probably, but would Fulham have managed their highest ever points total with Slot? That I'm less sure about. The rest he's better than, or at least has shown himself to have achieved better than given his resources.
So only the managers of City and Liverpool, along with Howe, Glasner and Emery (who all play far too defensive/pragmatic to be considered for the United job) have shown themselves to be better or possibly better than Silva. The rest potentially could be better, but haven't yet shown it. The one I feel I might be being a little harsh on here is Andoni Iraola who has managed a club on a similar scale to Fulham (and done better than Silva), yet I don't think I say say he's definitely proven himself a better manager yet as he has been fortunate to have some fantastic players at Bournemouth due to their excellent recruitment.
Last season they had Kepa on loan from Chelsea in goal, Huijsen who moved to Real Madrid, Zabarnyi who moved to PSG, and Kerkez who moved to Liverpool, they also have lost Ouattara to Brentford and Semenyo to City (in January) losing 6 of their starting 11 from last season, mostly to top UCL sides. Highlighting the quality of players Iraola has had to work with.
That also ignores that he still has the likes of Petrovic, Sensei, Truffert, Korupi, Evanilson, Scott, Kluivert and the new lad Rayan (who alongside Korupi looks like a future top class player, while Scott is someone I'd strongly consider as a third option in midfield if we can/need to sign a third midfielder this summer) . Can we just have some appreciation for Bournemouth's recruitment. Rayan signed from Brazil in January, 19 years old, and he has 2 goals and an assist in under 200 minutes of EPL football.
As Iraola has had far better players to work with it's tough to say yet whether he's a better manager than Silva (although I suspect he will prove to be in time) .
9.) 19 Feb 2026 10:59:03
I have to say, I cannot put my finger on a preference. Given that we have tried many different 'types' of managers, some of whom have been serial winners elsewhere, none have been a success at United.
I can, however, say that I'm very pleased it won't be Tuchel and hope beyond all hope that it won't be Southgate.
Too early (if at all) for McKenna. Stumped really.
10.) 19 Feb 2026 22:16:44
I'm not saying Carrick won't be the right choice - he definitely could be, and you make a valid point about current form and finding the right club. I think I'm actually just a bit disillusioned after Amorim was sacked. It wasn't because I thought we were playing great football or that the results were close to good enough, but I did think we seemed to have broken the continuous cycle of changing managers after they lose the dressing room. I sense that wasn't quite the case with Amorim, but either way we are back to searching for a manager when this time there are no exciting options in the market.
Surely the fact there doesn't seem to be a standout must be a worry for us. I do sense the club thought Tuchel was there for the taking and that didn't materialise. It might end up being Carrick, rightly or wrongly, based on a law of attrition. The main worry is that it shows how far we have fallen and the poisoned chalice we seem to have become for managers. They would have been clambering over each other to become our manager 10 years ago.
11.) 19 Feb 2026 22:25:53
I don't think Poch can be discounted yet from the conversation.
12.) 19 Feb 2026 23:04:57
It's the late arrival that concerns me with all the wc managers. Such little time to prep, Eric. Mind you, Poch will probably be available at training before a lot of our players.
13.) 19 Feb 2026 23:08:13
Opinions are fine, Shappy, but to say Silva would probably have won the league with Liverpool last season is an opinion formed on what rationale? That can be nothing more than a gut feeling.
14.) 20 Feb 2026 11:08:14
Ken, It's based on the fact that Liverpool won the league last season with Klopp's team playing in a way very similar to how Klopp would play.
Liverpool have dropped off this year due to big changes in the squad and the manager trying to get the players to play in a different style of play to what they are used to.
Marco Silva has a preference for attacking front foot football, he likes to play with quick transitions from defense to attack, and has used both a high press and a mid-block.
Given his preferred style of play, and the squad he would have had at Liverpool last season (that really suited his preferred style) then I think there is no reason to believe he wouldn't have got the same kind of performance out of that squad.
I think Liverpool even with the big changes in their squad this season would also be doing better right now with Silva as their manager looking to play in a way that they all know, enjoy playing and that suits that majority of squad.
Slot seems to be a little too pragmatic for them, he tends to make the "safe" decision, the cautious one. I think that to the players it probably comes across like a lack of faith in them. Especially given how much faith Klopp used to give his players. If the players don't feel like the manager has faith in them then that tends to knock their confidence which lowers their level of performance.
We are seeing that right now at United under Carrick. I was a big supporter of Amorim, but he was too pragmatic, bringing on CB's to see out games, or adding Ugarte to midfield later on in games. That always seems to lead to a drop in performance and often us conceding goals later in games.
Yet Carrick does the opposite, he brings on more attacking players, he doesn't coach cautious play, but how United can hurt the opposition.
The players are the same, we haven't changed the squad. Yet they all seem happier, more confident and are all playing better football. In fact football that we didn't think they were capable of. Things like the quick, and slick one touch rondos we played against the likes of City and Arsenal, leaving their players chasing shadows.
That kind of football is only possible when the players are confident, and to feel confident they need to believe the manager has faith in them.
Which is why I firmly believe pragmatic managers just won't work at United, and probably at Liverpool also.
17 Feb 2026 17:18:37
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, What United Should Look For in the Next Manager
18 Feb 2026 12:13:25
Good player, picks up a fair few injuries though.
31 Jan 2026 13:07:15
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, The Dalot Dilemma: Why United Should Keep Their Reliable Right-Back
28 Jan 2026 21:19:23
Jodler, to an extent I agree, however you don't want to stockpile players who all suit the same role/position.
Ideally you want a variety of different attackers who all bring something a little different, players you can rotate around or sub in to change a game.
It'd be foolish to bring in a player who is similar in style and role to multiple players we already have, while we have massive gaps in our squad that need addressing elsewhere. Adding another cherry for the top of the cake when we don't have any sponge would be stupid.
27 Jan 2026 21:42:35
Fallguy, the rumour might but the chances of it happening probably stay the same.
We signed Bruno's replacement in the summer when we brought Cunha in, we also have Mount in the squad. While if we decide to move to a 433 rather than a 4231 then Mainoo probably takes that more offensive midfielder role (ideally alongside Anderson and Baleba) .
25 Jan 2026 05:37:39
He's a good player no doubt, but with Mbeumo, Amad and the young Shea Lacey do we really need another left footed RW/No.10 type player?
21 Mar 2026 11:44:31
Je suis, what would your line up have been?
It's easy to say we are predictable with our line up, but then the manager can only pick from the players available.
We had no MdL, Martinez, Mazraoui or Dorgu available for the game. Mount has only just come back from injury, and almost certainly isn't ready to start a game.
So, really, the manager's options to rotate the line up are Ugarte, Sesko and Zirkzee.
If we are honest, Ugarte and Zirkzee probably aren't good enough or well suited to the EPL. I'm also 99% sure that if he did name them in the starting line up, you'd be complaining about that before a ball has even been kicked.
We've tried giving Sesko a couple of starts recently, and, to be honest, it didn't really change a lot. He also looks much better coming off the bench later in games, up against tiring legs and minds at this stage of his career.
In terms of threat going forward, we haven't looked as good since Dorgu's injury. That doesn't mean he's the answer per se, but his skillset opens up space and opportunities for other players. Ultimately, football is a team game, and it's the way the players combine their skills that gives you good or bad team performances.
This squad still needs a massive amount of work on it before it's genuinely good enough to compete at the highest level consistently. We probably need another 4 or 5 starting players, and another 3 or 4 top quality options to challenge the starting players and provide different tactical options within the squad. So we are 8 or 9 players away from the squad we need, and that is still dependent on the younger players in our squad reaching their full potential, such as Lammens, Yoro, Heaven, Mainoo, Dorgu, Amad and Sesko. All of which could be top quality starters if they reach their full potential. If not, then that's potentially another 4 or 5 players who will need to be upgraded in the coming seasons.
Ultimately, as fans, we put far too much on managers to affect the results. The difference between an average manager and a top quality manager is they maybe get an extra 10% out of the squad.
However, the way the club is structured and set up, and the quality of the players will ultimately dictate around 90% of what we see on the pitch.
20 Mar 2026 19:23:00
There are a lot of midfielder options available. Personally, I see us signing at least 2 midfielders, maybe 3 (definitely 3 if Ugarte leaves). Looking at the options we have seen linked, I think all of them do a job for us.
Eliott Anderson, 90-100m, 23 years old.
Carlos Baleba, 70m, 22 years old.
Adam Wharton, 60-70m, 22 years old.
Sandro Tonali, 80-90m, 25 years old (26 in May).
Joao Gomes, 35-45m, 25 years old.
Hayden Hackney, 20-25m, 23 years old (24 in June).
Bruno Guimaraes, 70m, 28 years old.
Noah Sadiki, 50-60m, 21 years old.
Alex Scott, 50m, 22 years old.
James Garner, 45m, 25 years old.
Angelo Stiller, 40-50m, 24 years old (25 in April).
Eduardo Camavinga, 50m, 23 years old.
Pablo Barrios, 60-70m, 22 years old (23 in June).
Lucien Agoume, 35-40m, 24 years old.
Lamine Camara, 45m, 22 years old.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, 40m, 18 years old.
Manu Kone, 45m, 24 years old (25 in May).
Javi Guerra, 45m, 22 years old (23 in May).
Felix Nmecha, 30m, 25 years old.
Andre Santos, 50-60m, 21 years old (22 in May).
Kees Smit, 50m, 20 years old.
Ederson, 45m, 26 years old (27 in July).
Mamadou Sangare, 35m, 23 years old (24 in June).
There are 23 players we have been linked with over the past 6-12 months, the ballpark figures they are expected to cost and their ages. Typically, we seem to be linked with players between the ages of 22 to 25, with a preference for EPL experience.
I fully expect us to sign at least two players from that list.
As for how much they will spend on midfield, well we spent around £195m on our attack last summer, so I wouldn't be surprised to see us spend a similar amount on our midfield this summer. Espinoza, if we have UCL qualification and the financial boost that comes with that.
18 Mar 2026 22:24:25
Jimbob, over the last two seasons Lewis Hall has missed 28 matches, Sandro Tonali has only ever missed a few games here and there, no major concerns (bar the ban for betting on football matches), Elliot Anderson missed 25 games with a back injury during the 23/24 season, but not much since, Michael Kayode has been fairly fine, a few knocks but nothing major, Nick Pope has missed 36 games over the past three years with injuries. João Gomes has a perfect injury record.
The real issue is that you are looking to sign 3 players from Newcastle, now I know they might need to sell a player for financial reasons, but they will also receive a hefty sell on fee when Elliot Anderson moves from Forest this summer.
Also Anderson and Tonali are probably too similar in the role that they play, especially if you are going to be spending huge fees. I'd imagine it'd be either or with Anderson and Tonali.
Then we will probably look at a more aggressive/athletic ball winner like Baleba or João Gomes.
While I'm a big fan of Lewis Hall I'd probably steer clear of him due to his injury record. We can't afford to be signing a player with a patchy injury record to challenge Luke Shaw.
I'm not sure we will sign a RB before we sign a LW either.
I'd look to sign Marcos Senesi on a free transfer as he's EPL proven, at a great age, strong in his defensive duels and an expansive passer out from the back. The ideal cheap CB to bring in to provide support for our current crop without being a long term barrier to the likes of Yoro and Heaven.
At LB Malick Diouf has really caught the eye at West Ham this season, as is Adrien Truffert. Nathaniel Brown is getting good reviews in Germany if we want to avoid the EPL tax, or Quintin Merlin in France.
LW is an interesting position to try and fix, Yan Diomande is the hot property right now. He looks phenomenal, but would be a high risk high reward type signing as he won't be cheap. Other big names could be Bradley Barcola, or Kenan Yildiz.
Malick Fofana from Lyon could be a smart signing, he's still doing well but the media attention has moved on to the next hot thing so he would be available for a more reasonable price. Or we could go for EPL proven route like we did with Mbeumo and Cunha and look to sign someone like Iliman Ndiaye from Everton.
If it was down to me maybe something like Senesi, Diouf, Anderson, Baleba as EPL proven players, with Fofana as a high reward option on the LW (which I think is an easier position/role to adapt to the EPL than in midfield or defence).
18 Mar 2026 19:07:35
I'm not sure who we are gonna sign this summer, but I do have a slight concern over potential injury issues next season.
We aren't blessed with a lot of quality in depth, and when I look at our squad and think who I trust to be able to play an extra 10-15 games more next season than they've managed this season, the potential fragility of this squad becomes apparent.
I have doubts over Shaw, Maguire, MdL, Martinez, Mazraoui, Mount and Mainoo's ability to potentially play 45-50 games next season if called upon. Even Mbeumo hasn't played that many games before in a season, and he often looks like he tires later in games.
It is also probably not smart to put some of our younger players, like Yoro, Heaven, Mainoo, Amad and Sesko, under pressure to play a lot of games, potentially while carrying knocks, as their bodies continue to grow and develop.
That's before we even account for those unexpected injuries that just occur, like Dorgu's current injury.
Realistically, that leaves us with the keepers (who should never have a fitness issue from playing too many games), Dalot, Ugarte, Dorgu (should he recover without issue), Bruno, Zirkzee, and Cunha, who I think we can rely on to be physically capable of playing 50+ games next season, with maybe the older "young" players like Sesko and Amad, who are in their twenties rather than teenagers, and possibly Mbeumo.
That gives us 9 outfield players who we should be able to rely on being able to play 50+ games, and 9 players who we can probably expect to be able to manage 20-30 games.
That's a really thin squad. We probably need to add at least 5 or 6 players who are capable of playing 50+ games for us next season. Otherwise, we could be at the mercy of injuries.
17 Mar 2026 22:35:45
While I agree that you don't need a right foot/left foot combo in midfield, I do want to call out a clear error in this thread.
Both Bernardo Silva and David Silva are, in fact, left-footed, so did give some balance when playing alongside the right-footed Rodri and KdB.