Manchester United Banter

29 Jan 2026 10:08:54
We were told that this team was not equipped for the champions league but looking at how Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea have done, was that another load of waffle sold to us?

I think we would've gotten on very well in it. What's everyone think? Could we have competed in it this year?

29 Jan 2026 10:45:42
No. Our squad is poor. We have a core group of 7 or 8 really good players, but the standard drops off massively after that. All of those teams have better support players than we do. If we'd played CL we'd likely have lost a couple of those core players to injury.

29 Jan 2026 11:12:24
I think we'd have done ok considering we have beaten 4 of the top 8 this season!

29 Jan 2026 11:41:59
I'm in agreeance ports.

Donred, I disagree. I believed it at the time, but a lot of fans swallowed and took it as gospel what they were told.

Looking at it now. I think we would have been absolutely fine.

29 Jan 2026 12:09:51
I agree with Don. Mr 32%, your view is an absolute contradiction to how bad you have considered us this and last season. Our squad is weak, too weak to play in a major competition alongside the EPL. We couldn't even compete in the FA and League Cup competitions, so how could we have possibly been good in the Champions League? Beggars belief.

29 Jan 2026 12:11:10
angel we were really struggling a lot without the AFCON players. Without that core group our squad is what ETH had but actually even worse. That squad was trending terribly for a significant period of time. Honestly I think Ports is correct only because we've had so few injuries this year.

I don't think we could cope with even 2 or 3 of those missing for considerable periods of time. I'm actually concerned if we get one or two injuries in key positions between now and the end of the season.

29 Jan 2026 12:59:55
DonRed, we have just lost Dorgu for an estimated 10 weeks, and he was really coming on strong for us. I think we will miss him big time.

29 Jan 2026 15:26:06
Angelred everyone knows your agenda. Amorim said this last season when we did not have Cunha, Mbeumo, Lammens etc. Remember a couple of seasons ago when that squad was in the Champions League. Do you need me to list out the results? He is gone now and you were one of the "I told you so" folks who wanted the other lot to move on.

So perhaps you can stop with your agenda as well. We did beat Liverpool and Chelsea earlier in the season and beat a few last season as well. So its not like we weren't beating the big teams. Its the chasing pack and relegation battlers that will truly tell us where we are. let's hope we go on a run now given that 32% win rate isn't here anymore.

29 Jan 2026 15:31:21
Agreed Fizz, though with Bruno further up we have more options in attack now. Maybe Amad will go left. Such a pity as he was absolutely flying. And he does appear so much better with the reduced defensive responsibility.

29 Jan 2026 16:28:23
Our squad is poor. We have a decent not top class starting 11.
We are barely coping with a 40 game season.
Nothing like a bit of knee jerk here and now tripe. Sing when your winning stuff.
The squad depth is very poor Imo.
But if we keep our best 11 or close to it fit I think Carrick can keep us in the cl places and at worst a el place.


If we had a 60 game seadon with our squad we would be on our knees right now.
Remind me how eth got on in Europe when trying to play in all comps.

29 Jan 2026 16:41:02
Who told you that? Not the club for sure. They really could have done with the additional revenues an ECL berth would have provided. Maybe they then would have been able to afford a top DM last summer. That dire performance in the Europa final cost us big. Let's face it though, every game under Amorim was an ordeal, particularly agains the weaker teams.

So I think with the injuries, AFCON and the dubious coaching and system, it would have been a struggle and we may well not have qualified for the later rounds. but even that would have been better than no midweek football.

29 Jan 2026 17:58:26
Our best 11 on their best day and with a gale force wind behind them could beat any team in its day
So yes we could win against any team in the cl and would probably have been in the top 16 maybe not the 8 but I think we could have got it if the league phase.
But I don't think we would be 4th in the league at the same time.
Something would have to give imo. The top 8 players are never going to play 50 to 60 games each.
Lammens and bruno possibly due to brunos unbelievable engine and fitness/availability.
Shaw maguire deligt martinez casimero amad mbeumo cunha maz have never done it and then you have freak injuries like dorgou's.
Ww know what happens when you have to play 2 teenage cbs ugarte zirkzee etc
So we could compete in cl with our squad with a fair wrong behind us and luck but not strong enough to do both cl and epl and compete to win either.


That's just my opinion and I suppose you only have to look at eth's european record in the season we started in the cl his win% was 16.6%. With a loss % of 65% we have less players in the squad now. Our league form suffered really badly too.
The squad is not strong enough for both.
Spurs squad is not strong enough for both.
Arsenal's is
Liverpool 50/50 lots of injuries at the moment.
City as per Liverpool
Chelsea have enough bodies and look to be improving slightly. They could cope if all are fit imo.

29 Jan 2026 18:25:31
I would add Newcastle are struggling in the epl amd came 11th in the league phase of cl.

29 Jan 2026 18:43:14
Ken please don't be sensible

Make up some statistics which prove how we would have walked the champions league

It's ridiculous. We have won two or threegames against competitors who are nowhere near as good as they can be and people think we are back.

Arsenal City and Liverpool still have miles better squads than ours and they have been struggling.

Apart from Bruno I don't think any of our players gets into the above mentioned teams.

29 Jan 2026 18:46:28
I think we are woefully short in center midfield. The most demanding area of the pitch. Casemiro is a 1 game a week 70 min a game player now. If we can a clone of him then maybe.

When we rested him for the cup games we lost. Pretty crazy for everyone to think we would do well when we struggled in the two midweek cup games.

29 Jan 2026 19:02:37
This not engaging fizz? Good job 😂

Everyone, just an opinion, I think we would have been fine given what how we have seen other squads perform in both competitions.

UA, no agenda at all - just astounded how a lot of us were taken, hook, line and sinker by a manager that said we weren't good enough, how we were the worst united team in history, how players like Mainoo couldn't handle it. The stats backed it up. Or just look at how we have performed in the last 2 games.

I don't mind reminding those on here, the ones that were quick to throw names at the Amorim sceptics, how we didn't have a clue etc. that maybe it's those name callers that didn't have a clue at all.

I think we would have performed fine in the champions league, not saying we would have won it, but we definitely have a squad capable of competing in it along with the Premier League.

29 Jan 2026 19:03:37
UA - absolutely agree, 32% was shocking and I think we can go on a run now that that is gone. incredible that it was accepted.

29 Jan 2026 19:23:30
Salford, i'm all for being positive. i'm all for talking us up and riding the wave.
I generally don't like this sorry of hypothetical because its futile.
All we can do is win our next game.
We are not anywhere near strong enough as a squad to cope with playing twice a week and to win games.
We caught city and arsenal in their worst runs of the season right in middle of epl league cup semi and cl games.

Not diminishing our performance at all which were great.
We've done great and just need to continue to stay in those European places and playing one a week that huge advantage is kicking in let's hope Carrick can keep it going and take full advantage.

29 Jan 2026 22:39:42
Angel can you just stop with this. You obviously are getting some sort of kick out of it, but it's getting incredibly annoying how you are rewriting history to serve whatever agenda you have.

29 Jan 2026 23:27:57
Donred, no.

I can have my opinion things and speak about them how I want. Like I said, there was plenty of names thrown out to people like me who questioned Ruben Amorim being manager of this club.

Feel free not to engage if you don't want to.

29 Jan 2026 23:35:41
I reckon Mbeumo and Cunha get in pretty much any 'better' team mentioned here. Arsenal would love the former right now and I think he'd have been a perfect natural replacement for Salah. Only City have real strength in depth IMO. They all have far superior youth prospects.

28 Jan 2026 17:22:23
Just looking at what's happening at Napoli. If they lose v Chelsea today they're out of the ECL for the season. They're experiencing a major slump in form with half the team out with injuries and are down to 4th in serie A. If they don't qualify for next year's ECL is Højlund's "formality" transfer all of a sudden in jeopardy? Then we have the possibility that Barcelona can't afford Rashford. And then there's Onana. Trabzonspor have no obligation to buy. 2 years left on his contract, maybe £20m in unamortized cost at the end of the season plus (like Rashford at £300k pw), he's seriously overpaid at £140k a week. Is he sellable? I would imagine the club would prefer Vitek back from Bristol City, and be able to offload Onana and Bayindir.

It's going to be a busy summer. Hopefully business gets done early. I would love to see all 3 gone and the club use its resources to build upon what looks like it could be very competitive squad. Yes, we need to out the last 2 weeks in perspective. Until we consistently beat "lesser" opponents we shouldn't get too excited.

28 Jan 2026 23:13:56
I would welcome Hoijlund back if we hadn't already got sesko. Rashford might still be good for the left of attack but I can see Barcelona pleading poverty and us selling him for peanuts.

29 Jan 2026 15:56:56
yh the OP is right, will be following Napolis results closely in the second half of the season, hopefully KDB and Lukaku can come back soon for them.

Watching them yesterday, it looks like a squad running on fumes and needs some players back asap.

29 Jan 2026 22:19:04
I’d take Hojlund back and he can fight it out with out only striker Sesko for the No9 slot.

As for Rash, not sure what he or we will do if the Barcelona move falls through. Has he done enough for them to want to keep him? They’re pretty blessed with attacking talent.

27 Jan 2026 22:05:23
I'll start by saying that I don't think this will happen before I get the usual naysayers.

Right, Carrick has on paper at least won (and fairly convincingly) the two toughest fixtures of the 17 he was given.

If he went on an amazing run and won the remaining 15 games (not impossible given our lessened fixture list and that on paper at least the other games are easier than his first two), where in the league do you think we would finish?

That would put us on 83 points. For reference if Arsenal maintain the exact same form over the remaining 15 games that they have managed over the first 23 then they'd get another 32 points finishing with 82 in total.

In what is probably the weakest league since Leicester won the title, is it totally unfathomable that we could still technically be in with an outside chance of a title challenge at least?

27 Jan 2026 22:50:17
I've been unwavering all season, we are title contenders.
All season people have laughed at that position.
We are still in the race as it is Arsenal at the summit.

27 Jan 2026 23:35:14
Nothing is impossible yet. However as you say not probable.
A top 6 fight will ensue imo. Possibly 7 if Newcastle can get one of their front players scoring.
I don't see the top 3 falling back too much although villa don't always convince me and they don't have city's know how, although city have lots of defenders out .
In all likelihood 5th will get a cl place so again imo its will be a straight fight for 4th and 5th between ourselves Chelsea and Liverpool.
If they begin to click again it will be tight.
We have momentum and fixtures in our favour and until dorgou a fit squad .
A win v Fulham is a great place to start.


Then stay again the next week.
If we can ride this wave and become more solid that will breed confidence. A 5 or 6 game winning run catapulted villa and I don't think Chelsea or Liverpool could match that right now.
If we did win 6 on the spin those above would be closer somewhat imo and those below would be well back.
#ridethewave
With teams finding it hard this season to win more than 3 on the bounce if we won 6 then we're gaining significant ground on everybody.
The only title rave we are in now is a mathematical one.
If we still have a mathematical chance with 6 games to go that will do me as a target for now.

28 Jan 2026 00:20:41
Let's walk before we run. We need to beat a team convincingly that sets up defensively against us. Then we can talk.

28 Jan 2026 07:05:14
The most important thing is getting another 3 wins so that lad can cut his hair. Carrick would go down as a hero.

28 Jan 2026 08:41:14
That bet at 50 / 1 might start to look not so crazy Jimbo!
Hope you had it each way? 10 / 1 for coming second ain't bad!

{Ed025's Note - bookies just love Man Utd supporters Paddy.. :)

28 Jan 2026 08:57:01
In one Dodgy.

28 Jan 2026 09:01:48
There is a reason there is a bookies on every street corner ed025.

{Ed025's Note - absolutely Ken..

28 Jan 2026 09:11:46
All them drawn games that we really should have won would have put us in a really good position.

28 Jan 2026 10:01:25
On pure recent-form maths:
• City 🥇
• Arsenal 🥈
• Villa 🟦 top 4
• United 🟥 outside CL spots

This is ChatGPT results based on the seasons results. Much more likely than United winning the PL. could argue we will finish top 4.

28 Jan 2026 10:10:55
I also put a wager on them when they were at 500/1.
All bets covered by a start of season bet that has them at top 4, that's a shoe in. like every bet placed 🤣.

28 Jan 2026 11:23:49
I know a couple of lads on the board of one if the biggest bookies in uk and Ireland.
Their commercial director told me that they take in over 200m on what they describe as novelty bets every year.
Bets on outsiders odds of 33/1 or more and novelty bets like my son will play for England and pay out less than 3m per year.


It is their most profitable core activity.
3rd most profitable was profitable profit from football accumalters and bet builders taking 97% contribution to profit on weekly income in this specific revenue channel.
Millions of lost 2 3 tand 10 pound bets every week.

28 Jan 2026 12:25:42
Crikey! What a lot of know alls! Of course the bookies are on to a good thing. All “winnings” are given back to them anyway! No punter keeps it. It’s just just the next bet!
I was just giving a heads up to Jimbo!
And it’s Patrick not paddy.

28 Jan 2026 14:18:31
Who got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning 🤣🤣🤣 and its jimbob not jimbo Mr touchy.

28 Jan 2026 14:54:14
I think we'll finish 3rd about 8 points behind City as Champions. Arsenal have a very strong squad but i think the wheels will come off over the next couple of months and once City go ahead, they won't be caught.

Low 80 points winning the league isn't something I'd think I'd seen again for awhile but it shows you how quick football can change.

Hopefully we're looking up and not over our shoulders come March, April. It will be very telling over the next 5 games how we'll finish. If we can get that lad a haircut we'll be flying into the champions league.

28 Jan 2026 15:43:36
Lets see how we fair against Fulham, it's far too early.
Being realistic i think 5th place.

28 Jan 2026 16:10:19
He’ll always be Jimbo to me Ken!

{Ed025's Note - and thats fair enough Paddy.. :)

28 Jan 2026 18:00:55
It's actually Colin.

28 Jan 2026 20:50:46
And mine’s not Patrick! 😂.

29 Jan 2026 09:37:57
Is Dave just a nickname, Rodney?

29 Jan 2026 14:30:16
Fizz 😅👏👏👏.

27 Jan 2026 16:52:39
What's the opinion on the links to ilyman ndiaye.

27 Jan 2026 18:30:10
Do we need a right winger?
Do we need another AFCON player?

27 Jan 2026 18:55:06
We must be playing Everton soon.

27 Jan 2026 21:47:45
Probably don't need a other winger or afcon player TBF but people would happily have taken semenyo who plays for Ghana or diomande.

28 Jan 2026 11:58:52
He's naturally a left winger but got moved to the right because of jack grealishs arrival.
We are also missing a natural right footed wide left winger.

26 Jan 2026 20:36:41
Can anyone see us bringing any players in this week? If so who?

Arrivals fee unlikely but as for exits - Malacia should leave and possibly Zirkzee late move back to Italy?

26 Jan 2026 22:34:41
Id take a midfielder and if we get one let ugarte out.
Don't expect anything but remain hopeful.

27 Jan 2026 00:20:38
I think the squad has proven over the last two games that it's good enough, if firing on all 4 cylinders, and set up to take advantage of the players' good qualities rather than their weaknesses, to make it into the ECL. Plus, we have comparatively very few fixtures so there's no actual need to add to it.

unless a specific wanted player comes available, which is not going to happen. We are not flush with cash. We need to conserve it to give ourselves maximal room in the summer.

27 Jan 2026 00:50:57
Second that, focus on departures unless someone becomes available that we actually want/need.

27 Jan 2026 09:07:48
newnameoldideas, this squad has proved for over two years its not good enough. We have seen this multiple times, the players get up for the big games, then implode. New manager bounce, leaks about have wonderful everything is, then they implode. I'd advise to have cautious optimism. This squad had let us down waaaaaaaay too many times.

27 Jan 2026 15:22:07
So we just play an EtH team with Carrick as manager and everything will be okay? Hogwash

What if casemiro, mainoo, get injured?

Will shaw stay fit? we have some cover in other areas. And perhaps enough to cover shaw. But in midfield we are not deep at all. And ugarte, the only cover, has been poor.

27 Jan 2026 16:52:16
Think malacia has to stay now dorgu is injured he's an option at left back.

27 Jan 2026 20:41:21
Dorgu is not a defender.

27 Jan 2026 22:39:02
Neither is Malacia 😆.

27 Jan 2026 22:52:34
Too true Eric, too true!