Manchester United Banter

29 Oct 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 8 - Quick Round Up

28 Oct 2026 09:49:11
The communication from Manchester United is an absolute disgrace.

From the silence on Sunday to the stories emerging now, what exactly is going on at this football club?
Is Michael Carrick backed by the club or isn't he? It really shouldn't be that difficult to answer.

Last night, we're hearing that the club wants the players to take responsibility. If that's genuinely the position, then come out and say it. Make a statement backing Carrick, make it clear where the responsibility lies, and stop leaving the fans to piece together the club's position through media leaks.

The fans have backed Carrick. They've made their feelings clear. That support deserves to be acknowledged, not left hanging while the club hides behind silence.
Then we have the stories suggesting the club can't afford to sack him. Whether that's true or not, it's another absolute mess. In my opinion, those stories have potentially made Carrick's job twice as difficult. What message does that send to the players? What message does it send to the fans? Some will now believe he's only in the job because the club can't afford to get rid of him, rather than because the people running Manchester United genuinely believe he's the right man.

And now we have stories about Ratcliffe considering the positions of Wilcox and Berrada. On the face of it, that sounds encouraging, because accountability needs to start at the top. But forgive me for being cynical. Given the reaction from fans on Sunday, I can't help wondering whether this is simply another PR exercise designed to appease supporters rather than a genuine attempt to address the problems at the club.

That's the problem with Manchester United right now. Every decision, every leak and every supposed change in direction creates more questions than answers.

This club is an embarrassment, both on the football side and in the way it communicates with its own supporters.

The fans deserve honesty. Carrick deserves clarity. The players need to know where they stand. And those running the club need to start acting like they understand the responsibility that comes with their positions.

Back Carrick publicly, or make the decision to move him on. Explain what's happening behind the scenes and take responsibility for the situation you've created.
Enough with the silence, the leaks and the apparent attempts to manage the PR fallout.

Manchester United is supposed to be one of the biggest football clubs in the world. Right now, it can't even communicate a clear message to its own supporters.

Absolute shambles.

28 Oct 2026 09:58:49
Great post Ports.

28 Oct 2026 10:08:19
Agreed the latest communication from the club is laughable, Carrick is backed until Saturday.

I know managers do get into a position where their status is "week to week" or "game to game" but pretty farcical for the club to actually admit it.

I mean what happens if by some miracle the ball goes in off someones backside and we beat Chelsea, Carricks safe until another loss?

28 Oct 2026 14:17:15
Is SJR is seriously considering changing management, you are not going to get clear communication about any of it. I think It is encouraging that the Carrick firing was paused, it would have been easy to make him the fall guy.

Hopefully there are changes above Carrick. Then the new team can consider the future. I don't trust the current regime to make these changes, so I welcome change above him. Leading to better future decisions.

We will not get better until we realize where we are. Sticking a bandaid on it and trying to get Europe this season is not necessarily the solution. What is the quickest path back to the top? Let's take that path.

Mcguire, shaw, rashford, dalot, Martinez zirkzee, and others should probably all be leaving on the next 12 months. That is a massive change. Amorim's message jt will get worse before it gets better was right, you have to change half the squad. We need to bring in and develop new leaders. We need young promising players to have time to grow.

I don't think amorim's system was ever a right fit for utd. But I think his personality was bang on. We need to find the right manager to set the standard but with a system that feels more like man utd. Attacking fullbacks, wingers, crosses, passion. Fight, youth given opportunity, success.

This week of silence and dithering could possibly lead to the changes we need at the top, so be patient a little longer.

28 Oct 2026 17:34:59
You're not going to get blow by blow executive updates about what's happening- that'd be farcical.

When there is news to share we will find out.

28 Oct 2026 18:28:29
No one expects that Eric. What I don't expect is complete silence and for the media to decide their own stories.

28 Oct 2026 19:14:32
I understand the fans having some sympathy for Carrick, but let's be honest, the football has been atrocious. Last year against Leeds, the Martinez sending off masked the appauling team performance and the ineptness of Carrick for continuing to play Ugarte.

From my perspective, employ a credidable and proven DOF and manager/head coach. Make it f*****g work!!!

28 Oct 2026 20:39:36
But Ports, what I'm saying is there may be bigger considerations and discussions afoot that mean the club will stay silent until they've made a clear decision.

They're not releasing any press statement saying they've lost faith in the CEO
Or DoF, so they won't sack Carrick until that's sorted. Or if they are seeking a Carrick replacement, they won't say he's staying for a few games until they've made an appointment.

28 Oct 2026 21:33:40
Ports i think Eric is right.
We lost a match on Sunday and on Tuesday it was said Carrick will remain in charge.
What more do you want?

There has been a raft a poor outcomes from the decision making of berada and wilxox. Perhaps sjr it's looking to change them now.
Its a time for calm rational decision making by sjr.
I don't subscribe to the view that he is an idiot and i don't think he got to where he is today by not seeing the obvious. Very critical of the pervious regime for their financial waste he will see what the poor decision making of berada and wilcox is costing. Their waste is undermining all the other good but difficult financial pruning that was needed.

This is just my opinion
Sjr and owners must be calling into doubt the decision making of B&W.
Maybe they have lost his trust he is looking at alternatives and or seeking external advice.
If i'm in his shoes i would be strongly considering not allowing them appoint another manager at this time.

An internal review of their positions needs to be conducted before allowing them to appoint another manager.
I would suggest that B&W are hanging on by the thinnest of threads. SJR does not stand on ceremony and won't suffer fools. Replacing a structure from the top down is harder than from the bottom up.
This is an inflection point in the ineos project and the fact SJR has said nothing tells me that he has a lot to think about.

Would you allow them to pick another manager? So if you don't trust them who is going to make the decision? Changing ceo is huge but add to that your most senior football exec role is massive when unplanned.


It takes out both chains of command above the manager and from the owners perspective it cuts off their chain of command downwards.
When there is something to communicate we will hear but i think silence is good news.

As i always look to the positive and look to the best likely outcomes to any given strategic dilema i'm hoping that there is more afoot. If sjr is considering either of their positions then its the wrong time to sack the manager.
I think we need to remain calm and hope all this gets us a little bounce🤣 I'm not a hopeful on that front.

Its all well saying fire them but in a well oilled machine that's a huge upheaval in a dysfunctional machine it will only make things worse unless its done well.
For those that want everybody fired wilcox berada and carrick and i think most would agree they all should go for one reason or another then who do they appoint? Who makes the decisions? When can we get them?
If sjr is considering their positions then its hugely complex.

I don't know the under structure to Berada too well after wilcox on the football side, where Vivell sits is anybody's guess he appears to be at odds with wilcox so that's a positive.

Carrick is in all likelihood a dead man walking but he might hand the pressure of being the last one out the door if he can get a few results.

28 Oct 2026 23:06:29
Clubs dead!

29 Oct 2026 05:40:04
I'm as frustrated as the rest us over the communication from the club. Particularly as that was something Ratcliffe himself identified as a problem under the previous regime, and was something he was aiming to improve under his stewardship.

However, I also think that in modern society of instant news, and social media our expectations have become unrealistic in terms of the timeline of us being informed about key aspects of the running of our club.

I remember news breaking of a managers sacking BEFORE he was even informed. That is massively unprofessional, and is something that indicates poor management of our club. If the club is being run correctly then there are processes that need to be followed and that means we will have to be patient. As hard as that is.

I think as a fanbase our patience is running out due to the fact that we have been waiting for over 10 years for this successful rebuild of the club. The best way I've found to deal with it is to understand that my level of frustration has absolutely no impact on anything to do with the club, only my personal wellbeing. That doesn't stop me being frustrated, but it reduces the amount of time I stay frustrated for.

The club will tell us what is happening when there is something to say and at the right time. In the meantime all we can do is speculate as to what is happening and why. If that helps you deal with your frustration then great. However, if it only makes you more frustrated then maybe it's best you don't engage with it as it's only negatively impacting your wellbeing and making something you have no control over have a greater effect on your life. Which is unhealthy.

29 Oct 2026 09:15:34
Eric, I think you've completely missed the point of my post, mate. I'm not saying there can't be bigger discussions going on behind the scenes or that the club should announce something before they've made a decision.

The point is the complete lack of communication and the unnecessary circus the club have created through their own silence. There's a massive difference between not having a final decision and leaving everyone, including the manager, players and supporters, guessing about the situation.

Nobody is asking them to publicly announce they've lost faith in the CEO or DoF, or to reveal every conversation taking place behind closed doors, you've only jumped on this point and completely ignored the rest and I used this as an example of the stories that start to come out. But they could easily communicate that a decision on Carrick's future hasn't been made, that he has the club's backing in the meantime, or that discussions are ongoing. Something that provides clarity rather than allowing the media to fill the vacuum with conflicting stories.

Instead, we've got reports that the players need to take responsibility, speculation about whether Carrick is staying or going, stories about the club's finances, and absolutely nothing official to clarify the situation.

And that's before you consider the impact all this speculation has on Carrick himself. If he's staying, the club's silence and the stories surrounding his position have arguably made his job twice as difficult. If he's going, then make the decision and deal with it.

My point isn't that the club must have an answer immediately. It's that their inability to communicate properly is creating a problem that didn't need to exist. That's the criticism, and explaining why they might be staying silent doesn't address it.

29 Oct 2026 09:22:27
Shappy, I think you're missing my point. This isn't about my personal wellbeing or how long I choose to stay frustrated. I'm perfectly capable of switching off from it. It's about the message the club is sending out and the unnecessary media circus they've created through their own lack of communication.

Nobody is expecting instant answers to every decision, nor am I suggesting the club should brief the media before speaking to the people directly involved. Of course, proper processes need to be followed. But there's a massive difference between taking time to make the right decision and allowing a complete vacuum of communication to be filled by endless speculation, conflicting reports and stories about whether Carrick is backed, whether the players are being held accountable, or whether the club simply can't afford to sack him.

The point is that the club has allowed this situation to become a circus when a clear, timely statement could have prevented a lot of the unnecessary noise.

Ratcliffe himself identified communication as a problem under the previous regime, yet here we are again. What exactly has changed?

More importantly, this isn't happening in isolation. We're talking about a club already drowning in negativity, distrust and division. Every day this drags on, it adds another layer of toxicity to an already toxic environment. It creates uncertainty around the manager, gives the media more ammunition, divides the fanbase further and potentially makes Carrick's job even harder before he's even had the chance to get on with it.

What's particularly poor is that Carrick, the individual at the heart of all this, will be the first one facing the media and having to answer questions about the club's stance on him. The people running the club have created this uncertainty, yet he's the one left to deal with the fallout and face the questions they should be answering themselves.

Whether Carrick is staying or going, the club needs to own that decision and communicate it properly. If he's backed, say so. If he isn't, make the decision and move on. Leaving everyone to interpret anonymous briefings and contradictory reports isn't patience or professionalism; it's poor communication.

And that's my issue. Not that I'm frustrated about something I can't control, but that the people running Manchester United continue to create avoidable problems for themselves and the club. We've had over a decade of this nonsense. At some point, accountability has to mean more than simply telling fans to be patient.

28 Oct 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Carrick, Injuries, and United's Bigger Mess

27 Oct 2026 16:33:16
Well, well, I posted on Saturday about the U18s beating Liverpool 6-3 and the performance of young Rooney and also Camacho scoring 4.

We have this afternoon we played Burnley (decent side, don't confuse with their first team) and we beat them 6-0. Camacho scored again and hit the post.

However, boy Rooney did the business again, as he scored 4 of the goals. 1 right foot, 2 left foot and 1 header, (despite being pretty short). He seems to have the tools required.

Mind you a bit of perspective is the fact that daddy Rooney, at the same age, made his first team debut and scored that screamer for Everton against Arsenal. It's easy to forget how good he was!

27 Oct 2026 17:15:22
Rooney was unreal, fantastic player. Could never understand why people thought he didn't reach his potential.

27 Oct 2026 23:09:01
I hope Kai does well but let's not burden him with unnecessary Wayne comparisons.

27 Oct 2026 23:29:08
That was exactly the point Salford.

28 Oct 2026 18:49:20
Dodgy. Wayne was a fabulous player but if I recall correctly even he admitted that he could have been more professional and reached an higher level. Had he been as dedicated to training and diet etc like Ronaldo it would surely have helped him. All that said so wish we had a prime Rooney playing for us now.

27 Oct 2026 14:50:58
I said the other day that our board are so clueless they probably saw the cheering of carrick as a sign that we think he's a good manager and want him to stay might not have been too far off on that. Every time I think we can't get more incompetent they prove me wrong.

27 Oct 2026 16:06:24
No one wants to take over for the next 3 games and can you blame them!
Hopefully SJR also takes the time to replace Wilcox too
But probably wishful thinking but if he is a genuine United supporter he must be considering it.

27 Oct 2026 17:15:14
I think your giving them too much credit mate. Wilcox has to go now his position is untenable.

27 Oct 2026 17:53:20
Tim i'm not sure what you do for a living but surely you realise that there will be reasons for not pulling the trigger now they could be numerous.
The gossip mongers are feeding on the frenzy that is financial. It will be a hit and very unwanted but i don't believe that's the sole reason.
I for one agree with them not jumping on howe conte or naglesmann until they do their due dillegence on securing a preferred long term target like emery or huzlar.
For example if either of those indicate they will come in the summer then they are right to consider their options at the moment.


They could also be considering wilcox future so that's another reason to delay for a bit.
We as fans all think that wilcox should be removed after too many errors so in sure sjr and bareda will be looking at that.
1st job Carrick had to do this week imo is sort out the bruno relationship.
Its a time for cool heads at the top and not making the same knee jerk mistakes they have been making.

27 Oct 2026 18:11:16
Apparently there is infighting between vivell and Wilcox both wanting different managers and teachers pet wilcox seems to be someone Ratcliffe trusts. If Wilcox doesn't go and I don't think he will then Vivell will leave. Heard many stories of Vivell suggesting Targets only for Wilcox to overrule him.

27 Oct 2026 18:15:46
Fair enough Ken, my worry is that if we keep going as we are with carrick then we r in danger of relegation. Ideally we keep him for the season etc but just not sure that's going to be feasible if results continue on the current trend.

27 Oct 2026 19:19:31
98% of things people worry about never happen. Don't be worried about things you can't control Tim.

27 Oct 2026 23:22:31
Agree with your comments Ken. Cool heads required now and we can banter about the inevitable speculation but def not worth getting too heated about it. In that vein.

One hopes that the club do in fact do due diligence and really take their time to get the best man available for the job

If Emery/or ie preferred target has been approached and United been told to wait til the summer that puts the club in a very very dangerous position. The current mess is not for a manager who doesn't have a lot of high level experience. A bad interim manager would condemn the team to relegation.

If this is the case and they have asked Carrick to hold the fort for a while longer the question has to be asked why would anybody expect the team to react positively now when he has already given a long speech before the last disaster against Bournemouth. That speech made no difference to the players performances. Definition of madness is doing the same thing again and again but expecting a different outcome.

Who else could the club approach as am interim manager? Any ideas?

I know this almost sounds like heresy for a United supporter but I might even want someone like Dyche in as an interim manager if we are fighting a relegation battle because he will definitely organise the team defensively.

The other thing is that of there is an interim manager for the rest of the season it's hardly likely that the club will splash the cash in the winter transfer window.