11 Aug 2026 22:45:23
Really looking forward to the game tomorrow and any Irish man will tell you this is a huge occasion for all Irish people, a hugely historic occasion for the whole nation and this fantastic venue. 85,500 sell out. Leeds also have a big fan base in Ireland.
We will hopefully see the fans all together across the stadium sitting together wearing opposing colours. Parents with children and football fans enjoying the game.
There will be areas for one club only fans. I'm hoping the United fans have "hill 16" at one end of the ground.
It's standing terrace for GAA matches but might be seated tomorrow; I've no idea.
Hoping to see the new boys play and for the late comers to get some sort of run out.
The only downside for me is I suspect mins will be harder to come by for the younger lads. Lacey Fletchers and JJ may see themselves squeezed out by Cunha, Bruno, Tielemans who all need to catch up. Not to mention Mainoo, Rashford and Martinez who might get a run.
Mount not in as a precaution. I heard. ?
12 Aug 2026 09:53:15
Nice one, Ken. I assume the opposite, more younger players today, and more first team regulars against Milan on Saturday. Either way, I hope you enjoy the match!
12 Aug 2026 10:58:12
Ken, I think the Fletchers and JJ might not get a run out, but from the noises coming out of the club I think Lacey is due to have more of an impact this season.
Supposedly, Mbeumo told Cunha that Lacey was the most impressive player during pre-season when Cunha returned and asked how pre-season was going.
Along with other snippets and comments made by people in and around the club, he's also been given consistent minutes by Carrick and seems very much a part of the thinking in attack this season.
That said, it'll be interesting to see where he plays and how much football he gets. At youth level he often played from the right-hand side in attack, but that's probably the toughest position to break into in the first team right now with both Mbeumo and Amad typically playing in that position. Although Carrick has played him almost exclusively in Bruno's No.10 position during pre-season, that is another position that might be hard to break into given Bruno being our captain and his consistency and availability over his United career.
Although saying that, Mbeumo does seem to be the de facto cover up front for Sesko, which might free up some minutes on the right, while this might be the season where we have to start managing Bruno's minutes to keep getting the best from him. He turns 32 in September, and his style of play is intense. We will also be looking to play an extra 15-20 games this season, along with international travelling commitments. Taking Bruno off for the final 15-20 minutes in games where we are a couple of goals to the good might be a good way for Lacey to pick up some minutes, while keeping Bruno fresh. I don't think Bruno is the kind of player where you'll need to rest him for entire games, but by taking him off a little early once a week will help to limit him burning out.