Manchester United Banter 4

06 Jun 2026 12:37:24
Reading an article on Lou Macari today, whilst sipping an ice cold Mythos by the pool in Greece.

Obviously there was nothing in it I didn't know already as regards his sterling work to help the homeless over the years.

But my question is, how on earth has that great man never received any official recognition for his work?

In an era where knighthoods are given out willynilly for far less, Lou hasn't even received a lowly CBE.

Unless he's indicated he wouldn't want an official state honour, and that's fair enough, how can that possibly be?

06 Jun 2026 19:20:38
Good question, Stevie. He's a saint. It's bizarre he hasn't been recognised for his work outside football. It shows what a nonsense the honours system is, an anachronism we need to move on from.

07 Jun 2026 07:35:31
I lived on the same road as Lou when I was younger, and when he came to United, I never saw him. However, his charity work is legendary. Perhaps he has the "wrong" political opinion, so he will not be considered? There can't be many explanations, because I agree, Nou, Lou deserves recognition.

06 Jun 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Seano_ has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool Squad Assessment and Summer Priorities

05 Jun 2026 19:55:39
Listening to Berada's interview by Andy Mitten, it's clear he gets it. None of us know what the future has in store but we can rest assured that the new management team is working hard and professionally towards the right goals, in particular footballing excellence in keeping with the traditions of the club along with fiscal responsibility. This is not an executive team that's going to shrink away from hard decisions, as painful as they may be/already have been. It's all in pursuit of the necessary investments both to win trophies, improve the facilities and the fan experience.

The management team can't magic away the debt. That's down to the owners. The best they can do is produce profits/+ve cash flow to help reduce it. It was interesting to note a report in Bloomberg that some of the Glazer family are investigating how they can reduce or sell their stakes.

Why would they have any desire to remain as shareholders if the club is not appreciating in value and/or not paying dividends? Joel and Avram have Board roles so it's a different proposition for them. They won't want the family holdings diluted to the extent that they lose control. So you would think it would be a total sell out or nothing at all. They're already down to 49% overall, 69% of the voting stock.

Meanwhile the transfer window opens in 10 days, not before the World Cup, which is going to take 6 weeks this time around. It's hard to see how too many major transfers are going to be completed before top players start coming home. I guess we're going to be mired in a lot of speculation, most of it repetitious clickbait, until then.

06 Jun 2026 00:23:31
I think you may be a little naive there, buddy. Don't drink the cool aid.

The Glazers are going to make billions more by holding until after the stadium is built, and the club has bled as dry as possible. They will not be letting go until at least then. It would take a ridiculous offer.

European league will come at some point, Utd will only grow in value, and the fans have shown they will put up with anything.



What has Barada done that has been good? We are losing primary choices for players to rivals and other clubs. He has made more money off fans at the stadium. Might bring out an extra kit next year. Mitten will get a nice interview and some exclusives for putting out a soft glow up for Barada. That is all it was.

06 Jun 2026 02:24:02
They will be dead before a new stadium is built. Unless they get investors to come in, there is no chance a spade will be dug in the ground in the next 10 years.

06 Jun 2026 07:36:32
New name

"The best they can do is produce profits/+ve cash flow to help reduce it."

The Glazers are not reducing the debt though. Profit would let them pay dividends to themselves, potentially increasing the Net Worth of the business marginally. The debt is just sitting there. Stop kidding yourself. This is only about what the Glazers want to take out. Very likely the leeches have set Ratcliffe and hence Berrada an objective to be profitable so they can keep taking dividends.

It must have been tough for them in recent times to manage the upkeep of the mansions and yachts they have bought on the back of a northern working people's football club without precious millions in dividends. They even had to sell shares to keep going.

Do you think taking millions in dividends helps us?

06 Jun 2026 13:05:49
I'm no fan of the Glazers, and haven't been since day one. I've not had a nice thing to say about them. The LBO was an abomination and should never have been allowed. Their appointment and retention of Woodward was a disaster for the club. I'm no fan of Ratcliffe either.

The only naivete here is being shown by those who think investors should not be in it to make money, and resent them when they do. United is a public company. Why would I, you, or an institutional investor buy shares without the hope that they would appreciate in value and/or pay dividends? Any other reason is a vanity, whether it's one share or the whole club.



What I'm concerned about as a fan is the quality of the executives, who, as I wrote, have limited control over the level of debt, but have the responsibility for the product on the pitch. If Berada and his team get us back to competing seriously for and winning titles, and, preferably, playing exciting football on the way, it will not concern me one jot if the owners make out like banshees. As of now it's not Berada's fault if our lack of profitability and existing debt prevents us from spending £100m+ on individual players.

07 Jun 2026 00:22:43
Spot on, newname.

As a fan, I am really only concerned with how the team performs on a football pitch.

Two caveats, though...... I find it offensive and upsetting when loyal members of staff, who have worked at the club (sometimes for many years), are sacked whilst huge dividends are paid out and under performing players still get mega salaries.



Secondly, I hate that us working class fans are being asked ever increasing amounts for tickets to matches, and being priced out of attending.

07 Jun 2026 07:42:59
Newname

"The only naivete here is being shown by those who think investors should not be in it to make money."

Tell me exactly how much the Glazers have invested in the club at any time? I can tell you, zero, not one cent. Show me any time they have invested in the club.

I don't believe City owners take out a penny, nor, I bet, will Newcastle.

I hope Ratcliffe doesn't take dividends out of respect to the fans who pay hard earned money, and a lot of it. I have no issue whatsoever if Ratcliffe makes money on his investment in terms of asset value; at least he did put money on, however it was done (via Ineos?).

07 Jun 2026 12:05:35
I think there is a very clear difference between the people running the club and the people who own the club.

While ultimately the owners get the final say in club decisions, the problem we had previously is that the ownership was solely under the Glazers who had little to no interest in the clubs success beyond how much money it could make them. As such they left the running of the club down to those people who would ensure they got a return on their "investment".

The hiring of Ed Woodward for example was just full blown cronyism, they didn't even try to hide it and said in the statement of his hiring about how much he helped to owners previously.

That was not a hiring for the club but one for the owners.

Since INEOS have come in they at the very least seems to be doing things the right way. Initially people they knew came in to judge the lay of the land and to advise on what they saw and what would need to be put in place to fix the issues. People like Blanc and Brailsford for example could have easily have been given long term roles if they wanted to have "their" people in charge of the day to day running. Likewise Sir Jim and Dave Brailsford's close previous connections to Southgate could have got him the managers position.

Yet none of that happened, they've interviewed the best candidates and hired who they thought was best placed to run the club well. Not every hiring has worked out (no one every gets every decision right), and I'm sure there will be times when they need to replace people again in the future.

Yet they've seemed to manage to get a good blend of people, Berada, Wilcox, and Vivell seem to have a good balance and grasp of what is needed. They will of course make mistakes, but they are at least trying to make the club successful on the pitch.

The way they are clearing the squad of deadwood or those who just don't fit what we want to be. They way they have made a clear idea of they types of players we should be signing and how we are scouting and profiling targets, as well as how they are working to line them up. Whole club thinking, not just about this season with this manager, but future seasons under potentially different managers, how youth players fit in with potential first team signings.

Ultimately just being run as a proper football club.

The owners are a whole different matter, ultimately whether it's the Glazers or INEOS (Sir Jim) they will have their own agendas and ideas. They will want something from the club. What is important to remember is that the owners, just like the players and the managers, are just temporary custodians, they own the club for now, but they won't own it forever. Maybe the next owners will be better, or maybe they will be worse, who knows.

Personally, though I'm just happy that the club is being run as a football club again. Ultimately I'm here to enjoy the football, which I can say I am, and I feel hopeful again that we are on a pathway that will lead to future success. How long that takes I don't know, but it feels like we are at least heading in the right direction.

05 Jun 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - BlueNose1878 has posted a new article entitled, Everton Must Plan Properly If Ndiaye Goes

04 Jun 2026 18:52:00
Question really aimed at the people who are not convinced by Carrick but for all to answer.

What does Michael Carrick need to do to fully win you over as manager? And if United were to win the league playing a pragmatic, results-first style similar to Arsenal's title-winning approach, would you be satisfied with that, or is the style of football more important than the success? I'm just wondering what the line is for whether he is viewed as the correct decision for fans?

04 Jun 2026 19:14:59
Ports, imo, he has to keep doing what he has been doing. Winning football matches and improving players.
He is on a very steep learning curve. He has done as well as he possibly could have up to now, imo. With the players he has had at his disposal.
He has earned his opportunity.
I honestly think it could go either way for him. He will have an improved squad to work with.
He has had the media behind him so far; how he will cope with the bumps in the road ahead is unknown.
I think we will know after a dozen games next season in the league what our style of play is and will be.
We were counter attacking a lot, but it can be argued that suited the players we had.
With better midfielders available, that will change, I'm sure.
We were nothing like Arsenal, and we played some good stuff in games at times.


I'm not sitting on the fence; I'm 100% behind him and 100% hopeful. I'm just not overconfident.
He has lots to prove, and will have many questions to answer as games go by. All I do know is that he has answered every question put to him so far.
I like to go on what we do know and not what we don't; that's always a good place to start. We do know nobody won more points than United over the last 16 games. I think only 2 teams scored more goals. There is not much to complain about there.
Iraola will be who he will be judged against for many, as some believe he might have been available to United.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds. I think it will be more open than ever.

04 Jun 2026 19:16:29
I want to see a clear and more dominant style of play. I want to see how he reacts in difficult situations, because that's the criteria sometimes. Until now, he has not had a crisis, and all was good. That, and results, need to continue being good. I think the style of play is more important than results, because if you play well, with clear patterns, results will follow anyway.

On the other hand, even if results are good, without playing good football, the form will fade sometime.
I don't think we can make an Arsenal anyway, we don't have the structure or the base. We don't have Rice, Maggalaes or Saliba.

04 Jun 2026 20:27:30
He has to show some evidence that his management and coaching results in positive impacts on the pitch.

My main issue is that our best football, under Carrick, was played during his first month in charge. Yes, we must give him credit for picking the right players and allowing them play with freedom. He did everything right to get the squad back to playing their best post-Amorim.

However, the true test of a manager's worth is measured by longer term improvements. Carrick hasn't shown this.

As the season progressed, the level of performances didn't really improve, even if the results were, broadly, good.

Particularly with attacking play, there wasn't much evidence of Carrick's impact. It often felt like the primary strategy was to give the ball to Bruno and hope that he creates something. In games when this wasn't working (Leeds and Sunderland, for example), there didn't appear to be any plan B, and, in general, Carrick seems slow to react when the opposition is controlling things.

04 Jun 2026 23:29:18
I think who he signs will be the biggest factor in determining how he does. If he gets a centre back, another midfielder and a centre forward, all of his choice and of high quality, he has a good chance to succeed.

He was a top player and I believe he wants to play attacking, flowing football, replicating the Fergie years.

He knows the supporters don't want boring football. I will forgive his relative lack of managerial experience and some bad results if I can see a clear plan which looks like it will bring long term results. We have to back him and give him the confidence to succeed.

05 Jun 2026 07:02:34
1. Clear style that is modern in approach, that brings good, winning, controlling, attacking, attractive football. Counter attack is not good enough. 2. Must demonstrate greater tactical sense, more dominant approach. Better use of width. Better control of midfield.
3. Better integration of youth. His handling of Heaven was very poor last year. Even in the last couple of games, he didn't really give any chances to youth.


4. Improved in-game management. His substitutions were not well timed and lacked verve at times. He seemed indecisive to change things tactically at times.
5. Finish no lower than third, must challenge the top two properly.
6. Win something.
Maybe I can then concede he should get a second season. I hope he does all the above because, whilst I feel he was the wrong choice, I want him to succeed, because the club succeeds.

05 Jun 2026 07:35:42
Win s***.

05 Jun 2026 08:12:59
1. Performances that match the results we have had - there has been too much luck for me so far.

2. Evidence of a plan B - in the games where we stuttered, Carrick was too slow and lacked invention to change the game.

05 Jun 2026 08:19:06
Wow, Red Man, I take that as you saying you've decided that Carrick shouldn't have the job and will not be changing that view.

I'd argue maybe only Pep achieved those 6 things last season, and even then there's a question mark over his use of youth players. Arteta (who I can't stand) won the league and only ticks a couple of those things off the list.

For what it's worth, I think we have to accept that there will be bumps in the road.

Qualifying for the Champions League again, good cup runs, and actually looking like a team that understands what Manchester United is actually about will be enough for me next season. Ideally, winning something is the aim, but realistically there are only 4 competitions and I think we all agree that there are teams in a much better condition than we are at the moment.

05 Jun 2026 10:09:42
Having a good start is crucial, not only for team confidence, but also for his own. If not, then the snipers will start shooting, the back stabbers will be out, ie the press/media are in waiting to slaughter him.

Results are the main factor, style will come with confidence, and to be up and ready is a must.

For him to have a chance, then this transfer window is huge. We need a much deeper squad, we need players stepping up, and if not in the team, then knocking and really pushing to be in the team.



If we have that good start and there becomes a buzz around how we do, then it could be a very good season for Carrick and the fans. A poor, slow start and we maybe start talking about what could and should have been, and the 'I told you so' gang will be in full swing.

05 Jun 2026 10:32:37
I think we need to see a team that plays well. We've seen it in patches, but we've also seen some very poor performances, despite the good results. Carrick apparently wants to play fast attacking football, which would be good to see.

He keeps finding ways to win, which is always useful. I'm hoping he uses more players next season as the squad is strengthened, and we have more games to manage.



I'd also like to see a bit more oomph from Carrick. I welcome the calmness and lack of drama, but he needs to get passionate sometimes.

We need to solidify what we achieved this year, whilst going further in the cup competitions, and we need to not lose to Grimsby.

05 Jun 2026 10:39:48
AA80,

What has changed, apart from his appointment, since I said clearly that I didn't believe Carrick had the qualifications to be United manager?
The OP question was, what would convince me, and I set that out. This is Manchester United. Why would I say 5th is ok? That answer would only be if I was previously comfortable with an ex player being put in charge because he was an ex player.



He has to show he is of the calibre to be the man, for example people said 2nd wasn't good enough for Jose. Carrick has it all to prove, hope he does but suspect it will be difficult given his experience. We shall see.

05 Jun 2026 12:59:19
All he has to do is get them playing like they did against the Bertie's at home. Simple.

05 Jun 2026 15:18:36
I've been very critical of Arsenal this season when it comes to the way they play, but ultimately, they won the league and made it to the Champions League final, in which they narrowly missed out on the trophy. I'm going to go ahead and assume that most of their fans are happy.

In an ideal world, we'd win trophies playing attractive football, but if we win a few playing Arsenal-style anti-football, I'm sure most of us (including myself) wouldn't be complaining, assuming the plan was to transition into a less pragmatic style over the next few windows.

The issue comes if we play terrible football and still win nothing.

05 Jun 2026 17:02:58
Win the treble.

05 Jun 2026 18:01:10
Redman: "Shoot cannon balls from his arse and lasers from his eye balls. Maybe then I will consider giving him a second season."

Tough man to please.

06 Jun 2026 00:31:07
Why did you not have any of that criteria for Amorim, Redman?

06 Jun 2026 07:23:42
Ken,

Amorim already had a CV that showed he could do it.

06 Jun 2026 08:46:54
In Portugal.

Translated well.

06 Jun 2026 09:08:38
Red Man, this is the reason I asked the question. Some of your points are developmental objectives and some are achievement objectives. You're effectively saying, "Develop the team for the future while simultaneously delivering elite present-day results." This is a pretty tough expectation.

Attractive, controlling, attacking football vs "Win something" and "Finish no lower than third." If Carrick finishes third and wins a cup through a more pragmatic approach, would that count as success? Your criteria suggest no. If he plays excellent football but finishes fourth, that also seems to fail.

"Better integration of youth" vs. "Finish no lower than third." The safest route to a top-three finish is normally relying on experienced players. You're essentially asking for, More youth minutes.

More attacking football. Better results than last season. Those can coexist, but each objective makes the others harder.

So my question is this, Red Man, Choice 1 - Carrick wins the League and FA Cup playing Maguire and Martinez all season and setting up to have less possession than the opposition or Choice 2, we set up with Heaven and Yoro, we dominate possession and are enjoyable to watch and finish 4th but have no cup. Which are you chosen for the first season that would make you accept a 2nd season for Carrick? Because, personally, I'm not sure all your criteria can be achieved in his first season. I appreciate and agree a bit with substitutions and at times in game management could be improved, but then those two areas will also determine the above outcomes.

06 Jun 2026 09:11:50
Also, you say better integration of youth. Mainoo didn't start a game in the league this season until Carrick became manager, so your criticism of that area is slightly misjudged.

06 Jun 2026 09:30:54
Ports,
Mainoo is hardly "youth", is he?

06 Jun 2026 09:42:52
Ports

Let's see what happens. I am there to be convinced, but failing at Championship Boro means he has an awful lot to prove. There will be objectives set for him by Berrada and co, against which he will be assessed. If you understand management, then you will know they will not, nor should they be easy. Those were my thoughts above & let's see how he gets on. I hope he succeeds in all, but suspect he won't. I don't get to make the judgement on his continuation, but I have my expectations of him and the club.

Not long ago, people were on here saying getting second wasn't good enough. Now it looks like 4th would be ok. The reason can only be because of who Carrick is, the 'one of our own' nonsense. That's setting him up to be satisfactory in failure. Like I said, that is how I feel and see how he performs. I want us to win everything, but Carrick has no history. He has been appointed, so there is nothing much to say other than wait and see.

06 Jun 2026 11:21:22
If you understand management, then you'll also know objectives need to be realistic and achievable, based off your start point, the resources you have, and a set timeframe.

06 Jun 2026 13:43:58
Ports,

Held senior management positions, and you have to be naive if you think all objectives are realistic or sometimes even achievable. Timeframe is relevant, I agree. But, whilst I am not setting Carrick's, is it not true the club have the clear objective to win the league in 2028? In order to do that, Carrick has to get us to the challenger point at the end of this next season, with a view to win it the season after.

No point in giving soft objectives in that case, is there?

06 Jun 2026 15:07:14
But that's the point, Red Man. We may win the league next season or the following. But will we win it the way you, and, to be fair, the majority of fans, want to win it, or will we win it the "Arsenal" way. But that way doesn't satisfy your point 1.

For what it's worth, everything you've said, I would love to happen, as I am sure the majority of fans would, but there has to be a realistic approach to what can and can't be achieved here in the short term.

Which is why I asked the question originally about what Carrick needs to do to convince people he's the right guy. Maybe I should have followed that up with to meet the club's objective of winning the league in 2028.

04 Jun 2026 15:01:47
I messaged some time ago saying that I thought Van Hecke of Brighton would be worth looking at this summer. Others disagreed. But if Spurs bid of 70M is true, that is certainly way too high. The rationale is that he's the centre of a lot of their progressive plays like Lisandro Martinez is for us.

But either way if Spurs are setting the bar that high, I hope we do our business quickly before it goes any higher!

04 Jun 2026 16:55:56
Don't think Spurs have bid £70m for Van Hecke; that is the supposed valuation Brighton have put on him.

One thing we have seen over recent seasons is that, when it comes to negotiations, Brighton are very hard to deal with.

They still want a lot for Baleba, despite his form this season.

Mind you, Van Hecke is a very good player. We shall see what happens there.

04 Jun 2026 17:27:34
Absolutely crazy money, if it turns out to be true. He is a quality player, but 70 million for a centre back is crazy.

04 Jun 2026 17:41:21
Would you not pay £70m for another Rio or Vidic? I would.

04 Jun 2026 17:54:43
I believe he has one year left, so the price is ridiculous, as he could leave on a free in a year.

04 Jun 2026 18:25:12
Vidic and Rio are hard to find. Salford, look what we paid for Maguire and how that worked out, but definitely, if we could find one, it'd be a no brainer.

04 Jun 2026 19:17:56
I've said before on here that I would love to sign Nico Schlotterbeck, think he is that type of player, tall, strong, athletic, very quick, very strong in the air, good tackler and good on the ball.

I would happily pay £80m for him. He has recently signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund, but there is a release clause of approx.

EUR60m for certain clubs. Don't think we are on the list of 'chosen ones' though.

Worth trying a big bid and see what happens, although don't expect anything to come of it. What the hell!

04 Jun 2026 19:19:27
The BBC article has since been edited. It erroneously said the initial bid was 70m, and now just states that Brighton value him at 70m. I think he's good enough, even if only one year on his contract, to pay up to 40-50m on, but that 70m figure floored me!

04 Jun 2026 23:31:30
Maguire has actually proved to be a good buy. Went through a difficult time, but worked his way back into the team, and overall has been pretty solid. Scored lots of important goals too. Overpriced at £80m, but that's not his fault.

{Ed077's Note - he's not a good buy because as you said, he was overpriced ( massively in my view ). But, he's dealt with the situation really well in the past couple of years.

06 Jun 2026 09:52:30
Awful buy.

03 Jun 2026 21:26:38
I'm a massive fan of Alex Scott. He really reminds me of Luka Modric in style. I know that Ederson, M. Fernandes and Scott aren't the huge name signings many of us wanted, but all three of them raise our midfield ceiling massively right away, and two of the three have Huge potential to improve dramatically in their time at OT. If we can get all three for circa £130m (£35m Ederson, £50m Fernandes and £45m Scott) and that gives us budget to sign Lewis Hall, I'm all for it.

The one concern will be us aerially, as none are dominant there. But we'd bloody well keep the ball, which would be nice. Especially if then the Rashford, Ugarte, Zirkzee sales can bring in a further signing or two. Some kind of Zirkzee/Leao swap, perhaps?

04 Jun 2026 00:05:18
Luka's a good shout. I was going to say a bit of the Paul Scholes about him. Obviously he's at the beginning of his career and has a long way to go. But his ability to draw players to him, turn away from danger, angled, short passes, long passes and shooting.

He may be a cracking player if he keeps developing. Could him, Mainoo and Bruno play in the same midfield? I don't know, but maybe.

Lots of rumors to come, just getting started for the summer. I doubt any of us are guessing the right players at this stage.

04 Jun 2026 08:33:27
Hopefully Onana can be sold as well.

04 Jun 2026 08:59:36
I wouldn't trust Onana to pick up the cones after training!

04 Jun 2026 10:52:50
Personally, don't mind Alex Scott, although she's certainly a better pundit than footballer.

04 Jun 2026 11:55:52
I would be well happy with Scott, Ederson and Fernandes.
Some really good options and add Mainoo to that as well.
We would be proper stocked up on that area.

06 Jun 2026 14:52:55
I would like to add Gibbs-White or Rogers to that list. Both could cover the left, (or right side for that matter), side of the attack, or cover Bruno with the extra games next season. Premier League proven, physical and versatile.

03 Jun 2026 14:49:58
I know there have been many posts on transfers, so please forgive one more. And I also know real life is not like a game of FIFA. But if I was handed control of transfers for United this summer, this is what I would do.

I’ve tried to keep this realistic. It’s been suggested a few times there could be around £250m to spend, so I’ll stick around that area.

Left Back -
Need somebody with energy to get up and down the pitch. Shaw can’t do that anymore. And Dorgu isn’t great at left back.

Raum from Leipzig - £30m. Entering the last year of his contract. Loads of energy and gets crosses into the box. I’d like Lewis Hall here, but likely to be hard to get out of Newcastle.

Midfield -
Ederson - £35m (done deal apparently). But would be a rotation player for me.

Tonali - £90m. Headline midfield signing as first choice next to Mainoo. League experience, fairly young, lots of energy and skill. Would prefer Anderson, but he’s off to City.



Hackney - £25m. Last year of his contract. Carrick knows him, could be a future star.

Left Wing -
I think we need some serious talent here. Cunha is great, but he’s not a left winger. Need a player that can scare the right back and push them back and beat them.

Barcola - £80m. Very fast and skilful and adds width to the team. And comes from a team where you are expected to work hard.

Striker -
Lewandonski - Free. Only a short term option, the team needs another striker and he adds experience and someone for Sesko to learn from.

That adds up to £260m.

If there are some player sales I’d add another centre back. Someone like Lacroix from Palace. Fast and knows the league, and he can defend.

Bit of fun, and possibly unlikely. But that’s what I’d be doing. There will be plenty of lesser known players out there that could be great signings, but I don’t have access to tons of data and scouting info modern day teams do.

03 Jun 2026 17:16:47
Don't apologise, Fallguy, your opinions are as equally as valid as any others on here. That, after all, is the very nature and basis of this site.

Just remember the only opinion that really matters is mine. 😂😂😂

03 Jun 2026 17:18:15
This sounds like the conversations I am having at home with my 13 year old. I will be surprised if anyone gets this spot on, as I expect some left-field options from Germany (Vivel contacts) or France. Here is what I would like:

Left Back - Lewis Hall would be my pick, and would add real attacking threat, either inverted or overlapping. He is press resistent, and would lock up the position for years. £60.

Midfield - We are not getting Anderson or Tchouameni, so it is Tonali as the next top option (£80m), and I would package the deal up with Hall if Newcastle are up for it. Ederson already in (£35), and I would then go for Fernandes (£60m), who could end up moving into Bruno's place long term.



Left Wing - I think, with Cunha and Dorgu, who I want to see progress into a Semenya type, we have this area covered.

Striker - Let's see if we can get a deal for Ramos at PSG on loan with an option to buy. I have always liked him, and if he can get back to his best, he is a clinical, dynamic, and relentless worker. Between him and Sesko, we would have a good pair.

Outgoings can help to fund additional positions, along with bringing in some of the youth players (Lacey and Tyler Fletcher appear most ready).

03 Jun 2026 18:14:13
Lewandowski - Free

Why the hell not. He'll get goals and show Sesko how to do it. He only needs to play for 20 minutes a game.

03 Jun 2026 20:24:10
It's Lewy or Vlahovic on a free.

03 Jun 2026 20:27:47
I meant to add, I'd rather have Lewy on a free.

03 Jun 2026 22:15:31
Lewy on high wages for a season would be fantastic. He looks super fit, and his workload needn't be overtaxing, sharing with Sesko. I think his presence alone in the squad is a fault basis. He brings know-how, big-game experience, and goals.
Is it out of strategy? I'm sure we would all agree it is. But opportunities sometimes present themselves that are worth the risk.


Only he knows if he has one more season at EPL and CL tempo in him, and if he wants to put himself under pressure.
15m+ for one season is the ask, no doubt he will want 2 years. So, it would be a huge part of the budget, and for that reason I don't see it happening.

04 Jun 2026 05:29:44
I can't see Lewandowski happening simply because his wages will be enormous. Though perhaps he would be happy to accept more reasonable wages for a crack at the Premier League (and Champions League) at arguably the biggest club in the country. It would be pretty cool to have played for Bayern, Barcelona, and United.



We should've signed Lewandowski in 2013 though, before he joined Bayern on a free transfer in 2014. At that point, though, we had Van Persie and Rooney, and we were looking to strengthen the midfield more than sign a new forward.

04 Jun 2026 05:59:16
Also, it might be real life, but when United potentially have £300 million to spend in one window, being Sporting Director at United this summer, and potentially next summer, might feel somewhat like playing FIFA.

Personally, I would go for Elliot Anderson, Matheus Fernandes, and Ederson for midfield. That would probably cost around £180-200 million. Obviously, Anderson looks more likely to join City at the moment, so if we can't sign Anderson, I would be happy with Tchouameni or Carlos Baleba instead. And if for any reason we can't sign Fernandes, I would be happy with Tonali or Lamine Camara from Monaco.

Left back would be next priority, and Lewis Hall and Nathaniel Brown from Frankfurt would be my top two picks in that order. Hall would probably cost £60 million, and Brown probably £30-40 million.

Left wing would perhaps be a luxury, but could make a massive difference in chance creation and help balance the team. Bradley Barcola and Iliman Ndiaye would be my top two picks in that order, though Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig would be fantastic if available for a somewhat reasonable price, though he looks more likely to join Liverpool.



We could also do with fresh faces at centre back and centre forward, though this will depend on whether we prioritise these positions over left wing. Goncalo Ramos on loan for a season could be an astute option, and Nico Schlotterbeck would be my first choice at centre back, though he has signed a new deal at Dortmund.

Ideal window:
Elliot Anderson - £80-100 million
Matheus Fernandes - £60 million
Ederson - £30-40 million
Lewis Hall - £60 million
Iliman Ndiaye - £60 million

More realistic might look like:
Matheus Fernandes - £60 million
Carlos Baleba - £60 million
Ederson - £30-40 million
Iliman Ndiaye - £60 million
Nathaniel Brown - £30-40 million
Nico Schlotterbeck - £50 million

Likewise, I think there will at least 1 or 2 surprises, and I certainly don't expect we will sign Anderson or Schlotterbeck, and Barcola would shock me somewhat too. But it is certainly fun to ignore reality for a while.

03 Jun 2026 14:31:26
I think next season will be tough on the promoted teams.
Promoted teams often struggle, although only one went down lady session in Burnley with Sunderland having an amazing season and Leeds were safe with plenty of games to spare.
Coventry, Hull and Ipswich all look very light to me.


I don't see any of them doing what Sunderland did this season.
I'd like to see West Ham come straight back up.
Usually there's a team that falls into that dog fight that you don't expect. I wonder who it will be next season. Maybe one of the 3 that lost their manager recently.

03 Jun 2026 15:58:27
I'm not so sure, Ken.

I think that Sunderland have given promoted teams a template to succeed. For a few seasons, the promoted teams tried to play Pep style football and weren't good enough. Sunderland showed how being a bit more pragmatic can work. I can see the newly promoted sides focusing on being difficult to beat, rather than trying to play beautiful football.

03 Jun 2026 17:02:23
Think it could all depend on their incomings this summer.

Sunderland did particularly well on that front last year, so much so that a number of their players are now looked upon with envious eyes by others.

Think the fates of the new boys will be pretty much decided by the end of the transfer window.

03 Jun 2026 23:59:42
I genuinely thought Sunderland and Leeds would stay up this year.

I didn't see Sunderland do as well as they did.

I honestly can't see any of the promoted teams staying up this season. Maybe Coventry at a pinch.

02 Jun 2026 20:01:14
So another Manager choosing to leave their club.

Marco Silva leaving Fulham, shame really they have been a good team for a few years now, have always liked them as used to work close to the ground.

Seems to be the way of things, Glasner, Iriola and now Silva.



Suppose they think jump before the eventual push comes. Good idea, as they can arrange a new job from a position of strength. Seems Silva strongly linked with Benfica. Good luck to him.

03 Jun 2026 09:45:43
We have seen it so many times with quality managers at clubs like that before. All too many stayed another 2 years and faded away.

03 Jun 2026 14:51:43
Shame for the league to lose another good manager getting a good tune out of Fulham. Silva probably feels that, with all the movement this year at us, City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, without him getting too much of a look, he may as well go to a big club in another league.



Benfica are a good club and could be seen as a long-term stepping stone to show he can handle the pressure that comes with a club this size and expectant fan base.