Manchester United banter 7

14 Apr 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Slot, backing, and a big summer rebuild

14 Apr 2026 06:57:12
Simply, Michael Carrick was a coward last night. He set us up using Steve Holland “Southgate” tactics, slow slow slow don’t lose the ball, at home against a lively relegation candidate. Shocking! Team selection negative with Ugarte, lack of drive after a supposed important camp in Ireland. Then Carrick dithered. There should have been subs when we went 2 down; he hesitated. Half time he dithered. Second half he didn’t know what to do, rabbit in the headlights.

How the same team came out second half was beyond me. Boro manager level doesn’t cut it at Utd, so don’t anyone tell me he should get the perm role. If the club have anything gumption, Steve Holland is gone this morning.

One good thing was that maybe, if SJR and Co have anything about them, is to realise they were seeing how Southgate United would look with Steve Holland in the background and run a mile.

14 Apr 2026 07:51:06
I was absolutely appalled at what I saw last night, and for the first time in my life, I gave up on a United game before the end. Actually, I gave up at halftime. I've left the live chat here a couple of times due to some 'children' behaving like nobs, but never left a game. And I've been a lifelong supporter and was travelling the country, home and away, before and during the relegation seasons.

To play walkball like that is beyond criminal, and insults our fan base.

A proper slap in the face to those who fund their wages!

We are at home against Leeds of all teams, and walking about as though we don't care. Does this group not understand the feelings of our supporters with regard to Leeds? We are walking about and getting battered at home by relegation fodder, and G Neville says in commentary, "United have to weather the storm here". Really? Disgraceful performance and attitude by the players and coaches.

UCL football? You're having a laugh!

14 Apr 2026 07:58:11
Shocking performance. Leeds deserved the win.

But got to feel for Paul Tierney's wife if that's considered hair pulling.

14 Apr 2026 09:28:08
Nothing like an overreaction to a defeat, hey, lads.

14 Apr 2026 09:42:58
GDS, read the posts! Not all about 'the defeat' but the attitude and lack of any fire. If you think it's ok to lose in that manner, then you need to give your head a wobble.

14 Apr 2026 09:47:50
A couple of 1000-word essays incoming!

14 Apr 2026 13:09:42
It's not overreaction to comment on managerial incompetence in tactical set-up, motivation, team selection, and lack of in-game management. Shocking and totally unacceptable last night.

14 Apr 2026 17:27:00
It was very poor last night, but Red Man, you are over reacting. Fizz, I would say you're over reacting, but it's pretty standard stuff from you at this stage. ?

We are currently third. Carrick has lost 2 games in his tenure. He has done incredibly well given where we were at the start of his tenure and how we had played the 18 months prior to him taking over.



Let's see where we are at the end of the season, or even how we react v Chelsea at the weekend. Lots to play for.

I would've snapped your hand off a few months ago if you told me we would be sitting third with a few games to go.

15 Apr 2026 07:55:20
Angel, I couldn't care less what you think. Talking "standard stuff", your post is so very predictable. (no laughy cop out).

15 Apr 2026 12:54:34
Yet here you are replying, and then giving your opinion (sigh). You seem really angry or upset for some reason. My words always seem to trigger you. It's only footballing opinions, come on, Fizz.



It's all very OTT above. Let's see where we are in a few weeks. Big game against Chelsea at the weekend, and hopefully we can get back on track. Carrick has done an incredible job so far.

13 Apr 2026 18:06:18
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new video entitled entitled, C U Next Time - The Bouffant Edition}

13 Apr 2026 11:02:12
ED001,

What are your thoughts on Alex Scott?

{Ed001's Note - improved massively under Iraola, previously he was weak and would hold onto the ball too long which caused a number of injuries when he was tackled hard in the Prem. Now he is much better at releasing the ball early and not doing too much on it. However, not convinced he has the quality to step up another level.}

13 Apr 2026 11:59:11
Thanks Ed001

{Ed001's Note - very welcome MH.}

13 Apr 2026 14:48:42
Personally, I think that she's an awful commentator.

13 Apr 2026 18:18:19
She's a presenter so she probably isn't a great commentator.

14 Apr 2026 07:52:53
Gds, thank you. (sigh).

14 Apr 2026 09:51:17
Personality bypass.

13 Apr 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Davey Sulls has posted a new article entitled, Why Iraola Fits Liverpool Better Than Alonso

12 Apr 2026 15:53:19
With it looking like a real possibility that Spurs could get relegated. Are there any of their players worth looking at? Porro, Udogie, MvdV, Romero would all add depth in defence. Whilst Sarr and Bergvall have shown potential at times in midfield.

Personally, I'd like to see us try for MvdV as an upgrade on Martinez. Thoughts?

12 Apr 2026 18:02:55
Only Spurs player I would take is Kudus. Rest of the squad is very average. Richarlison and Romero had potential, but they haven't progressed at all.

12 Apr 2026 20:54:36
Gray, we wanted him before he went there. Versatile.
Maybe Porro, but better available.
Others have major injuries, so discounted for that reason.

12 Apr 2026 21:24:09
Gray, and if he was fit, Maddison.

Vdv have to question his character, but a v g player when fully committed.

12 Apr 2026 21:31:41
I've never understood the Gray hype myself. Hard working and honest sort of player, but I think people get carried away because of his age. I don't see a talent that is going to become a top player. Can see him having a Will Hughes type career - solid prem player.

12 Apr 2026 23:23:01
Solanke would be a good option. I like Bissouma and Sarr too, but all of those I'm thinking of as squad depth options.

13 Apr 2026 01:29:18
Jamham, solid prem players to bulk our squad is what we need.....

13 Apr 2026 08:37:39
None.

13 Apr 2026 08:49:34
Would normally say yes, but considering our gaping hole to fill is in midfield, Spurs midfield has been horrendous for a lot of seasons now, probably since Eric Dier and Dembele days.

Watching Conor Gallagher run around like a technically deficient headless chicken, thank the lord we didnt sign him.

13 Apr 2026 17:16:14
Mvdv, yes, but he is injury prone. Love Romero, as he's a bit of a headcase, but he has Atletico Madrid type player written all over him. No one else, apart from a fit Kulusevski or Kudus, maybe. (But we have Mbeumo and Amad on the front right).

13 Apr 2026 22:05:08
Kulusevski and Gray as squad fillers.

12 Apr 2026 00:51:29
Eds and posters. I too saw Bornmouth against Arsenal, visitors were the best team and i was also impressed with Iraola. That said, although they are in great unbeaten run, recently they weren't great and some results flattered them.
I have two questions: Is there a managers profile for Iraola? Bacause i didn't find one.

And second, because i keep reading that he is like Klopp, is he really the closest to Klopp? Because i think he is a little bit more organised, pragmatic and defensively than the great German. Thank you.

{Ed001's Note - I would say Hoeness was closer, but other than that, yes. Klopp was very organised, that was how he made the press work. It requires a lot of organisation to get it right, which is why so few can get the results he did with it.}

12 Apr 2026 13:11:33.
Iraola has done a phenomenal job at Bournemouth. They aren't a huge team that have the same kind of financial power behind them as many other EPL clubs, but he has got them playing some really good football, especially when you consider that last summer they lost their first choice keeper, both first choice CBs and their LB. This meant they had to replace four of their back five. They also lost a couple of other key players like Ouattara, Billing, Jaiden Anthony and Sinisterra. Then, in January, they lost their best player, and arguably the best player in the league this season, Semenyo.

That's 6 of their first-choice players from last season gone, along with another 3 who were regular players.

That's a lot of disruption, and yet they've managed to ride that out fairly well.



Imagine if this summer we lost Lammens, Dalot, MdL, Martinez, Mbeumo, Amad, Mainoo and Zirkzee, and then had to replace them for less than we got for them.

How would you expect that to impact our season next year?

Iraola has done a phenomenal job in the circumstances. The real question is whether he can scale up his approach to a bigger club. His high-energy, team-focused approach works great at "smaller" clubs, but can he convince the guys on big wages with big egos to put that ego to one side and to run through brick walls, to put the team above themselves? That's the real question with him as a manager: can he take the next step?

12 Apr 2026 13:08:23
Thanks as always Ed001

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

12 Apr 2026 15:56:03
Shappy, all that is true, but look at McKenna. Relegated last year, he lost a bunch of players, including his best two, Delap and Hutchinson, and yet here they are, storming towards automatic promotion again.

The challenge for Iraola, and the likes of McKenna or Glasner, is: can they cope in the United goldfish bowl? Harry made some interesting comments this week about the club being too big for some players, and I suspect the same is true of managers.



There are some very impressive managers out there doing it at 'lesser' clubs (in terms of pressure), but the risk is they can't handle what is still one of the biggest jobs in football.

12 Apr 2026 21:33:58
Ipswich aren't storming to the Premier League. I have followed them closely to see how McKenna was doing.

They have had more than a few well below par performances, and the Championship is not of a particularly high quality either this year.

Southampton have hit form, and Coventry have been the best team overall, but generally the rest are mediocre.

I really don't think anyone can judge McKenna and say with a high degree of confidence that he would be able to take Utd to the next level.

I am not saying he cannot, just that we don't have enough evidence to judge him on.

Iraola, by contrast, as Shappy points out, has a track record over more than just a single season in the Premier League, despite the severe handicap of losing his best players.

The real problem for any manager, be it Carrick, McKenna or Iraola, is whether the players at Utd are determined enough to knuckle down and work really hard, and follow instructions....

13 Apr 2026 09:03:45
Fair points, Salford, but my wider point was doing it at a 'smaller' club is no guarantee a Manager can deliver at United. Alonson was awesome at Leverkeusen, but was sacked by Madrid. Same story with Nagelsmann.

I genuinely have no idea who we should appoint. I think Enrique would be a great appointment, but beyond that, I just see huge risks.

13 Apr 2026 17:46:20
Nobody will succeed in year 1, and our fans don't like the thought of change or don't understand patience. Whoever comes in needs the 3 or 4 years Klopp, Fergie, and Arteta were given and needed. It's the same story at Chelsea. Very few do what Jose did the 1st time at Chelsea.

13 Apr 2026 21:19:46
Sigh! Another rebuild period. I'll be dead before we have rebuilt at this rate!

11 Apr 2026 16:26:24
If only we had sacked Ruben a few weeks earlier, we might have been in with a shout when Arsenal bottled it. Seriously though what is going on with them?

11 Apr 2026 19:37:49
Think it says all you need to know about Arsenal.

12 Apr 2026 05:30:25
They're allergic to trophies, Grim, and crumble under the slightest bit of pressure. Plus, in their defense, half the squad is only just coming back from injury. ?

I'm all for it. As much as I hate seeing City succeed, Arsenal winning the league would be terrible for the image of the EPL.

In my 30+ years of following football, I don't recall a more boring side to watch, and their set-piece antics are embarrassing.

12 Apr 2026 11:15:06
It's like WrestleMania whenever they get a corner. I watched the game, too, and whenever Bournemouth conceded a corner, you could see them frustrated with themselves, as they knew what was coming.

Box in the GK and start grappling, shoving, pushing... Yeah, it's been successful for them this season, and probably the reason they're top of the league, but it's not the kinda stuff I want to see.

12 Apr 2026 13:20:06
Mikel Arteta spent a lot of time as a player at Everton, and his managerial career suggests that he is more entrenched in that underdog style of management rather than anything he might have picked up under Wenger or Pep.

He plays with four CB's and two CDM's. It's an underdog approach.

If you have a top club that can afford to spend heavily to rebuild the team, then you should be able to get them challenging for titles.

However, it takes a manager with the right mentality to carry that team over the line.

Arteta has a weak mentality, and that bleeds into his team.

The funny thing would be if City beat them to the title, only to get a points deduction, gifting Arsenal the title, and meaning they can't claim to have truly "won" the title.

12 Apr 2026 15:58:30
I don't want City to win it again, but Arsenal are horrible, and horrible to watch. The level of s***hous3ry is staggering, not just the set piece wrestling. If they do win it, I think it will be a hugely unpopular win.

11 Apr 2026 14:54:31
A bit of fun. Youth XI still playing.

GK Dean Henderson
RB Ethan Laird
CB Axel Tuanzebe
CB Micheal Keane
LB Álvaro Fernández Carreras

DM James Garner
CM Kobbie Mainoo
CM Angel Gomes

RW Mason Greenwood
CF Marcus Rashford
LW Alejandro Garnacho

Subs: Kovar, Mengi, Amass, Hanibal, Elanga, Collyer, Bernard, Iqbal. l, Obi? Heston/Johnstone.

Personality and injury issues aside. (That front three. ?)
Not the strongest but not bad.
The point I'm trying to make is; I think the club need to do better with youth players. You can easily see how adding a 8 or so non academy players would make this squad competitive. Eg. Bruno, Martinez, Yoro, Dalot, Sesko, Mbeumo, Cuhna, Amad.

Our youth players haven't always raised the ceiling they raised the floor. John O'Shea, Fletcher, Brown, Butt, P. Neville all raised the floor. Instead we keep spaffing cash on players overpriced depth. Ugarte over Garner?

We have a seriously talented group at U18 group and some 18s in U21. I'd really advocate promoting 2-3 youth for one spot or have a loan strategy create and then investing bigger in key areas.

11 Apr 2026 20:14:59
Absolutely, and these next few windows are the ones to do it because we need to fatten the squad out. Some will make it, others will not, but their profiles will be increased from exposure, and other parties will buy them for more than if we sold them from the reserves.

11 Apr 2026 23:38:50
I think we have a few with good potential to pad out the squad as you say. Sometimes an opening appears and they flourish, often they don't, but find a home elsewhere.
With more games to play, they will get games if they are good enough.

12 Apr 2026 11:18:57
United are way off the other top clubs in this department from what I've seen. These clubs scout thousands of players of all ages, from primary school age, and Lacey and the Fletcher brothers are all we can come up with? Obi has disappeared off the face of the earth, and it looks like we're all waiting for the moment JJ gets a senior call up.

12 Apr 2026 13:15:46
I missed McTominay too.
The academy is doing well.

If we're looking at who could step up and job share from the youth next season.

Harrison as 3rd choice goalkeeper.
Vitek as 2nd choice goalkeeper.
Kukonki as 5th CB.
Jim Thwaites CM/DM.
T Fletcher CM/DM.
J Fletcher CM/AM.
Lacey RW 3rd choice.
JJ Gabriel LW 3rd choice.
Obi CF 3rd choice.
Noah Ajay 3rd or 4th RW/LW.
Ibragimovic - AM/RW/LW.
Jace Fitzgerald - CM.

Kone looked OK, but hasn't fared well on loan.
There's a French kid out there too, but a similar story.
Other players, like Kamason, could kick on too.

12 Apr 2026 16:01:29
Great post, but how many of that team would get in the United team?

Greenwood perhaps (assuming his personal stiff hadn't happened), Rashford at his peak (which he really isn't anymore), McTominay possibly, certainly in the squad.

We have always led the way in developing talent that goes on to have a good career, transitioning them into our own team has been the issue of late.

10 Apr 2026 17:06:06
Evening ED001,

Hope all is good with you. What are your thoughts on the Man United manager position?

Would you giblve it to Carrick if he secured CL football? If not which manager (s) would you go for?

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - personally I would not keep Carrick. He has done a good job steadying things, but I don't see signs of him having the ability to take it up a level. Enrique would be the dream for any team, but realistically I think Hoeness and Iraola are the stand outs.}

10 Apr 2026 19:40:03
For me, Enrique is by far the best option. After that, probably Nagelsmann. If we can't get either of those 2, I'd probably stick with Carrick for now, as I don't see the rest being a major upgrade.

10 Apr 2026 22:17:38
Thanks ED001,

I agree about Enrique. Although, I have a feeling that the club will stick with Carrick.

{Ed001's Note - it is a safe option to stick, but it doesn't feel like the right one for the long term.}

10 Apr 2026 22:55:06
I often think that I should give up with the club for an utter lack of any vision. If they want to stick with comfy slippers, they get what they deserve.

10 Apr 2026 22:41:34
ED001,

He does feel abit OGS.

{Ed001's Note - very much so.}

11 Apr 2026 16:24:39
I don't think many stand out options are available this summer, that is why we might see Carrick ending up in the job.

Agree with Ed, Sebastian Hoeness is the only interesting choice aside from Carrick.

11 Apr 2026 17:28:08
Enrique>Iraola>Carrick.

12 Apr 2026 11:13:58
People said there weren't any stand out options every single time we have needed a management change. Add a name, and there will be some reason he isn't better than the comfy slipper temp or the one we had.

Hell, people defended ETH, saying it. Thing is, every other club in the world manages it. Our fan base and club are far too emotional in decisions. It's time for a very high profile, currently performing manager.

12 Apr 2026 11:50:51
Well said, Red Man!

12 Apr 2026 21:37:16
One question, Red Man, who?

13 Apr 2026 06:53:24
AJH
Said a number of times, Simeone.

Enrique and Nagelsmann would even run the rule over Iraola.

We also still seem to want an all-powerful manager, then get emotionally super-charged about whoever we get, and sacking them becomes a historic event that sees open weeping.

13 Apr 2026 08:17:08
I don't get the hype with Enrique, honestly.

While he is doing well at the moment, we have to take into account a few things.

While coaching Barcelona and PSG, he had some of the strongest squads in football, which we don't have. Furthermore, at PSG, he can rest, rotate and even postpone matches as he pleases, since they are by far the strongest team in the league. Also, people seem to forget how bad PSG were up until January last season, until they "clicked", but the question is, could he allow that bad form in a more competitive league?

His Spain side was terrible to watch, with bad results following that.



And if I remember correctly, he didn't do much at Roma either.

That said, he might have evolved and become a top manager, but I do have my concerns over him.

13 Apr 2026 13:24:30
Simeone doesn't speak English, I think that's a pro bem. Enrique, I agree with him, he's a talent. Nagelsmann had one good spell and little since. As I said elsewhere, I am stumped.