Manchester United banter 7

18 Jan 2026 10:42:14
I watched the match and then watched the highlights this morning. I don't remember any team giving City that sort of battering, it was a proper shellacking.

We won at Anfield in dramatic fashion but on another day, that result could have gone the other way. Whereas yesterday, we were completely on top throughout. Yes we had players back giving us a stronger first 11 and stronger bench, and yes it is just one game, but what a game.

442, playing with pace and urgency, you do wonder where this passion has been so far this season. Too often in the past, we were aimlessly passing it across the back 3, yesterday we were very direct.

Its mystifying how we can pull that kind of performance out of nowhere, but as Carrick said, we need to do it consistently.

And finally, was that third goal offside? It looked onside to me and I didn't see any graphics confirming it was off which is unusual. Just me?

18 Jan 2026 11:25:49
Thought the same and the only graphic I've seen of the 3rd was showing the defender next to him, not the one in the middle who would've been the one playing him onside. It was weird watching how long it went on for to decide without really any explanation.

18 Jan 2026 11:26:53
That’s it ajh, the result was brilliant but it was the performance that was even more impressive. No smash and grab, we battered them. If we repeat that next week no matter the result then I’ll be very happy.

{Ed025's Note - you were excellent Tim, i dont think City were great but im taking nothing away from that performance mate, best of the season i would say..

18 Jan 2026 11:40:21
New manager bounce and a derby game. Agree that came from nowhere. It was a battering that could easily have been 5. Let’s see in two or three games time if the bounce is still there.

On the third goal, I was mystified, it wasn’t shown. I have looked at the picture and the graphic now. Looks like the graphic is a few frames later than the photo. Cunhas body position on the graphic doesn't look the same as in the frozen still picture. I think there should be questions to referees body about the timing of the still graphic frame. Didn’t look right.

18 Jan 2026 12:31:11
AJH we played brilliantly yesterday. Best of the season. I don't like this rewriting of history to suggest it was dour under Amorim. We'd multiple excellent performances this year like Chelsea, Brighton, Sunderland, Liverpool. It was refreshing to see Carrick be his own man and to not blindly do one formation but actually transition between formations already depending on defence and attack phases.

Hopefully this pragmatism continues because Fletch went straight to an alternative and rigid set up and it definitely didn't work.
I cannot understand why that 3rd goal was disallowed. Only thing I can think is Mount was offside on the original pass but he wasn't interfering so not shouldn't have mattered. Bizarre.

18 Jan 2026 13:32:56
You’re right ed City weren’t great but I have to laugh as I’ve seen a few city fans online saying that they’re in a rebuild and pep needs 3-4 more players. Seriously?! Everyone had city easily yesterday but now they lost then they’re short.

Yes they’re defence was weakened but I think pep’s selections were more of an issue than who was available. Hopefully we can continue in this vein as now we’ve set a standard we shouldn’t be falling below it.

{Ed025's Note - it was a top top performance Tim, but you have to build on that now mate and keep up the intensity of yesterday and top 4 could well be in your grasp..

18 Jan 2026 14:33:52
Can't judge where we are based on a game against city. We have always been able to turn up in the big games. We live to sit back and counter. It is very effective. We cannot do that against 90% of the league, so let's see how we do against the mid table and lower table before we start booking our tickets to Europe next season.

Having our afcon players back made a big difference. New manager bounce made a big difference. We should be happy we won, but our failings have not been against the bigger teams.

18 Jan 2026 10:27:18
Best premier league performance I've seen since we beat Tottenham under ETH in 22/23 season.

We won the game on both expected goals and more importantly actual goals.

Important context is having the Afcon duo back (Amad and Bryan) which was a huge blow for Ruben and having two experienced centre backs (especially Martinez which was a huge blow for ETH) .

17 Jan 2026 23:51:11
Great performance today. really pleased for Dorgu who has improved last few games and plated with a desire not many others have matched.

18 Jan 2026 00:47:50
Whoop whoop what a win and we will beat luvsrpool tooo sith Mbuemo and Sesko scoring next game.

18 Jan 2026 10:21:21
I was hoping we would beat arsenal next week Singh.

17 Jan 2026 19:58:22
…
Carrick to be awarded a 270 year contract to be manager of Man Utd ?.

17 Jan 2026 23:43:20
hope there is an option for an additional 12 months, just in case!

17 Jan 2026 17:59:20
Roy Keane isn't a fan of Carrick is he?

We've had the spats with Carrick's wife and he has been complaining all week about the coaching staff, not sure what his beef is.

In effect, Carrick replaced Keane, and their United careers are oddly similar. Keane made 326 appearances, Carrick made 316. Keane won 12 major trophies, Carrick won 11 major trophies, remarkably similar United records.

I like Keane as a pundit, he's good value but he was having a dig before Carrick even got started and I thought he was grudging with his post match comments. To quote Chris Sutton, you're better than that Roy.

Kudos to Carrick for refusing to rise to the bait.

17 Jan 2026 18:11:44
On the Overlap AJH?

I don't recall him having a direct dig at Carrick himself (could be wrong) but he did have one at his wife, who had a dig at Keane on social media years ago. He's like an elephant that lad, and doesn't let go but tends to disguise it with humour, but we know how he feels.

But on the Evans thing, I could understand what he was saying. Why has he been selected to coach when he's never done it before.

17 Jan 2026 18:49:45
Fair po8nt Angel, I think the dig at Carrick was about bringing in Evans, Woodgate, and Holland.

Jimbo suggested Keane as Manager but he's too emotionally unstable. Passion is great, but his track record suggests it would explode at some point.

I may he completely wrong. I just sensed Keane has an ongoing beef, maybe it is the wife thing.

Did you also notice Neville salivating today.

17 Jan 2026 18:52:01
Keane is bitter. He loves united but is very bitter because if his ending there and been looked at for any type of job.
Every coach has the right to select his own staff with club agreement.

Carrick has a temp job he see Evans as a good fit maybe if Roy was so good at picking staff he would still be in a top coaching job. But he didn't make a success at being a manager that is no surprise.

17 Jan 2026 19:19:48
I agree with all that ken, he's not one to let things go so his United departure still probably eats him up.

17 Jan 2026 20:20:44
Is Keane and fan of anyone or anything?

17 Jan 2026 20:49:09
They’ve all been at it this week. Butt and Scholes were also giving off about Martinez being picked up by Haaland like a toddler. Martinez in fact man handled Haaland off the ball to a loud cheer from the OT crowd.

They all sit around fruit bowls and waffle on about the good old days. They were very talented players but also very lucky to be a part of Fergusons reign.

17 Jan 2026 20:54:10
Keane gets paid handsomely to be a sound bite and be controversial. It’s just television.

17 Jan 2026 21:02:55
He's probably annoyed his mate Ole was passed over for the gig for Carrick.

17 Jan 2026 21:15:06
I mean, as a player he is my idol. Nostalgia would have me craving him to be manager of this club. It was written, had he not fallen out with SAF.

I just think he sounded annoyed at the rhetoric of how it's great to have Evans back at the club, he wasn't having it, and I understand why.

But any negative about united will be seen as bitter. He's also said plenty of good things about them too, but the sound bites are magnified way too often and he comes off sounding a lot more bitter than I believe he actually is.

17 Jan 2026 21:17:50
I remember them as great players, some as United legends, but their punditry risks spoiling that. Neville in particular gets right on my t1ts.

17 Jan 2026 21:48:39
Let's face it, keane has been a knob this week. Bitter and waffling nonsense. what he waffled about Evans was laughable. Roy put a sock in it, a complete lack of any class.

17 Jan 2026 23:04:34
Keane struggles with his emotions. He's got a point about what United should be doing and the issues at board level, but he's pushing it further due to animosity with Gill and Ferguson over his own departure.

Super player but that drive and determination that made him great, also means he fails to relate to those around him that approach things differently. A real pity because he's clearly well liked by those that know him.

17 Jan 2026 23:13:01
Im a big fan of keane the player and I like his banter and sense of humour. He plays the panto villain very well. He learnt from eamonn dunphy the master trash talker.

17 Jan 2026 23:57:49
Keanes right. We’ve been here before a million times. Playing city or arsenal or even Barcelona isn’t the problem it’s consistently every week playing well. These players can’t do it.

18 Jan 2026 01:24:57
Sometimes with pundits you hear them talking tactics, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Keane go past the aul “get stick in” and “play for the jersey” kinda cheerleading. Maybe he would be good at putting out the cones and making sure they aren’t training on a carpark, but I don’t think he should be coaching anyone above the U13s.

18 Jan 2026 10:46:20
Keane gives a bit of a reality check. Brutal at times but on the opposite side too many fans and pundits get carried away. We are only a few wins until some start calling for Carrick to be given it permanently, if they haven’t already.

Keane was a great player, once of our best, he is a bit short with people, doesn’t stand fools easily. At times we need a reality check, rather have that than the obsequious Gary Neville, talking all managers other than Ole down.

Lastly it’s about time these pundits started talking about the ownership, instead of cuddling up to them.

18 Jan 2026 11:16:06
Keane is Keane. Leave him to it.

17 Jan 2026 17:21:20
Meanwhile Liverpool draw at home to Burnley and so fail to beat any of the three promoted teams at Anfield for the first time since 1980-1 and Spurs continue to struggle despite signing Gallagher.

There are no foregone conclusions in the EPL. Every point has to be worked hard for. I'm still wondering whether we would have had more points at this stage were it not for losing Amad and Mbuemo to AFCON at the moment we were to play the weakest teams.

Hats off to our more experienced older players today. Shaw, Maguire, Bruno and Casemiro were all immense. And I'd like to commend Dorgu who has improved enormously over the last few weeks.

As much as I wanted Amorim to succeed, I think we will do better with 4 at the back. If Carrick takes us into Europe does he get the job full time?

17 Jan 2026 17:44:19
If we beat Arsenal, he should get the job full time.
What say you Red Man?

17 Jan 2026 18:11:05
AJH ??? ?.

17 Jan 2026 18:50:33
I have no idea what you mean Fizz ?.

17 Jan 2026 19:03:46
A big win for us and even more so with Liverpool dropping points.
Let's be realistic we need top 4 this year without a doubt for the money it brings and the draw for the likes of the balebas the Andersons the whartons to play champions League football.

17 Jan 2026 19:05:01
How many posters on here would have picked that 11 today?
He got just about every call correct.
It will be interesting to see if he picks the same 11 v arsenal.
They are very strong on their right so durgu helping Shaw out is something we might see next week.
Mainoo will only get better with games he played well with casimero and bruno today.


Good show today and a repeat next week will give us real momentum for the run in.
I think we all want to see a repeat performance then the results will look after themselves. Consistency of that sort of performance will see us into the top 4. Villa have done it so it can be done.

17 Jan 2026 19:22:56
Agreed, and even more remarkable given he only started on Wednesday.

The thing for me today was the energy, pace and commitment, where has that been this year? New Manager, denrby game, maybe that's it but if it camln continue I think we will be around the top 4.

17 Jan 2026 20:26:35
Agree with AJ, it wasn’t just the team he picked, all those players ran themselves into the ground for him today.

I’m starting to wonder if Amorim had created too much division in the dressing room, where as Carrick has come in and it’s a fresh chance for everyone.

Hopefully we see the same attitude in the next match and this isn’t just a one off.

17 Jan 2026 21:16:59
Last time we saw that energy and kind of play was against city in the FA CUP final I believe.

Wouldn't it be something else to turn arsenal on their head.

Also, they had the chance to go 9 clear today and didn't take it. It's written isn't it?

17 Jan 2026 21:41:01
I don't think Amorim created division Grim but I do think that more than tactics or formations that if players feel good, feel positive you will get results, then you can implement your ideas. It's hard to implement your plan when you get beat most weeks.

18 Jan 2026 04:24:16
Maybe he was trying to fit too many square pegs in round holes Banjoe.

17 Jan 2026 16:50:16
Gooner in peace.
Just wanted to say a massive well done for today and for giving us a better chance to keep City out of the title race.

Your new manager looks the real deal, good luck for the rest of the season ?.

17 Jan 2026 18:12:45
“The real deal? ” One game ?.

17 Jan 2026 20:27:38
Thanks Sally, shame you guys couldn’t take full advantage of today, looking forward to the next game, could be a belter.

17 Jan 2026 15:33:53
missed the game but looking forward to watching the replay. sounds like we were very good.

17 Jan 2026 15:55:49
It was fantastic Ahmad. I got slated for it on the chat but meant it genuinely and as a compliment to Carrick, but I felt the approach was mostly similar to Amorim's with subtle tweaks. In attack Dalot pushed up giving a back 3 and defensively we usually were a 4 but sometimes a 5 when Dorgu got back to cover overloads.

The intensity was excellent. Mainoo played well. Positionally especially. That was the other difference. It meant Bruno was further up and we created so many good chances because of that. It showed Mainoo and Bruno can actually play together. Very encouraged by it.

17 Jan 2026 15:58:03
We were excellent. A well deserved victory and we could/should have scored more.

17 Jan 2026 16:12:12
We were excellent and the approsch was nothing like Amorim's. ?.

17 Jan 2026 16:22:51
Did score more Fizz they just kept getting ruled out! 3 ruled out for offside and hit the woodwork twice. Great energy all round. Definitely missed Bryan and Amad and even Harry at the back but everyone stepped up.

17 Jan 2026 17:26:47
Ok AJH. I didn't expect differently from you. I think you mentioned in the chat that it was similar to the Newcastle first half but yeah that doesn't count.

17 Jan 2026 17:34:20
Great stuff. Well deserved. I thought we were good only decent in 1st half but excellent in the 2nd. Dominated them in most respects.
I did expect a win and delighted with it. Same again next week please.

17 Jan 2026 17:47:18
Lol Don, yes, similar to the one half in Amorim's reign when we looked like United. One half out of 63 games.

It was fast paced, breaking quickly in numbers, high pressure, all very different to what we have seen lately. But, early days.

17 Jan 2026 18:14:22
Let it go AJH, you’re beginning to embarrass yourself.

17 Jan 2026 18:45:04
Fizz ?.

17 Jan 2026 09:41:21
Best of luck to Carrick today, really pulling for him to do well.

But if I see Ugarte start, I'll cry ?.

17 Jan 2026 11:25:27
No tears today, false 9 day it looks like.

17 Jan 2026 11:54:49
No Ugarte, Cunha or Sesko.

17 Jan 2026 12:01:59
Yes grim, sit in and counter I'd imagine. Cunha and Sesko to change it up then if needed.

17 Jan 2026 12:14:03
Next of luck to Carrick. He'll need it. If he can get best out of this squad we will stay in european place.

17 Jan 2026 12:17:37
Best#.