Manchester United banter 8

27 May 2026 07:21:06
So, it seems as if Ederson (£35m) and Mateus Fernandes (£55m) will be two of our midfield signings, but who will be the big one to finish off our new quartet with Mainoo?

Anderson: the 'plug in and go' option. PL ready and will only get better. Does the dirty work AND the creative work. Him and Mainoo would have to work out a defined way of dovetailing between 6 and 8, though. Ideally, both are 8s.

Tchouameni: the only physical beast mentioned. Casemiro's work from set pieces will be sorely missed and Tchouameni is the only one likely to help replace that to some extent. Also will sit as the 6, allowing Mainoo to express himself the most.

Tonali: my least favourite option. Yes he's physical and covers ground, but I have serious concerns about his attitude and have a feeling he'd be pushing for a move away in a year or so. Avoid.

Baleba: the one I think will happen. In fact, I think a deal may already be drafted. So much potential, both defensively and when driving with the ball, but his decision making needs drastic improvement. I also worry about him aerially. If it is him or Anderson coming in then Maguire and Sesko will be our only physical units in both boxes.

Wishlist in order:
1. Anderson
2. Tchouameni
3. Baleba
4. Tonali

Likelihood in order:
1. Baleba
2. Tonali
3. Anderson
4. Tchouameni

Who would you all go for and why?

27 May 2026 08:50:49
You do know Anderson lost possession on average 17 times per game last season. Shocking stat. His decision making is a lot worse than Balebas in that regard.
Tonali is the best player on that list imo.

27 May 2026 09:31:42
Ken, I'm surprised you say that. I'm not convinced by Tonali. He seems really good at times, but Newcastle seem to exhibit so little control even with him and Guimaeres. Something just doesn't add up. When I see him, I see very little short pass, controlled execution. That might be how Newcastle play, but it's a concern for me.

27 May 2026 10:40:51
I agree with Ken, Tonali is top of that pile. I think Anderson will become the better player, but, for the here and now, that's my preference. Anderson is probably second, Tchoumani, then Baleba.

Baleba is low down purely due to the season he has had. Statistically he is probably the best at actually breaking up play, which is what we lose with Casemiro departing.

27 May 2026 11:33:41
The one thing I'm extremely happy with is that United have clearly decided on their targets and are moving to make them a reality.

Years have gone by, and Casemiro is a perfect example of this, where we have panic-bought when maybe our targets were not attainable. Sometimes I'm not sure that the club really knew that they weren't attainable, and it led to us panicking and overspending.

What I'm seeing and feeling is that the club are calm; they have their targets, what fits the club both on the field and off it, and are moving to those targets.



So, however we rank the above players, imo all are upgrades on what we have, and if we keep building and moving towards a more solid squad, it will make Michael Carrick's job easier. It also means, in years moving forward, we will be able to hone in on single, big-money targets.

Right now, there are still many gaps to fill, but I think the club proved last season that they are capable of doing it in a very sensible way.

27 May 2026 12:01:28
I agree, Downsie, in that I think Baleba will be the one and I think he would be a much better player than this season showed.

27 May 2026 12:50:29
Anderson is the best option.

27 May 2026 14:20:44
I would have Bruno G & Tonali, then an experienced CB with pace, and an experienced starting striker with pace, plus we seriously need another GK who is able to push Lammens for a starting place.

Anything more than that would be unbelievable.

No way we can go into the season with 1 inexperienced striker, 1 goalkeeper and poor CBs if we only buy midfielders.

27 May 2026 06:38:03
Once it was “no value in the market”, now despite saying we want “best in class”, we are now “unwilling to overpay”.
I get it, we don’t want to be in a bidding war for Anderson. However, we tried that with last year's intake and paid what the clubs wanted in the end.


Anderson is the stand out player, if he isn’t in the shirt next season then I think it’s a mistake. No doubt people will say it’s too much but are likely to be the same ones saying it’s not our money.

27 May 2026 07:18:02
Red Man,

Egikdt, u agree with you. I think he wants City.

27 May 2026 07:42:52
MH

I know. If he wants City, ok, he may underestimate us.

However, we have had, what, 25 years of excuses under the Glazers. The latest "unwilling to overpay" just annoys me to hear. Why not just say "protect our dividends".

27 May 2026 08:59:28
What's your reliable source for this story, Red Man.
I've read the same article, you don't mention that he gave the ball away 17 times per game last season on average. You berate Bruno for giving it away less.
There were several stories this morning. Another saying we are calling him continuously, trying to convince him to join, but you don't quote that as it doesn't show bias against the ownership.
You are so transparent, we can see through your bias.
You have no idea what's true, so you quote random stories but don't quote the random stories that say the opposite.


You are biased and have a completely biased view, everybody here can see it.
Every single respectable news outlet is reporting that answers on has agreed terms with City. If that's the case, we need to move on. Let him go there and give the ball away 17 times a game in a position much deeper where you didn't like Bruno giving it away. Perhaps him losing possession so often in bad areas is why Forest struggled so much this season.

27 May 2026 09:01:22
How can you say you know he wants City, but also say it’s a mistake from us if we don’t get him? How much would you be willing to pay for him then?! City go in at £100M. He wants them. What do we offer? £110, £120, £150M?! For a player who doesn’t want to come to us? Then his wages?

We’ve spent over a decade getting mugged off by clubs, players and agents, and I think there is still an element of that that we are trying to undo. Everyone on here, I suspect, wants Anderson as the number 1 signing, but sometimes it’s just unrealistic. I don’t think we paid what Wolves or Brentford wanted last year for Cunha and Mbuemo.

I think we did better, and I believe at the time reports of their valuation and what we paid were different in our favour.

What we all don’t know for sure at the moment is whether we have a chance or not of getting Anderson. It’s only reports that he wants City; I don’t believe anything concrete from his side has come out stating this?! We also don’t know his feelings on United, and whether Guardiola leaving changes things for him. If there’s a chance and United say they won’t match the offer, then fair enough, we can be critical. If there is no chance of getting him, then you’re creating something out of nothing.

27 May 2026 09:31:17
Bruno in CM gave it away in dangerous areas. Anderson passed his audition at OT with flying colours. Superb player.

If he wants City that's fine, but what I rail about is the language around it as explained.

Yes, I am totally biased against the Glazers. I made absolutely no secret of it, even when people on here told me they were ok. I understand the financial implications, and understood it at the time they arrived and said so.

Poor things have had to do without dividends for a couple of years. I also am not impressed with Ratcliffe for enabling the Glazers to stay. So yes, Glazers out, Ratcliffe out.

If he wants City, say so, walk away, but don't give us a new saying "unwilling to overpay".

27 May 2026 12:25:14
Red Man, you and we all have been in the game for a long time, so we know that teams don't pay what they are asked to. You forget that some reports say that City only wants to pay 80 million, instead of Forest's 105 million asking price. It's negotiations, you can't just go and pay what they want.

City don't pay, and sometimes walk away from deals if the price is too big and not fair, like with Maguire.
Furthermore, we will always have the "unwilling to overpay" excuse for players that reportedly prefer other teams, to save face.

27 May 2026 13:06:22
RedMan, the challenge, especially for a club like United, is that you don't want to publicly go around saying we wanted X but he chose to go to Y. Better to say we wanted X, but under certain conditions which didn't work out.

27 May 2026 13:42:15
The club have said nothing. No comment at all, but you still quote like they have said something when they haven't.
Auditions are more than 1 game long, don't be so knee-jerk. The fact that he averages losing possession 17 times in a game can't be lost on you.

More than Bruno when he was playing deeper. So, please compare apples with apples, and stop extracting bits that suit you.
I like Anderson a lot, but there are 2 sides to every story, we can't just stamp our feet and talk about only 1 of those sides.

27 May 2026 17:52:00
TW,
Someone is feeding lines to the press.

I will talk about what the owners have done, we watched City buy players like Aguero whilst saying no value in the market. We saw what replaced Ronaldo when they got their £80m to hold up the financial accounts.

If a football decision was made because of someone losing the ball, that's one thing. However, we all know United decisions are not made on that alone, and I do think this overpay rubbish is an underlying issue. Rice went to Arsenal, where were we?

There are two sides to every story, the football side and the financial one.



AM2,
I understand the dynamics and am acutely aware of how to negotiate. Yes, there are challenges, but spinning it as they have done for a long time should be seen straight through.

Heaven,
Agree, but on Maguire I wonder if City played us a bit. Yes, I understand negotiations and have that in my skill set, yet did we not end up paying what clubs wanted for MBueno, Sesko and Cunha anyway? Just wasted weeks.

27 May 2026 21:18:34
Redman there are reports from Romano or whatever he calls himself that's we have been pestering Anderson to sign continously calling him. But you don't like that story so don't mention it. Who is feeding those lines. Time to stop making assumptions because they suit you.
I think Anderson is top target but if we can't convince him then so be it we need to move on.

Its a much better story from the club that we opted out instead of saying he chose city. Your bias as you say and will find fault with everything they do or don't do. Its hard to have a proper discussion when you live in your own echo chamber.

27 May 2026 21:23:00
Our owners, Redman, are one of the biggest spenders. It's not what they spend, it's who they spend it on. When Arsenal paid 95m for Rice, we were busy spending on Eth's love children, like Onana and the other little twerp on the left wing. So it's not a lack of spending, it's a lack of spending wisely.
Hopefully your ego will let you admit that.

27 May 2026 21:47:25
TW

Not getting into a deep discussion on our owners at this time of evening. Look at the costs of the debt & the debt still remaining, and the issues it causes us. Over a billion in costs. That could have gone towards building a stadium.

More difficult to borrow with existing debt.

No excuse for what they have done, none.

If Anderson doesn't want us, then I agree, move on. However, let's not give out the messaging that is out there.

27 May 2026 22:46:35
Red Man, even if you end up paying what they asked (Mpuemo, for example), you have to negotiate and not be taken for granted. Sometimes you will lower the price, sometimes you simply wont, but as you know, you must negotiate and I think you disagree because you are biased.
I dont think money will be a problem if Eliot chooses us, we will negotiate and find a solution with Forest.

But until he chooses us, we must save face, saying that we cant pay the price. The only way we cant compete with City is if they give him double our wages, but I dont think thats the case.

28 May 2026 06:51:59
Heaven

Negotiations are part of my business skill set, so I understand. SAF wasn't able to pay the price because of Glazernomics; they said there was no value in the market. Now we can't pay the price, and it's unwilling to overpay. Can't pay, don't want to pay, because dividends and profit are at stake, which drives these things.



I would be surprised if he hasn't made his mind up already, and City are waiting to see the price drop. I want to be his first choice, but top players like that have choices.

28 May 2026 12:59:05
I don't think it's about dividends. I think it's a strategic decision by Beralda. At City they used to buy players at a 60-70 million rate, so if, in 2 years' time, the transfers didn't work, they could sell. City could make a lot of 60 million transfers instead of fewer 100 million.
Of course you understand negotiations, but the problem is you think it's all about dividends if we don't pay the asking price for a player. What if we don't, but then go and pay more, as a sum, for other players and spend, say, 300+ million? At the end of the day, you forget that we are the biggest spenders, and that doesn't suit your opinion about only caring about dividends and not spending.

And, of course, the problem is that if you overpay once or twice, then you will always overpay and go back to the period we paid the biggest transfer fee for a defender that cost 20 million, Maguire.

27 May 2026 05:30:20
Not mentioned at all - but the football played for Mbuemo's goal was out of this world. What a move. Beautiful team goal.

27 May 2026 06:46:46
It was a lovely second goal, Eric, one of the more beautiful to watch and one we don't score often.

27 May 2026 03:33:57
Someone asked me about the Bruno/Keane issue this morning and what I thought etc.

Make no mistake, Keane has misquoted Bruno and should apologise.

Some great points in the threads below.

I've grown up watching Keane, read the books, maybe even played the game a bit like him as a result. I have enjoyed him as a pundit, but it is getting a bit predictable these days.

Bruno, as I've said, has dragged us through some dark times, very different times to what Keane was skipper for.

But one thing I said to my mate when asked who was the more rounded skipper, one moment came to mind.


Juventus, Semi-final, Keane getting booked.

Without any hesitation, Keane took the booking. I have my doubts on whether Bruno would take the card knowing he would miss the final (if they progressed). So I guess I can understand where some of the comments from Keane are coming from.

I still love Bruno and would not want him to leave now he is back in his 10 position. But I think as a better skipper, Keane nudges it. But that doesn't give him free reign to be an ass about it to future skippers.

27 May 2026 13:15:50
At this point, I find Keane an incredibly boring pundit and man. He's not entertaining. He can't analyze a game, and I really don't know why anyone listens to a word he says.

26 May 2026 19:26:41
I do get the points being made on Keane and Bruno. The game a lot different then, more physcial and intense, even intimidating. When players arrived at United in the 90s, you had to step up or the manager or a number of big players/characters would et you know and there was plenry of fear too. When you're winning players accept it. Do you think Rashford and Garnacho would have been allowed behave like they did back then? The players and manager would have niped tbat attitude early. Today's players are a different breed, lots of money realky young, social media, greedy agents. The manager gets 12 months or they're sacked, the pressure in clubs is under for money is intense. I really don't think SAF's managent style woulds survive in the current culture, Keane would be sent off a lot.

But it's hard for our club legends to see this new way of playing and some players not willing to die for each other on the pitch, that bond isn't there anymore. Bruno is a class act, he would have been great in our 90s teams but he wouldn't have avoided the same stuff Keane and co dished out of you made mistakes. It was just the way they kept each other driving forward, echoing the manager's drive, us against the world. The game has changed, but the basics are the same, you need the right attitude, to work hard each game, bring the passion and be together. I think that's missing in some of our current squad, but we are buying better players.

26 May 2026 21:33:11
The problem with Keane hating on Bruno is it's actually not warranted. Everything you've talked about the 90s team having, Bruno has that in his locker. He leads by example every single week, works harder than any player on the pitch, covers a ridiculous amount of grass, and never gives up.

Keane and a few pundits had a pop at his histrionics and his constant moaning on the pitch. Listen, no one likes to see any footballer rolling around the ground after nothing happening to them, but I think he's nearly eradicated that from his game. When there's no sticks left to beat Bruno with, Keano made up some lies. I'm very proud of Bruno calling Keane out. He, Neville, Scholes, and Butt are embarrassing themselves on a weekly basis.

Can you imagine Bobby Charlton ripping Bryan Robson to shreds because we didn't win a league in the 80s? Can you imagine Bryan Robson ripping Keane to shreds because of his ill discipline?

People talk about Roy's grumpy persona on telly, saying he's playing up for the camera.

I think it's the opposite. He's playing his friendly side up for the camera.

He said he'd "swing punches" at De Gea after he made a mistake in a game. De Gea held us together for many years, and Keane never let up once. Even when he was winning Player of the Year for us, "but it's his job" nonsense would soon follow.

His coldness for Carrick, and insulting Carrick's wife 12 years after a tweet she wrote defending her husband, shows that he's a bitter man who can dish it out but can't take it.

As an Irishman who was born in the 80s, I have an affinity to Keane the player, but Keane the pundit could soon find himself a footballing pariah without a home.

26 May 2026 23:10:01
Bruno has had a remarkable season. Record breaking.
I am not his biggest fan but I have always re organised his work rate, amazing availability and his love for the club.
I think his leadership changed as the season went on.
I think he is a much better player now than he was even 3 years ago.
His ball retention has improved a lot imo and he plays it simple and his movement is better off the ball. Moving him back to his fav position has inspired him.
As for Keane, he learnt from the best viewer puller pundit in a guy called Eamonn Dunphy.
A whole thread there and folk in pubs canteens and offices up and down the country talking about it. As for finding himself without work mumbles it's the opposite. He will take polar opinions when it suits him. Its not about punditry most of the time its about viewers and show business. Keane is gold in that regard for all the stations he goes on and the viewing figures prove it.


Most of the time you just need to take it all with a pinch of salt. Dunphy called Ronaldo a 1 trick pony for years? people kept tuning in for the next mad quote or fued he'd ignite.
Bruno has called him out on this occasion and why not? If he brings this seasons form into next Keane will take his humble pie and eat it. Then he will be on to his next side show to pull in the viewers and have people debating him all over the country. He is earning more now than he did a a player most of his career.
None of them are consistent and its all about the side show. 95% of what they say needs to be taken with a very large pinch of salt.
Redknapp is the one for me who is more about the football than the others. You can see his pain for the game its in his blood.

27 May 2026 00:26:07
Amazing to think that in mid season while Amorim was playing Bruno out of position many of us thought we should have sold him in the summer. I was one of them. Fact is, Bruno is now playing at the top of his game, and the doubters have all been forced to acknowledge just how good he's been. The pros, other than Keane, who's become an old negative codger, seem to be almost unanimous.

You give him players around him who know what runs to make and how to put the ball in the goal, and he'll find them. One can only hope that he stays with us, and he gets to win a few trophies in the next couple of years, which he richly deserves.

27 May 2026 00:48:32
I miss the old lads on RTE Ken. For anyone not acquainted with Dunphy, a few YouTube clips will have you in stitches.

I don't think Keane will be without work. I meant that he could alienate the United fanbase to where he no longer has fans backing him up.

It is a sideshow now. The Sky lads are on telly, talking and on podcasts 6-8 hours a week.

There simply isn't enough happening to justify that. I don't have a problem with Keabe saying whatever his opinion is, but he lied or misheard what Bruno said and couldn't even hold his hand up and say he got it wrong.

The schtick is wearing thin.

27 May 2026 08:15:14
Mumbles, you're missing the point. He doesn't have to apologise and he doesn't need to. What he says doesn't matter. It is just like posting on here. It has no consequence, nor should it.
He owes Bruno or any other player nothing at all. He can say what he likes as long as it's within the law. The thinner the shtick gets, the better for him and his employers.
It's not about being truthful, honest or decent, it's about pulling in viewers and starting debates.


If you don't get that, then you will always be frustrated with pundits.
We have posters on here that lose their rag all the time, and react so they get provoked.
Keane is provoking folk with his comments, and that's how he earns his money. He doesn't even believe what he is saying himself half the time. That's show business.
People lap it up. Here is a thread still talking about it, 10 days later. Hilarious, and his mission has been accomplished.

27 May 2026 09:09:09
Ken, is lying within the law? I totally agree that Keane couldn't care less, and won't be apologising. It's TV or showbiz, and he is the most sought-after pundit. His audience love it!
We seem to be living in an age where lying is totally acceptable. Just ask the orange blob across the water!

27 May 2026 11:37:06
Ken, not sure that's even his mission which makes him even greater. I don't think he buys into click bait etc, just says how he feels as he is and always has been emotionally led.

And I do think what he says does have consequences.

He is a legend of the club, the most successful captain ever, and his words hold lots of weight. That might lead to players feeling, behaving or playing a certain way. Not everyone is made of stone like you. ?

27 May 2026 17:36:44
Patrick, I'm afraid lying is not against the law, my friend.

27 May 2026 23:02:25
Ken, I think you'll find that in most cases it is!
Although I get that there are nuances!
However, concerning Keane, he couldn't give a twopenny toss!

26 May 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Sly_C has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's System: Who Benefits and Who Regresses?

25 May 2026 20:13:36
Just watching Bruno on Diary of a CEO. A captain if I ever saw one.

God, I hope before he goes he gets his hands on a Premier League.

Much like Robson, who won when he was at the end of his time, I hope Bruno gets the same opportunity to be here for it. He deserves it.

25 May 2026 22:28:46
He absolutely does, angel.
Was chatting through how Bruno and DDG, before him, have between them single handedly dragged Utd through dark times as a club.

26 May 2026 07:00:36
Interesting article today in the papers, with Pep showing a Bruno video to his players on how not to behave.

I think the only comparison to Robson could be that he won the league near the end of his time, and it could still happen for Bruno, I guess, in theory.



It would do Bruno good to meet one of our great captains, leadership isn't just about assists.

26 May 2026 07:25:50
The "Bruno only gets assists" line is usually a good indicator that someone watches football through Twitter clips rather than actual matches.

He's been United's main creator, presser, leader, and most available player since his time at United, constantly taking responsibility in a side that's been dysfunctional for most of his time there. Reducing all of that to "he gets assists" is unbelievably simplistic.

And this obsession with "standards" is often just people trying to project some image of themselves as having elite standards too.

It's become a buzzword people throw around to sound authoritative rather than actually analysing what a player contributes on the pitch.

Funny how certain types of leadership only count when it suits the narrative. Keane barking at teammates was "standards" and "winning mentality," but Bruno showing frustration while carrying a struggling side somehow makes him a bad captain. Convenient.

You don't have to think Bruno is flawless, but acting like he's just a stat-padding passenger is lazy analysis dressed up as football intelligence.

26 May 2026 07:35:10
Ports. ??????

We won't mention the massive money he turned down in order to stay at this United team. Proper captain.

The interview with Bartlett is fantastic.

26 May 2026 07:19:55
Red man, I presume you're on about some of his on field antics, that many don't like in this country? You were more into the Roy Keane style (my idol by the way), berating, bullying etc?

And you're right, being captain is more about assists, it's about being the person who players respect and look up to on and off the pitch. I take it you didn't listen to the interview, you might learn why he is a great captain and loved by his peers within the team.

Firstly, how he handles himself off the pitch, never whisper of an issue with him. Always involved in local things and represents the club incredibly well. He stays behind regularly to interact with fans and youngers fans too.

His work with younger players within the club. He never hides when faced with criticism but most important he leads on the pitch. Through a time of turmoil he has been THE man to lead. An incredible captain and we are very lucky to have him.

Red man, we get it, you don't like him, banging on about him for years, even wanting him to be sold in January ? ? when you have some sort of axe to grind, you'll just go for it, no matter how wrong you are. And you are and have always been wrong on Bruno.

26 May 2026 07:48:21
angel
Going into work so no time to fully respond.

Read the article on Pep re Bruno.

Keane led us to many trophies. I haven't seen Bruno get near what Keane did in 99 away at Juve.

I openly said I didn't like the chasing of an individual target.

It's a team game.

I am not anti Bruno, but realistic about him. Yes, played in the right position, can be very creative, but not convinced as a leader, at all.

26 May 2026 09:01:18
The only 2 articles I've just looked for are Mirror Sport and The Sun Football. ? Neither has any comments from Guardiola. Just a story. That's what you're going on?!. ?

26 May 2026 09:10:50
Red Man, if you're citing an article from The Sun, you can shove that in the bin.

Here's a post about our captain, and how it would be great to see him lift the Premier League, and you've turned it into some rumours on what Pep did according to The Sun.

? You are very anti Bruno, it's not even a debate.

How about go listen to Bruno on Diary of a CEO.

26 May 2026 09:14:40
I've just read a line in The Athletic where Pep supposedly didn't like Bruno berating his players when Phil Foden's goal went in.

? And you love Roy Keane. Honestly, Red Man, the agenda is crystal.

26 May 2026 09:31:05
You're working in your seventies, Red Man?

I have criticised Bruno in the past, but this year he has been immense, and I think he looks like a leader. I really hope he stays.

26 May 2026 09:38:49
As Angel alluded to, there are many ways to lead. Some cajole, some berate, some just lead by example. Brian O'Driscoll and Roy Keane are amongst Ireland's best ever sportsmen, and couldn't have led more differently. That said, it is hard to gauge Bruno as a leader when we've been relatively unsuccessful. But we've had dysfunctional structures around him, and yet won 2 cups and got to two Europa League finals in his 7 years here.


For my part, I think it's obvious how respected he is, and how much he does to help the players on and off the pitch. He certainly is a more obvious leader than Maguire, say, who he replaced.
Keano is a hero of mine, but he sees things one way and that's it. And it's a big reason why he struggled to push on as a manager.

26 May 2026 11:33:20
Don, I don't think it's hard to gauge him as a leader. He is one, you just watch him, how he plays and how he carries himself off the pitch, and the insight in his recent interview in particular is brilliant.

Also, how others talk about him, teammates and other players, speaks volumes.



He has been unlucky, like Robson, to be involved in a pretty unsuccessful period as a Man United player, but I'm hoping that will turn in the next couple of years.

26 May 2026 11:43:02
AJH,
Not in my seventies, yet, and yes, still working.

I did not like the individual situation with the assists and the game where it looked like he was aiming more to break the record than ensure we won a game.

Bruno has done better when played further forward; he was never a CM. When he loses it, the opposition are now not in our box creating issues. That's welcomed. For sure he has won individual accolades, and when any United player does it, then I am pleased for him.

I just want the focus on the team as a leader, and I'm not sure that has been there. I don't like his play acting.

If peak Keane was in our midfield, I suspect we would have won something. Not Bruno's fault; there were poor players around him, and he has been far better in the second half of the season.

26 May 2026 11:50:05
Keane does nothing but playacting, Red Man. So if you don't like it from Bruno, you must have hated it when Keane did it. ?

26 May 2026 13:41:28
Keane is just doing his job.

Unfortunately, his job is now being a performatively angry pantomime villain.

It's getting very embarrassing now. Bruno acted like a mature adult by saying that he doesn't mind criticism, but won't accept pundits misquoting him. He asked Ole for Keane's number to set the record straight.

Instead of admitting his mistake, or taking the opportunity to talk directly to Bruno, Keane responded with a childish social media insult. For a man who claims to be all about respect and integrity, Keane really has sunk into the gutter for the sake of his media career.

26 May 2026 17:09:53
Bruno has carried this team for years. He's our best player by far and has been consistently since he arrived. To say anything else is frankly strange, and is our clear captain in that current group.

I think Keane's paid comments are hypocritical - he was the first to surround the ref and berate them, or criticise his team mates when a pass or s*** went array.

He's a legend of an old era that wouldn't last in today's game.

26 May 2026 23:09:03
I don't remember the game where he was trying harder to get assists. Have you made that up? There was a game where he shot a couple of times when he should have passed, as he alluded to himself.

I assume the game you meant was when we were already guaranteed 3rd and, if we had put the chances Bruno created away, we would have scored 10.

It's almost like he's just bloody good at creating chances for teammates.

25 May 2026 18:48:14
Just reading about the tiff between Bruno and Keano.

At what point does feedback from legends who have been there, done that, wore the shirt with pride lifting multiple trophies, pivot from valuable winners' insight into becoming a hindrance to a current team's mentality?

25 May 2026 19:00:33
I would say regularly nowadays. It seems pundits are being quite opinionated, which reflects social media. Everyone has an opinion, and it generates clicks and attention.

In some ways I quite like it. I'm really not a fan of Carragher, but I did enjoy him calling Enzo a cheat for falling to the floor clutching his face. We need more of that.



Neville has an opinion on anything and everything, and people lap it up, so can we blame him?

As for Keano, he's forging a niche for himself, and it's working for him. Bruno's beef is that Keane quoted him incorrectly, which is fair enough. In the main, though, players need to ignore it and accept it as just sideshow drama.

25 May 2026 19:15:04
I wonder how successfully SAF would handle the likes of Rashford, Sancho, Pogba and Garnacho in this current social media climate.

I appreciate that the majority of questions put to ex-players are geared to generate a controversial take at times, but the ratio of negatives to positives is unbalanced for me personally.

25 May 2026 19:24:49
Carragher is a clown. Surprised he still has a job after the spitting incident. Probably his relationship with Neville saved him. Did he say anything about Mac Alistair etc diving for years? Never mind his comments about Pep and SAF.

25 May 2026 20:38:01
Say what you want, but Carragher is always in Liverpool's corner, always defending their players, always making excuses. Then you have Neville. I can't stand him on commentary. It is as if he's trying so hard to seem impartial that he ends up supporting whatever team is playing against Utd.

Roy Keane, on the other hand, is just a miserable old bloke who's always mad at something. He seems to think we are still in the 90s and you can two foot opponents with no reprimand.

And the lie he told about Bruno is just typical. He comes across as trying too hard to get sound bytes. As good as he was, he wouldn't survive a day in modern football.

Scholes and Butt, the less said the better. Absolute t***s. They always seem keen for a Utd loss, so they farm views for their nonsense show.

Come to think of it, a lot of our so-called legends don't seem to like us very much. Rooney, Becks, Evra and Rio are a few active in the media that show their support openly.

25 May 2026 22:24:19
Keane should apologise for misquoting Bruno. On this one, he got it wrong and it was very unfair criticism. Bruno has said he doesn't care about criticism; in fact, he likes it, it helps him to improve, but Keane got the quote wrong and used it as a stick to beat him with, so Keane should just say, "Look, I'm sorry I made a mistake," but he won't.

Not really sure why any pundit wants to have a go at the best player in the league this season, who has been absolutely phenomenal for us; it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

The game he was talking about meant nothing as well, and he was making out like we were celebrating Bruno's assists over a goal in a game that was important, when actually the game meant nothing. All very odd.

26 May 2026 04:42:15
Like I previously said, did Keane think of the team when he went to do Haaland? Nope, that was all about him, so take what he says with a pinch of salt. They are all as bad as each other, all about money and freebies.

26 May 2026 06:55:39
Most liked them when they sang Ole's praises. Looks like it depends on whether people agree with them.
Can't stand Gary Neville on commentary myself, bends over backwards to show he is not supporting United to the point of being anti.

26 May 2026 06:59:24
Football used to have pundits. Now it has ageing main characters. Every match is just another opportunity for someone to sigh heavily into a microphone and say, "In my day..." before collecting 400,000 views on whatever social media platform they have.

This group of ex-United players seem almost desperate for the club to stay broken because if United ever properly recover, the mythology around their era weakens slightly. Their legacy depends on being "the last great United side." So every setback becomes another chance to remind everyone how much tougher, better and more elite they supposedly were. Instead of wanting the club to rise again, some of them sound more comfortable protecting their own status in history.



I've never liked these football podcasts, never listened or watched them, and hated that ex-players use the club to self promote. I don't really watch pre match, half time and post match analysis anymore of games, and when I do I am always surprised at the individuals who I enjoy and make thought provoking points. One of these is Daniel Sturridge, I thought he would be useless but he speaks very well. Keane, Scholes, Neville should be brilliant but it's rinse and repeat. It's boring now. I hate it as these lads delivered some of the greatest moments for us as football fans, but I wish, like retired footballers before them, they'd disappear gracefully. Maybe open a pub and turn up at charity matches once a year.

26 May 2026 09:32:13
Lol, pre match and half time seem to be endless ads nowadays.

25 May 2026 11:10:05
It feels like both the coaches and Kobbie himself view his long-term role as a 6. We have seen him be the deepest midfielder in the recent matches under Carrick.

That's probably why United keep getting linked with energetic ball-winning 8s like Tonali and Ederson — players who can push higher, press aggressively, cover ground, and complement a deeper controller behind them. It feels less like the club is searching for another deep midfielder and more like they're building around Mainoo as the base.

I wouldn't be surprised if we go for one or two 8s this summer, and then add a backup 6 for depth and rotation rather than a starting-calibre one.

25 May 2026 14:07:43
Given that Mainoo is the only midfielder we will have next season if we don't sign any (I'm expecting Ugarte to leave), we need multiple roles in midfield.

Mainoo will likely play as both the No.6 and the No.8 at times next season.

We need several different types of midfielder this summer.



We need a natural holding No.6, we need an energetic box to box destroyer, we need a passing tempo controller (Mainoo is naturally a ball carrying box to box player who leans towards the more attacking side of the game).

25 May 2026 14:11:50
Agreed, with his technical ability and ability to receive, you want Kobbie to have the most touches of the ball in the team, and his ideal partner would basically be a more mobile version of Casemiro like Tonali/Anderson etc.

25 May 2026 19:03:54
Kobie has really stepped it up lately and he looks a real player again. It took some time, which is perhaps not a surprise when you have been told you are not good enough, you are this, you are not that, for months.



Carrick rates him, and Cas has been enthusing about him, so his confidence is back and he's in peak form. I don't buy the argument he needs to play further forward. For me, he is box to box, the oil that keeps the engine running.

26 May 2026 17:13:42
Agree, AJH. He has a goal in him, which is great, like all good midfielders. But he is the man that keeps things ticking.

I think a destroyer behind him (Baleba or Ederson, it seems) and an Anderson type around him would be great.

Ugarte should have been that guy as a 6, but he's just not good enough for the Prem.

25 May 2026 07:39:25
This season Amorim got 32 points from 21 games, Carrick has 39 points from 17 games. But it's all about Xg apparently.

25 May 2026 11:29:33
Feels like a pretty good sample size to use for extrapolating those points to me.

At the same rate of points, Amorim would have got 58 points, and we would have possibly just snuck into 5th, although it would be tight. Carrick would have got 87, a league title win. It is obviously not an exact science, and I doubt we would have won the league this season, but it does show the huge difference between before and after.

I liked Amorim, and I think there could have been improvement, but the results just weren’t there. Carrick has plenty to prove to show that we can win games whilst also deserving to win them.

There have been a few where we have just about got away with a bad performance, but sometimes managers can just win. Football is about scoring more goals than the other team, and more often than not we have managed that since Carrick came in. Before that, we just could not quite do it, and that is the biggest difference.

xG is a useful stat, but it cannot and should not be used as a be-all and end-all for making decisions, and no clubs do this, it is just used as a guide.

25 May 2026 11:45:32
Time will tell with Carrick. My instinct is that we have had more than our fair share of luck, and won games that we otherwise wouldn't have done.

That is where xG does become a relatively accurate long term market.

25 May 2026 11:53:32
Why be so spiky? Grow up, fella.

25 May 2026 12:02:09
I find Carrick uninspiring, and I do wonder if he can take us forward, but it's easy to forget where we were. When he took over, we were 7th, 3 points behind Liverpool, and 11 points behind Villa. We may have had some luck, but to finish 11 points ahead of Liverpool and 6 points ahead of Villa is some achievement.



Amorim may have turned it around over time (personally I don't think he would have), but it all seemed a bit entrenched.

Anyway, I'll shut up now.

25 May 2026 12:05:36
Jd123, that's football though, right? Arsenal are the best team in the country, sadly, but I'd suggest they had their fair share of luck too. I saw a stat, could be fake, to be fair, but it suggested United had the most, or one of the most, VAR decisions go against them this season. So for the luck we've had, we've also had some hard luck.

25 May 2026 14:10:11
Amorim needed better players to play his system. We took 442 players, and tried to play 3421 - 2 very different systems.

If you are implying Amorim is a crap coach, I don't agree at all. The problem lay at the feet of the club, who chose to go with him and his system without the ability to invest in players we needed.



Amorim ended up being the coach that removed a lot of the bad apples from the club. This has also been instrumental in the feeling we have turned a corner. I still think we have a long way to go to be competing at the top table.

25 May 2026 14:11:48
Defense is important too, maybe even more so. Arsenal's success was largely built upon it. Chelsea and Liverpool's weakness this year was as a result of weaker defensive structure. We conceded 30 goals in the first 20 games, and only 18 in the last 17. That's where the most significant improvement occurred, and that's a direct result of the structural changes under Carrick, which were never going to happen under Amorim. Bruno is not a defensive midfielder. We do better with 4 at the back, with opposition wingers being marked by full backs rather than wing backs, and, when they're out of position, ill-equipped CBs.

The 33 goals scored v 18 conceded in 17 games is a stat that, if marginally improved upon, should see us competing for the title next season. As they say, good teams create their own luck.

Let's hope we can acquire the right players and that Carrick can continue to deliver. There's no guarantees, whoever is at the helm. If there were, the sport would be dull, and we would have nothing to discuss.

25 May 2026 14:32:50
Also, the two teams out of 19 we didn't play while Carrick was manager were Burnley and Wolves lol. Easily could have been 45 points from 19 games.

25 May 2026 20:12:21
AJH, be careful saying anything negative about Amorim. Don Red won't be having any of it.

It's all about the XG. ?

25 May 2026 20:16:06
No, it isn't, Angel. I never said that. And I don't mind negativity about Amorim - just don't go making up stuff.

27 May 2026 05:27:57
Amorim was never going to work. We all, majority I think, liked him personally, but as a coach, he made some very, very poor decisions. And the football was dross, without results to back it up.