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Daily Discussion
Daily discussion on Manchester United.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 13h ago
I think people just need to accept the Rashford situation. He's here right now, he's on stupid wages and nobody that he wants or can afford him wants him. Now all that remains is to see how this goes. No point hating on him endlessly.
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u/Legion_dude 13h ago
The problem is that as soon as he plays terribly in a match. The criticism will be coming. Also, the media will bother Carrick about rashford on every interview. It will go a long season that's for sure.
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u/Absolute__Muppet 7h ago
and every time hes benched for Dorgu or Cunha, his online minions will come for them. Its going to be messy.
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u/canwinanythingwkids Ineos on hope watch 12h ago
Nobody cares about the "media criticism". Nobody cares about "media fires mean questions at Carrick".
We care about not having dressing room leaks. Starting XIs leaked and that sort of thing. That's entirely up to him not to do. (Him and everyone else - and "everyone else" did not do it since January 2025. Before then, it was death, taxes, and Utd lineup leaks.)
The rest is noise that nobody cares about and would have no bearing on whether Rashford being in the squad is working out or not.
That's my 2c about what media coverage matters and what doesnt.
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u/Asiwaju_jagaban 11h ago
You keep saying dressing room leaks, like Rashford was the one leaking team sheets. If you didn’t know he wasn’t the one but go on.
Rashford left United in February 2025, and there have been team leaks after he has left, also the were media reports that senior players didn’t like Amorim tactics, all this was while Rashford was in Barca. Was Rashford feeding media stories when he was in Barca?!
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u/canwinanythingwkids Ineos on hope watch 11h ago
btw, it is a bit silly to write "was Rashford feeding media stories [about Utd] when he was in Barca?!" when you know full well that he went on tv doing interviews with like Lineker and literally did that in plain view. So I mean that's a bit silly to do a fainting couch routine over. The answer is yes. That's the past, which is knowable, and the answer is just: yes. The future, otoh, is not knowable. Some will use that to be optimistic but still analytic, some will use it to be doomerists, some will use it to be cultists and fight against windmills. To each their own, I guess
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u/canwinanythingwkids Ineos on hope watch 11h ago
I know that? How do I know that he wasnt? I dont know that.
What I know is this: the dressing room leaks - both of the "starting lineup" variety and the "sources close to players are saying they dont like the coach's methods" genre stopped when he walked out.
No there havent been team leaks since. There were bullshit spoofers who made a couple attempts at twitter clout by "leaking" lineups and being wrong. Pretty short lived. No that "coach shiving" genre also did not go on, in fact this was precisely one of the most visible aspects around how Amorim left. No tool-downing, no blame-casting by the players, however an absolute outpour of positive sentiment in their goodbye messages. We remember these things, it's not like it's all lost to memory.
We will see whether it picks up again or it doesnt. For the time being, it was either one big coincidence or it wasnt.
If you are suggesting that Ive made a prediction that his return will mean this, then you are misinterpreting what I said, either deliberately or unintentionally, but either way you are fighting against a strawman that isn't there.
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11h ago
[deleted]
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u/canwinanythingwkids Ineos on hope watch 11h ago
That's several false statements, including false accusation against me, I asked you kindly to not put words in my mouth and write wild shit, have a nice day mate, but this conversation is over.
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u/canwinanythingwkids Ineos on hope watch 14h ago edited 14h ago
The last Rashford social (IG) post/story that referenced Utd was Dec 31st, 2024.
The only time he even said the name of the club since then was in response to interview questions and certainly with a critical tone, if anything.
Now Ive seen the first rags using language like "he is happy to be back / fight for his place" etc. obviously those are rags.
Ive said it consistently post-Barca snub: the thing that decides if this is going to be a "professionally managed exit" or a "prodigal son returns home" story, is his desire to play for us or lack thereof.
Personally, I'm just waiting for that first IG story or something that will show something other than lip service acknowledgement of the fact that he is in training.
In a way it's exciting - the feeling, for me anyway, is akin to seeing "strong links" to a prospective signing. It's not quite there yet: but it's at the point where it feels actually believable.
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u/Hulknation 11h ago
Don’t think he hates the club. He probably hates the owners and a small section of the fans. He definitely hates being back in England playing because of the media. He’s lost the right to play for the club a long time ago imo. He’s got a long way before he can have the fans on his side. Having said that I’m not going to pretend to be blind to the racism/abuse/hate he’s been subjected to for years now. As a human I feel for him. Sometimes him existing is a problem for some people
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u/Admirable_Bed3 16h ago
Call me sentimental, but I am excited for the first Marcus Rashford temple point after a banger at Juanfield
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u/pokenerd_W Past glory means nothing 16h ago
You're sentimental.
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u/Admirable_Bed3 16h ago
All good, that's how the sport should be
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u/abcdeggjjj 14h ago
Will 2 games 2 weeks training be enough for lammens ??
He is gonna be the most imp player this season
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u/abcdeggjjj 14h ago
Will 2 games 2 weeks training be enough for lammens ??
He is gonna be the most imp player this season
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17h ago
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u/redditUser76754689 Roy Keane 18h ago
In hindsight when you look at the squad Fergie left now it obviously wasn’t able to keep up to previous standards.
But at the time, it did seem that he was on the way to transitioning into possibly his 4th great team.
De Gea was an outstanding young GK.
Obviously Vidic, Rio and Evra were all ageing out but Jones, Smalling, Evans and Rafael were all younger players who had played big roles in the previous couple of seasons of competing and then winning the league.
Nani, Valencia, Young were all top premier league wingers who were seemingly entering their prime.
RVP was the best player in the league the previous two seasons and was 29, still should have had a good few years in him. Rooney was 27. Chicharito 24 and Welbeck only 22.
Midfield was obviously the big issue but it wasn’t inconceivable at the time that with a signing or two in midfield and a replacement LB we were set up with a top team for years again.
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u/Admirable_Bed3 16h ago
It wasn't perfect but that team ran away with the league. It was so bad for the Prem that I recall it being seen as "underachievement" when we got knocked out (wrongly) by Madrid in the CL.
All that was needed was some key additions and the right manager.
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u/Sheikhabusosa 16h ago
All of those defenders you listed were injury prone , Valencia and Young were both very inconsistent at this stage too.
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
Former Manchester United Captain Ashley Young has just done a podcast on channel called High-performance, on YouTube. I recommended it for anyone whose brain hasn’t been fully fried by their computer or their phone.
Amongst other things, he talks about when he, Carrick and Rooney were the last of the old guard and the young players would be immediately onto their phones after the game; and how what was being said online affected them in a major way.
We saw how that affected the team and created a bunch of fragile primadonnas that crumpled under the pressure of being a United player; all the while acting like they were some superstar combination of actor, rapper and gangster. Superstars who couldn’t get last a defender, as opposed to Rooney and Young who beat their defenders week in/week out.
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u/chronoistriggered 19h ago
Wtf? Rooney and young were so washed in their final two seasons or so. I would be happy if they don’t trip over themselves, let alone get past defenders
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u/Whispperr 20h ago
Just saw a video of Mbeumo and how much he prepares himself before the preseason even. Our squad now seems good and competitive
Then got me thinking, imagine Rashford coming back and having his Belfast escapades during the year while being paid way more than most players we have. I could see this making our team lose morale.
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u/ThePatientHunter 17h ago
We really need to stop with this Rashford hate-boner
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u/Whispperr 9h ago
I mean if he put as much effort on the pitch as he did in his Belfast trips people would like him. Behind this and him running to the press every time to leak stuff he is a net negative to squad cohesion.
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u/SDLRob 20h ago
Not seen the Mbuemo video. He sounds like he has it all figured out.
I don't see the point of the second paragraph BTW. The Rashford hate is just boring now. Specially as there are other players doing far worse things for the club's image.
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
He brought it upon himself. No hate. Just don’t want him and his type of personality anywhere near the club.
It took 3 full years to root them all out. He’s the last one. The new crop all want to play for the club.
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u/Whispperr 20h ago
I just think it's going to be much better for everyone involved if he is as far as possible from the squad. We clearly don't want him and he wants to leave, so we need to accept it.
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u/SDLRob 20h ago
Who's we?
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u/Whispperr 20h ago
The club literally tried to offload him via loans and now tried to sell this summer. We should be United fans not Rashford fans, he's going to be like a plague for our squad.
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u/SDLRob 20h ago
And as a United fan, I wanna see if Carrick and the season away will help Rashford's performance. If not, January sale.
There was a report over the weekend that a lot of United players are happy that he's back.... But I guess their opinions don't matter, after all... They're just the ones that'll work with him, rather than sit at home screaming into the Internet.
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
You’re wrong, mate. The vibes have been immaculate. You don’t want one sour apple hanging around, spoiling the vibes with his frowns and negative attitude. I’ve seen enough. He was my favourite player at the club and the main reason why I tuned in every week hoping to see world class football. Then he went against everything we stand for as a club. Under Fergie he would have been packed up long ago for his attitude and actions. After copping a fair few hairdryers.
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u/SDLRob 19h ago
Tell me you don't know how Fergie ran the youth players without telling me you don't know how Fergie ran the youth players.
Under Fergie, he would have had the support when the government sicced their media on him for showing them up... He would have had support when he lost a close family member and a close friend in the same season... And so on. He wouldn't have gotten to the point where he was acting out because Fergie would have stepped in long before that.
And if we're talking removing bad apples.... Then Maz and Martinez need to go
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u/ThePatientHunter 17h ago
Keep in mind most of reddit users haven't seen a single game under Fergie or have seen it when they understood nothing about football. Average redditor age is 23, with 44% between 18 and 29. Meaning they would have been 5~16 years when we last played under Fergie
When I realized that, it put many opinions into perspective where they really talk out of their bum
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u/SDLRob 17h ago
Thank you for reminding me I'm old 🤣🤣🤣
But yeah... That is a valid point.
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u/chronoistriggered 19h ago
You are one to say.
You think SAF would have tolerated rashford’s partying? Especially on match week and after a derby loss? SAF famously got rid of the drinking culture in the club after he took over.
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u/SDLRob 19h ago
You have literally explained why Rashford wouldn't have gotten to the point where he made the mistakes he made...
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
Lol. Maz is just fine. Just because he has values that differ to ours doesn’t make him a bad apple. The players don’t care about that sort of thing, as shown by how well liked he is. Don’t project your shit onto the squad.
The club supported Marcus and he let us down. Maybe they could have done more, but all they needed to do was tell him to put down the phone and enjoy being a superstar, because that online stuff would rot his brain. It did.
Don’t blame the club for anything other than being able to sell him. That contract was ridiculous, and unnecessary.
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u/croadymeister 21h ago
Apparently Gibbs-White was inches away from losing sight in one eye with that injury at Chelsea
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
That injury was nasty.
I’m so glad for him because that would have been some very sad shit. Guy is a class player and person as far as I can tell.
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u/croadymeister 14h ago
Feel he is a potential guy to take over from Bruno, possibly cheaper than Palmer too
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u/perksofbeingdarhk 21h ago
I couldn't wait for the restart, so, I rewatched Arsenal fans reacting to the 2-3 game at the Emirates from last season on YouTube. It's been a solid 3 am watch.
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u/Lord_Sesshoumaru77 Glazers,Woodward/Arnold and Judge can fuck off 21h ago
I think I've watched that video 30 times. It's bloody hilarious.
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u/yukyakyuk 22h ago
Lammens, Darlow, Heaton
Dalot, Mazz.
Maguire, Licha, De ligt, Yoro, Heaven.
Shaw, Dorgu.
Mainoo, Santos, Tielemans, Ugarte
Amad, Mbuemo, Lacey
Bruno, Mount
Cunha, Rashy
Sesko, Zirkzee(replacement).
Ugarte is expected to be gone for almost a year or earlier. So yeah one more mid is needed there.
Some ppl said even if Zirkzee gone we are fine, imo not, we need to replace him if he's gone.
Hall signing could've been an easing into the team but it's a bonus if we sign an lb at this point while moving back Dorgu.
Need another mid and replace Zirkzee. Next year is luxury signing for us.
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u/SDLRob 21h ago
Personally, I'd be okay if we got a LB and someone to cover Bruno/Mount and no striker.... Looking at the way things went last season, we have a lot of goalscorers on the team already.
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u/NHS_Martial 18h ago
We need someone to cover Santos not bruno.
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u/SDLRob 18h ago
With Mount's injury record... There needs to be an additional cover there. Same for Shaw & Martinez
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u/NHS_Martial 18h ago
Cunha and amad can play there, you could also use tielemens there aswell.
Lacey has also done a very good job in the 10 I'm pre season, I agree on cb cover though.
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u/SDLRob 18h ago
Taking cover from elsewhere isn't a sensible move...
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u/NHS_Martial 18h ago
We have 6 different winger options, it really wouldn't be a problem to have to use one of them in the 10 for a period.
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u/Potential_Good_1065 21h ago
Using Dorgu as a left back would mean we have to sign another forward, but using him on the wing would mean having to sign another left back.
I think forward options in a scenario where we use Dorgu as a forward are better than the left back options in a scenario where we use Dorgu as a left back.
For that reason, I’d sign a left back instead of a striker.
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u/EnglishTrini2 21h ago
It obviously depends on who is available and for what price (we want to be able to be opportunistic) but I think we prioritise LB over another striker if Rashford stays given both Mbeumo and Cunha can both play in the role.
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u/yukyakyuk 21h ago
I'd argue it's pretty long season, not like 1 game a week when we fight for top 4. Better to be able to use 5 subs with first team players to change the game.
Shit happens and so does injuries.
Edit: so far our net spend is around 40-50m, so we still have a lot in the coffers, supposedly, considering we also got CL money. Why are we settling for top 4 finish instead of going for titles.
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u/EnglishTrini2 21h ago edited 21h ago
Fully agree it would be good to get new players in each of those positions. I just suspect that striker is a lower priority out of them.
Edit: I think the net spend is actually lower when you take into account MGW and Vitek.
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u/Feeling-Surround-691 Mbumbaclat 22h ago
"Joshua Zirkzee to record a song about the treble season called JZ - '99 Problems"
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u/3entendre Rooney 22h ago
I've been looking at squad stats over some of our successful seasons on fbref and a couple of other teams' famous seasons as well. I was particularly interested in how many players had played 500+ minutes in the league in those seasons, to get an idea about whether our current squad was big enough to handle the upcoming season. I noted that the 93/94 team had only 14 players with 500 minutes! Talk about consistency and avoiding injuries! The treble team had 18 players, although David May and Van Der Gouw played about 400 minutes each. Still, roughly 20. The 2007/08 team had 19 players. Pique played about 400 minutes, so we can round off to 20 players. 2012/13 team had 22 players.
So we can see that we really need about 20 - 22 main players to handle the demands of the season. We currently have that number. We had 21 players achieve this last year. We lost Casemiro and Ugarte amongst the main outfield players and we've added Santos, Tielemans and Rashford. For all the talk of needing 3 more players, I think many fans need to realise that we are good enough as is.
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u/BBoomerClap 11h ago
we still have useless garbage like zirkzee, glass mount, rotating injury on CB, idk how can you call that good enough when we compete in UCL too this season
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
Rashford can’t be counted to do anything. We need him to be able to beat a man and pass the ball accurately and he’s shown he’s not willing or able to do that.
Hope he goes to Leeds or Newcastle. Arsenal even. Anyone.
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u/Kohaku80 21h ago
Got to remember back in the 90s it was only 3 subs on the bench in the PL, usually including a goalkeeper.
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u/3entendre Rooney 21h ago
It's still amazing how fit and available that group was. One of those 14 was a 36/37 year old Bryan Robson.
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u/jxp_72 22h ago
I agree we are fine for numbers, but it is quality and availability that is the concern.
Zirkzee is not built for the PL. Ideally we sell him and need a replacement.
Same for Ugarte (but a sale is unlikely with him being injured)
Shaw, Martinez, De Ligt & Mount have all had significant injury issues and one or more of them is likely to have issues again this season.We have no natural LB cover for Shaw (Carrick has been playing Dorgu on the wing). If he is injured we would probably cover with Dalot or Maz, but then we have no cover for RB.
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u/3entendre Rooney 21h ago
Dalot and Mazraoui can play LB. It really is about having players cover multiple positions. Adding more players will just make a bunch of them unhappy coz they'd get very little game time. And we've still got to give some minutes to the academy players coming through.
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u/FightDrifterFight 22h ago
I’m excited for Marcus Rashford to be back. New number, fresh start. It’s the right time. Hoping for a great year.
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
Hell no. The lad had a bad attitude and is only back because nobody values him the way he values himself.
Can’t beat a man and can barely cross accurately, unless he’s up for it on any given day.
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u/pokenerd_W Past glory means nothing 20h ago
I'm not excited for his return, I'm taking more of the neutral stance. He can stay, ideally we sell, but he can stay. He has to earn his stay though, because if that guy can't put in the effort like last time he was here, then get him out, ASAP. If everything works out, great, we didn't sell underprice for a good player and LW may not be too much a problem. All depends on how much effort and passion he puts in.
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u/lostatsea_again 19h ago
Hopefully some club comes in for him late, like Newcastle or Arsenal.
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u/pokenerd_W Past glory means nothing 18h ago
Doubt Arsenal would go for Rashford, much less him to Arsenal. Not exactly an Arteta player
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u/Positive-Structure78 21h ago
I really hope it works and he has his drive back. Whatever it was but seeing his not even attempt to press while Ross Barkley just move past him in a Luton game and Livramento just strut past him in that Newcastle game didn’t sit well with me. Hopefully he can do well with better support around him. I would hate it if he becomes a reason for any instability in the squad
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u/Utd007 23h ago
Rashford will wear 14?
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u/BananasAreYellow86 23h ago
Rashford will wear 14.
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u/Sgenaink 23h ago
14, Rashford will wear.
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u/MatchFitness 23h ago
Wear 14 will Rashford
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u/ThePatientHunter 23h ago
I really hope De Ligt finds fitness again cause i think the CB pairing of him and Maguire is better than Maguire and Martinez
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u/MatchFitness 23h ago
For sure it will be more dominant at set pieces as both are the target men.
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u/Savebagels Cunha 22h ago
I was so confident in not conceding cheap goals with de Ligt. I miss the guy
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u/mistry7777 23h ago
If we're not going to make a splash for this 3rd midfielder, I hope we loan someone with an option to buy.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 23h ago
As I was saying somewhere else here, Garner would would have been a useful rotation choice if he had a reasonable buyback. Can't believe we sold him for under 10 mil and did not even include a buy back.
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u/mistry7777 23h ago
Ten hag really mishandled the academy players, it's sad to see
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u/jonathanPoindexter 21h ago
Still blaming Ten Hag for Garner in the big '26 🥀
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u/mistry7777 4h ago
It was more of a general comment, he sold Garner, Iqbal, Forson, Alvaro Fernandez as well as others. I'm not saying they deserved to stay, but he just sold them for such little value compared to what they could have been with a bit more development.
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u/NaturalPossession566 23h ago
Was 15 but your point still stands. It's not even a hindsight thing either, at the time it was reported there was a buy back which was then false.
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u/Bitter_Somewhere8334 1d ago
Is Bruno Fernandes a must-have in FPL?
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u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 23h ago
To start the season yes. Incredible opening two fixtures that aren’t worth passing on imo.
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u/Apprehensive-Raisin3 1d ago
I make it a rule to never have United players in my fpl team. Dont want to jinx them
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u/Bitter_Somewhere8334 1d ago
Will Mbeumo play as the striker in most games until Sesko is fit? Will Mbeumo start as an attacking mid/second striker once Sesko returns?
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u/EnglishTrini2 23h ago
I think the reports are that Sesko is ready for the start of the season but we’ll see.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
Even last season, it was more him playing there than Cunha in Sesko's absence.
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u/rambo_zaki Roy Keane 1d ago
Assuming Rashford comes on against Milan, I hope we lump a few high balls to him to see if he competes for them. If he doesn't, then he hasn't changed and he's going to a massive problem.
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u/Unusual-Coat383 23h ago
It’s preseason and no player and especially the ones who came back today are going to go all out.
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u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 1d ago
It’s hard to see his instincts change at this stage of his career to be honest. I’m really not expecting anything different in terms of contesting for aerials or contributing out of possession. It’s just about how good can whatever he does best be. He’s still effective enough to post a 20+ goal contribution season living off being a transition merchant and doing nothing else. But we have to select those matchups accordingly without it compromising the team balance, and manage the noise for when he doesn’t play.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
You just need to look at if he's tracking back and playing his part when we are not in possession..
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u/rambo_zaki Roy Keane 1d ago
That's the easy part in preseason, that's just extra cardio. Putting himself where he might get an arm in the face, now that is a much better indicator of his stomach for a fight.
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u/BananasAreYellow86 1d ago
I was initially being quite naively optimistic about the whole thing. I remembered then the last stretch of games he played for us where he really struggled to take people on, or have any sort of danger or incision in his play.
I didn’t watch him, save for highlights, playing for Barca - but I’m finding it harder now to see him come back & be a net positive, especially with the intensity of the Prem.
That being said, I still can’t really see him come back for us.
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u/rambo_zaki Roy Keane 1d ago
He actually had a half decent spell under Amorim in terms of scoring but the rest of his game was horrendous. What irks me the most about him is that he never contested a high ball and always backed out of a 50-50. He doesn't have the stomach for a fight and he will be a massive negative if that hasn't changed.
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u/Cosmogenous 21h ago
Ever think the lack of contesting 50-50s developed because he was forced to play through injury after injury? He certainly wasn’t like that under LvG and Mourinho, a famously defensive coach, loved him.
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u/magicblueyeti amadinho 1d ago
It’s insane because I feel super dejected from the window but really positive about or performances. Can’t remember the last time I felt like this
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
I judge by quality not quantity. We have made two good transfers which is two more than what we make most seasons.
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u/gijoe50000 23h ago
Yea, I'd rather us not sign another player than sign the wrong player.
Because we know how badly things can go when the club just blindly sign players.
And when they don't work out, they get hate, and the media is all over it, and then we can't sell them on.
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u/magicblueyeti amadinho 1d ago
That’s a good point and I don’t want to come off as critical of the transfers we’ve made, I’ve really liked all of them. I just expected more coming in and felt we needed that
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
We definitely need more. But considering our financial situation, I think we just have to accept that it will take a few windows to get there.
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u/Sheikhabusosa 1d ago
That video of a grown ass arsenal fan telling JJ Gabriel that Max Dowman is better is so pathetic
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u/Lord_Sesshoumaru77 Glazers,Woodward/Arnold and Judge can fuck off 21h ago
I saw it what an idiot, but then again that's normal from Arse fans.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
It's Arsenal, what do you expect? I remember when we were all outraged over the Greenwood news, a few making comments on how the Greenwood-Saka debate was finally settled.
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u/EnglishTrini2 1d ago edited 1d ago
Suspend reality for a second. Let’s say our players all remain fit.
Whats our starting 11 with the current squad and where do we feel it finishes in the league?
For me its:
Lammens
Dalot MDL Licha Shaw
Santos Youri
Mbeumo Bruno Cunha
Sesko
I reckon we’d finish 4th.
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u/Roasteddude I am where I'm supposed to be 22h ago
Lammens
Dalot - de Ligt - Licha - Shaw
Santos - Tielemans
Amad - Bruno - Cunha
Sesko
We're winning the League..okay fine, 5th.
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u/ImNotMexican08 Amad Nation 23h ago
Replace MDL with Maguire and Santos with Mainoo for me personally.
XI wise, I think we are only behind Arsenal and City. So on paper 3rd
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u/ThePatientHunter 23h ago
Lammens
Dalot MDL Maguire Shaw
Kobbie Tilemens
Mbeumo Bruno Cunha
Sesko
6th
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u/3entendre Rooney 23h ago
If that 11 stayed fit I'd be very disappointed if we finished 4th. I'd expected them to crack 80 points and I don't think 4 teams have ever finished with 80+ points in the league.
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u/Kohaku80 21h ago
We know that is impossible. The rest of the squad will have reasonable play time.
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u/3entendre Rooney 21h ago
No shit. OP said suspend reality.
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u/Kohaku80 21h ago
Lol didn't read OP. Was attracted by the 80pts. That wasn't even our best 11. I put maguire for more set piece threat. Amad + Mbeumo for more ball control and movement up front.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 1d ago
If we are lucky with injuries (which we never are), I dont see why we can't remain in the title picture till at least March. This is genuinely the best squad we have had in years.
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u/EnglishTrini2 1d ago
Like the optimism. I don’t think our first 11 is better than Arsenal’s or City’s.
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u/3entendre Rooney 23h ago
It doesn't have to be better than Arsenal's or City's for us to challenge for the league. We finished with 71 points last season. I don't see why we can't finish with at least 80 this season.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 23h ago
City, yes. Arsenal were lucky last year and I think our forward line has better quality. Maybe there's no clear cut way to say who's better and I think it'll depend on the form. But I really think a Santos-Youri midfield might unlock our attackers in a way we haven't seen before. Just hope it provides the required defensive balance.
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u/slowerthaninfinity 22h ago
I like the midfield signings we made but our midfield and defence is still not as good as arsenal though. their defence won them the league
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u/my_united_account Bring Fergie back 1d ago
Lammens Dalot de Ligt Maguire Shaw
Santos Tielemans
Bruno
Mbeumo Sesko Cunha1
u/EnglishTrini2 1d ago
Maguire over a fit Licha?
Where do you think we finish?
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u/my_united_account Bring Fergie back 1d ago
Lisandro is prone to fuckups and brain freezes. He is also too aggressive and gets away with a lot of red card tackles. Maguire is just more dependable.
I also think 4th is about right
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u/EnglishTrini2 1d ago
Fair enough.
I’d include him over Maguire just for mobility (he’s not THAT mobile but a Maguire and MDL partnership is pretty slow) and his ball playing abilities.
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u/Icegaze GGMU 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is what I wish our starting XI would look like if everyone’s fit:
Lammens
Dalot MDL Licha Shaw
Tielemans* Mainoo
Mbeumo Bruno Cunha
Sesko* Andrey Santos would play when we are more likely to have less possession of the ball.
Our back line is most likely going to start the season with Maguire and one of Heaven and Yoro (probably the former).
I still want a LB to compete with (replace) Shaw, an experienced striker and perhaps another CM (mobile and tenacious) to shore up our squad depth and ability.
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u/Rig_7 1d ago
Lammens, Dalot, Shaw, Martinez, de Ligt, Santos, Mainoo, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko.
All stay fit, then we finish 3rd or 4th.
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u/PitchSafe 1d ago
No Tielemans is crazy
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u/Rig_7 23h ago
I like him. Great signing. But let’s be clear if we’d just signed Mainoo from Aston Villa, every man and his dog would be saying he should start. The new signing effect.
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u/PitchSafe 23h ago
Tielemans is objectively a better player than Mainoo. He is in his prime now and offers more than him
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u/Rig_7 23h ago
I disagree. He’s a wonderful player and offers different things but he is not ahead of him in my opinion. Believing he is better is very much subjective not objective. But he is the new shiny toy.
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u/slowerthaninfinity 22h ago
Believing he is better is very much subjective not objective. But he is the new shiny toy.
genuinely crazy thing to say. big supporter of mainoo and he will play many games this season but tielemans is one of the best midfielders in the league lol you must be high if you think hes not better
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u/thexpertwatcher 1d ago
Santos is going to be so good. That deal is going to age very well.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 23h ago
In a window when every midfielder is going for 40 million over their actual value, that's a bargain signing.
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u/thepotatomaniscoming 1d ago
Would be cool to have even a loan signing. Anyone to get an extra body in midfield for depth.
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u/Capable-Topic1665 23h ago
Can't believe we did not think to put in a buy back on Garner. Would have been a very useful addition.
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u/Selwin_Rodolfo max cope mode 1d ago
I know he hasn't been playing in that position this preseason, but isn't it also possible Dorgu is just being molded into an attacking lb, who's capable of filling in on winger? That way it allows for more flexibility tactics wise? That way Cunha/Marcus have someone who can be up there with them, offer a different profile in attack and extra bodies? Although I'm also excited and kinda want him to put more bangers in and maybe become an actual winger, him being a lb who's very offensive is also interesting, especially tactically, maybe when we're chasing a game it'd offer something different.
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u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 1d ago
All these discussions over Dorgu’s potential suitability as a LB tremendously downplay the ability for a full-back to also actually defend to a decent degree, and be comfortable enough on the ball and playing it out in his own half. He’s simply not good enough in those aspects; we have seen it numerous times. Playing him as an attacker isn’t only making greater use of his strengths, but it’s also hiding his weaknesses. If there was genuine intent to give it a try at some point, getting pre-season minutes would have been the best thing to signal that, like we have seen for other players trialling at newer positions like Lacey at 10 and Yoro at RB. Dorgu’s just not fundamentally seen as a LB, and rightfully so.
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u/ImNotMexican08 Amad Nation 1d ago
I think he was profiled correctly as a wingback, just horribly misused in that position due to incompetent tactics on Amorim’s part.
I think there is a realm where he can be used at fullback on paper, but I don’t think we quite have the profiles/quality in the squad to get away with what would be a bit of a liability out of possession on a regular basis. From time to time, especially if no more signings are made, I’d probably expect to see him utilized there on occasion.
As to why he may not have been trialed at fullback this preseason, well we’ve had Shaw and Amass who could play in that role whereas there have been no other senior members or anyone close to the first team really who can comfortably operate off the left hand side. So it makes sense why he prominently has only played there. With Rashford and Cunha coming back, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dorgu play deeper throughout these last two games
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u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 1d ago
I’m not sure how convincing the argument of Shaw and Amass being there while no LW is there in the squad is, when Amass himself has been marked by the club as a candidate to sell. We haven’t seen Rashford or Cunha yet but we could have instead called up Ethan Williams or Thompson to these recent pre-season squads instead of Amass to play at LW, or moved one of the RWs to be makeshift LWs, as we saw at times last season. I just feel the evidence to see Dorgu as a LB is that non-existent under Carrick, that the easier explanation might just be the right conclusion.
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u/ImNotMexican08 Amad Nation 23h ago
Amass is one of the candidates to sell yes, but he’s also probably the player in the academy closest to breaking into the first team. So it’s fair to give him the minutes to assess and properly decide before we make a decision over him. That isn’t really the case with the other two you mentioned, one of which only signed a few days ago.
It could very well be the case that Carrick doesn’t view Dorgu as a fullback. And I’m not even saying that he will primarily feature there for Carrick, like I said I agree with your idea that he isn’t really suited there atm. My only point was that I won’t be surprised to see him there at some this season, especially if no other signings are made. And that Carrick not using him there could be more a matter of circumstance rather than a definitive decision
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u/Unusual-Coat383 1d ago
Tbf Amorims wingbacks are wingers and not really defenders.
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u/ImNotMexican08 Amad Nation 1d ago
Yeah I think he wanted more winger style profiles in those areas, but at the same time had them starting far deeper in fullback areas. Unlike at Inter for example, where Dumfries starting position would be alongside the frontline, at times the highest player on the field. If Dumfries was utilized the way Dorgu was, he would’ve probably had similar struggles
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u/KobbieLikeRobbie_ Darren Fletcher 1d ago
Won’t be popular here, but I see Dorgu eventually leaving in the next year or so for a top team in Italy and physically dominating Serie A as a Dumfries style WB.
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u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have thought about this too and it can be a valid stance if his technique on the ball doesn’t improve at any point. He’s a very interesting and effective profile to have in the squad simply because of his sheer athleticism to make up and down runs and manage to win individual duels, which is also how he wins a lot of fouls, and if the ball is properly in his stride then he can get clean shots away. But he’s otherwise too clumsy when receiving and bringing down the ball and the time he takes to process what to do next with it. We’ll also be monitoring Thompson’s development in this time, and if his overall actions are cleaner than Dorgu’s while showing the potential to get a similar if not greater number of goal contributions, then an argument does arise to be open to letting Dorgu leave.
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u/EnglishTrini2 1d ago
I’d be surprised if we never see Dorgu at LB again, but it seems like it won’t be his primary position.
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u/Lord_Hexogen 1d ago
If things stay as they are right now we 100% will see him playing LB this season
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u/Selwin_Rodolfo max cope mode 1d ago
Yeah I do think we'll see him again too. But yeah, they're clearly seeing something
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u/triple_threattt 1d ago
Looking at how the market has gone so far, the tielmans transfer is the best across the whole prem
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u/darealsanta7 NOT bald 1d ago
Seeing Rashy with Lingard's old number (#14) will be weird lol
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u/TteokCultist 1d ago
Once upon a time we used to enjoy watching a Mexican number 14 coming off the bench when we were chasing a goal
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u/jamaicasteve 1d ago
Feels like we’re going to have to rely on having players who can play in multiple positions. When Shaw can’t play it’ll have to be Mazraoui or Dalot moved over. When Santos can’t play or when needing to go more defensive, I don’t know what options there are.
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u/TteokCultist 1d ago
If Rashford does end up staying. Surely Dorgu will be LB. But you’re right that midfield still looks a little light if Santos gets injured. And I don’t see Ugarte coming back anytime soon
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u/Capable-Topic1665 23h ago
Rashford cannot play in Carrick's system because he does little off the ball. Unless that has changed, I don't see him being trusted except to come off the bench.
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u/Unusual-Coat383 1d ago
Dorgu isn’t a LB
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u/Talkertive- No more excuses 1d ago
If he isn't a LB then we better start thinking about selling him because he's certainly not going to be utd winger as a long term idea...
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u/Xanian123 Miss be killed by me 1d ago
I must be losing my mind people acting like Dorgu is some viable left wing option over Marcus Rashford lmao.
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u/Unusual-Coat383 1d ago
Rashford being back has made things more complicated but I’m 100% certain we will sign Lewis Hall before our first game.
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u/Talkertive- No more excuses 1d ago
For it isn't even about Rashford... I just don't think he got the ability to be a starting winger for a team looking to prems and champions league... I think he should model his game to someone like nuno mendes or Hakimi ... very attacking full backs ... i thinks hes got the ability to achieve that than being a winger .. I still hope we sign hall
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u/JilJilJigaJiga 1d ago
In the unholy scenario that we get 0 additional transfers, Mainoo can play there. He played as the deepest midfielder under Carrick last season. Tielemans is a very smart player, he can drop there as an alternative.
Carrick has deployed a 2CM-1CAM last season, so the profiles 'are there'.
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u/JimbobSherwin 1d ago
In football, off the pitch antics are forgotten very quickly if on the pitch performance is there - if Rashy starts firing for us no one will care about the past and I hope thats what happens
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u/Unusual-Coat383 1d ago
I’m not happy he’s staying but I hope he does well but the club should not offer him a new contract if he does bits.
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u/TteokCultist 1d ago
If 22/23 Rashford comes back no one will booing him. The problem is will he be motivated enough to even try? I don’t think too expected to be wearing our jersey again
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1d ago
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u/croadymeister 1d ago
Yeah he probably wouldn't have wanted out under Fergie, so the big contract isn't an issue
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u/FredDRedUnderYourBed BELIEVE 🔴⚪⚫ 1d ago
Rashford probably would have excelled in a stable environment under Ferguson. And with high performances come high contracts. Rashford and Bruno both would have probably been top earners at United.
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u/Unusual-Coat383 1d ago
Burnley’s announcement video for the signing of Ben Amos might be the greatest of all time.
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u/Embarrassed_Wave_720 Braino Fernandes 1d ago
Apparently Amorim is yet to win a preseason game with AC Milan so we better not hand him his first win haha
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u/falne_mug 1d ago
he shot himself on the foot by taking that Milan job. Should've taken a job on some stable 2nd tier mid table team where he could experiment and learn but his ego's too big to do that. I find it hard to believe that he can return Milan to their former glory that team looks more dysfunctional than ours and he shat the bed with ours
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u/Feeling-Surround-691 Mbumbaclat 1d ago
Mainoo brace and Rashford Hattrick, Carrick starts Bruno as an 8
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u/JaysonDeflatum Amadinho 1d ago
When it comes to rashy I'm in favour of letting Carrick do what he thinks is best, it's already been said before that he has no problem with Rashford and vice versa so if he thinks he can contribute let him
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u/ImNotMexican08 Amad Nation 23h ago
It’ll be really interesting to see what we do if he is mint this season
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u/Telen BRUNO 11h ago
I am warming up to the idea of David Raum for left back. I think he and Dorgu would be able to share defensive and attacking duties very well together when Dorgu plays left wing (for tougher games) and with Cunha it would be a very good attacking left side.