Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

Overall a very good performance, how much of it was down to Arsenal being dirt or United being good I'm not sure yet.

Individual mistakes kill us, Bruno with his hospital pass for their corner that led to the goal, not having strong keeper to come and clear it out in his 6 yard box. Ugarte tried to give away another goal with a blind pass.

Defensively looked okay basically going man for man. Attacking wise, I dunno we knitted it together better with Mount on the field but we lacked an actual focal point.

So many times nobody in the box, when I believe it should have been Cunha often who just hung back then complained and threw the arms about when the ball didn't get pulled back to him.

Still, plenty of encouraging signs, not a game we deserved to lose and plenty to work with. In a lot of ways the game v Fulham will tell us more about where this team is right now. I didn't think Arsenal this early in the season was gonna be pretty and okay it wasn't pretty but we were the better team overall I thought. Didn't make Raya work hard enough, often enough, but definitely the better team. Sesko did nothing when he came on, could be a simple welcome to the graveyard shift or just hard to get into the game.

Ruben being spikey in the press conference was in response to a dumb question and all united managers have been spikey, Ten Hag was notorious for it.

Would be nice to bring in a midfielder as Casemiro will run out of steam and Ugarte isn't really showing he has the quality to be a mainstay, Mainoo hadn't nailed a place down either or looks to have the defensive brilliance to play in a two with Bruno.

Mbuemo was superb in the first half in particular btw, settled like a duck to water. Really excited to see how he does this year.

Many teams are hesitant on taking chances with championship players.

Eze's release clause has expired so might not see him move unless someone's willing to pay big money. His clause was supposedly £60M so you'd have to figure a team now will have to pay even more to get him.

If someone gets in first with a price they consider suitable for Wharton then Eze will just have to stay put. Though I think you'll have to bid £100M for Wharton.

There was. Think twice they mentioned that checks were going on while play went on.

Let’s see how the next two games pan out, vs Fulham and Burnley.

We’ve seen this United side raise their performance levels last season against the better teams ~ before reverting to type (Liverpool away and Arsenal in the cup spring to mind).

6 points will be expected in these next couple of games. It’s still difficult to see where the goals will come from, but hopefully things will start to click up front soon.

Dubravka for Burnley was the first keeper penalized for it, table quizzers have taken note.

Definitely, have a stinker against Fulham and draw/lose and panic could set in pretty sharpish. On the flip side play like we did against Arsenal, bang in 2 or 3 in a comfortable win and we'll be buzzing.

I don't think we will achieve our goals this season without a keeper being signed.

I also think we need a DM, but I don't think we buy for that position unless it is Baleba, and that looks extremely unlikely. I don't like Casemiro for that position in the PL, and if Ugarte is gonna play like he did yesterday he isn't going to take the place either. I have concerns over Bruno at CM, but I want Mainoo to be given a chance to take that spot or show it can be his, so I don't want another player purchased for that role (Hackney).

Central midfield is a big concern.

Striker was a concern yesterday given how we lined up, but I have to keep reminding myself it isn't Sesko or no one - Zirkzee just wasn't fit yesterday - in a 'good' scenario we should have Sesko starting ner every PL match, and Zirkzee to come in, which should be fine.

I think they are simply trying to make ot clear to hojlund he should leave (for Milan…) and playing him might indicate there is a spot he can fight for

.…

Waking up annoyed.…

The season is well and truly upon us.

The issue for me is that even if we agree with the manager that certain players are not good enough, nothing he seems to do works out well. He called out Rashford and Garnacho and it didn't work. They are both pariahs we can't sell. He played Hojlund all pre-season and the second we sign Sesko Rasmus is treated like a piece of dirt even though a transfer away is not guaranteed. What if Hojlund just refuses to move as he has indicated plenty. Onana is supposedly fit but now he's ostracised? Mainoo will also be unhappy.

Good management would be trying to keep players onside until a deal is agreed for a transfer. His way of humiliating players to try to force them to go is not working.

He hasn't treated Hojlund like a piece of dirt. How is not selecting him treating him like a piece of dirt? & Onana has played no preseason games, how is he being ostracised? It was a reasonable call starting Bayindir.

Good management is not keeping players like Rashford and Garnacho onside either. You have to draw a line somewhere, if players are not doing what you require of them as a manager, why would you try and keep them onside!? That surely completely undermines your authority as a manager.

Overall he was fair to both, they were given opportunities and they let themselves down, both on the pitch and in their off the pitch behaviour. It's 100% the right call not to humour players like that. Do players not bear any personal responsibility anymore?