Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 12.02.26

I didn't think the performance was too bad yesterday.

Energy levels were down a little.

Cuenca on Mbeumo was a penalty.

Scored 3.

They got a debatable pen and scored a worldie.

I will grant that we looked vulnerable when Casemiro went off but we knew that.

Replacing him is going to be tough.

We fought back loads earlier in the season it was a big talking point of the team not always for a win but sometimes, others it was for draws but there was loads of matches where we had fight backs of some sort

Yep. You can be sure there were a few drafts that went in the bin when Sesko won it yesterday.

“I think people still underestimate how competitive teams like a Fulham are and then there’s difficulty even the best teams have in being consistent. Before the goals conceded yesterday, I had been thinking this is how the good teams win without playing particularly well and then the drama started!”

Bang on! 👍🏻

Have you not given out about our draw via Fulham earlier this season as being a bad, very bad result. Not a fair take if they can be very competent

Good post, agree with all of that.

I don't recall saying that tbh - can you show me?

I was supportive of Amorim 3 days later when we lost to Grimsby.. not many were btw.

Poster: "I feel bad for Ruben. He looked so distressed in interviews after the game. His time is obviously up."

Me: "I just think it’s such a weird game to be the defining factor. I don’t think it is for INEOS but it seems to be for RA. He seemed to be somewhat happy with Arsenal. Was Fulham so bad that it meant last night was the final nail? Despite all of the changes he made to the team. It seems strange to me. I wonder does he feel the same today? Surely not as emotional as he felt last night. 

“The players speak for me” etc etc but they did fight back and get to 2-2. Should have finished it off with that Sesko/de Ligt thing at the end. He could have just moved on from it really. He knows there is a new keeper coming (no idea if he’s any good though..) and he won’t be starting with Fredricson and Heaven for a long time.

Not saying he’s the right man or anything but it was a strange reaction and he seems to be in his own head too much. His interview pre-season was so positive and 3 games later he is saying stuff like that…"

Maybe you meant the above. That isn't me saying Fulham was a bad, very bad result - more questioning was it in the mind of Amorim, not me. The guy was acting miserable and had no rapport with fans but people were still backing him. I was fully prepared to ignore that game and move on.

If Casemiro with 5 champions leagues or whatever he had is not a competent defensive midfielder then we'll never find one.

The big problem is our squad depth has been atrocious for years and years.

Amorim’s impact deserves recognition IMO.

He reshaped the squad. High-profile departures such as Garnacho, Antony, Rashford, Sancho, Højlund and Onana were matched by arrivals such as Cunha, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Lammens, Heaven and sesko,

He held both the board and Wilcox accountable, removed bad player influence, and established professional standards.

He restored discipline, eliminated leaks and internal toxicity, raised fitness expectations, and created a culture where places were earned, not assumed. The squad he left behind was united, focused and competitive.

Many of the high energy performances we are now seeing under Carrick are built on the foundations Amorim put in place.

While his insistence on maintaining his preferred system, and decisions such as not utilising Mainoo, may be viewed as shortcomings, every major rebuild requires someone willing to make unpopular calls.

His contribution should not be understated and he deserves respect IMO.

Re over exaggerating the impact of Carrick, yeah I think that’s par for the course though. The first two wins were against rivals too which was an emotional boost. There was an overreaction too I felt when Fletcher was in for a couple of games and there were consecutive poor performances which were being used to invalidate the sacking by some.

I think (at least temporarily) we’re getting a respite from the manager drama which Amorim sometimes brought onto the club himself. I think it’s fair to say Carrick seems to be more understated.

100% with you that the squad was short a few players to sustain results and probably still is! There’s a couple of injuries which could impact the team and even without that, I think the team could still drop points in unexpected games.

I’m not sure whether the last 18 months are thrown in the bin or not but I’d lean towards probably not in the grand scheme. If it’s a case of making an Amorim system work, then yes but the hope is we’ve made a bit of progress on the intangibles and had a clear out/reset so hopefully that’s that in terms of rock bottom. Like I think the summer transfer window coming up is crucial. Need more quality, more depth and a longer term outlook in certain positions. Not asking for much..

Look he did some good things off the pitch but that's an overly positive reflection on Amorim imo.

United were thoroughly outplayed at the Etihad earlier this season.

Performances against Everton, Wolves (H) and even Spurs were so so insipid.

That's not to mention last season and that absolutely criminal loss to Spurs in the cup final!

Under the new structures coaches can't be given credit for recruitment.

Amorim was overruled on a number of decisions for example.

Amidst the civil war between United fans over the last few years, your posts today have been well-balanced and among the most sensible things I’ve read in a while.

Yep fair enough, I can get on board with most of that.

Time will tell I suppose but I can't shake the worry I have after yesterday.

"and his signings have all been very decent at worst."

Does this include the players that he didn't want the club to sign?

So weird looking back. He had the charisma and looked well and we'd (well me) thought this is the guy to turn it around. Was blindsided by the guy but looking back it never looked good on the pitch.

I mean, people saying he did good with the outcasts, think thats more down to Wilcox, Berrada etc to get them out.

He rightly called out Garnacho and its showing now that he needed to be gone.

Amorim was a failure really on the pitch and a bit off it as well.

Not going to matches of the u21's and down is a real letdown and we only knew about it after the fact he left.

Amorim for me could talk to the talk but couldn't walk the walk.

( still watch highlights of that Lyon game, was class)