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

I think he can improve defensively sure. but I think he shows good positional and game intelligence. he has the mental tools, imo, just needs to learn.

At winger, I think he is rubbish taking on a player from a stop or slow movement - I think he can kick and rush, but that is the only way he is taking on a player. vs low blocks, that isn't going to do much. I don't think his touch is good enough either - so a quick defender can take advantage of his touch.

I think all his best attacking attributes would be enhanced by being an attacking fullback who is hitting an overlap and into spaces a winger has created for him. I don't think he has the subtlety to be a top winger, or to be like Nico O'Reilly on the ball tbh - but when I look at the the positions O'Reilly takes, from fullback, I think that would suit Dorgu.

At Boro Carrick liked one of his wingers to come inside (Rogers) and his fullback on that side to push on into winger positions and be the main wide threat. Give the winger spot to Cunha - he comes inside, give the LB spot to Dorgu and let him be the width from fullback.

I think he can be a rotation option on the LW, even be first choice when playing City or Arsenal etc and we want more of a 'wing back' performance from the winger.

But I think if Dorgu has any chance of being a first choice player, its at LB. If he becomes first choice on LW, imo it will be because Cunha has fallen off a cliff and we will need to buy a new LW as soon as possible.

Cunha might not play a game in pre-season, might not be back til August.

Or Carrick and his coaches, you know the people that work with him everyday, don't see him as a LB and instead see him as a LW. Also he hasn't played the majority of his career at LB. There's a massive difference between LB and LWB, also he spent some time as a RW for Lecce too.

Very weird, almost personal attack on Carrick because he hasn't done the thing you want.

Iraola’s appointment confirmed… gutted.

I just think he’s a fantastic coach to be honest, he got Rayo Vallecano promoted and improved them every year for three years to where they were very competitive in La liga. He improved Bournemouth every season while losing his best players every season for three years in the Premier League and I just think he’s the real deal.

. You could also argue that Michael Carrick hasn’t achieved any of the things you mention apart from a very successful period as an interim manager…. but we’ve seen that kind of success as interim at our club before and we all know how that ended. Anyway let’s hope that big Michael can be successful and I realise any comparison with anyone that has gone before is unfair. Let’s also hope that Iraola fails miserably. Of course he’s a risk for Liverpool but so is our guy… no doubt about that. Also I suppose I’m gutted because if Iraola is to go on to prove he’s an excellent coach… I really didn’t want it to be at Anfield.

All true…. and like I said, Iraola definitely a risk for Liverpool but I think he’ll do well. I really hope I’m wrong though.

Carrick with a Boro sacking on his CV as his major achievement is less of a risk than Iraola??? Are you deluding yourself or what. Carrick had a honeymoon period followed by a very unusual implosion by most of the other teams around us. He's had way more questionable game management decisions to his name than any managerial brilliance. He's got a lot more to prove in the next few months and if it's not going well by December he'll be gone.

I think imo you’re underselling Iraola’s achievements as a manager and overstating Carricks at this stage to be honest.

Carrick may well go on to become an excellent manager but right now his managerial CV is relatively short. His spell as interim manager has been very impressive and he did some good work at Middlesbrough but he ultimately was unable to get them promoted and left after a poor run of results.
By contrast imo, Iraola has built a substantial body of work consistently over a number of years . As I said unlike Carrick he did manage to get Rayo Vallecano promoted and then established them as one of the most competitive and well coached sides in Spain despite operating on a very modest budget. At Bournemouth he inherited a team many expected to struggle and actually improved them and their league position year after year while continually losing key players. I’m sorry but that is a far stronger and more extensive managerial track record than Carrick currently has …. It’s not even close…..in my opinion.

Of course we’re all entitled to our opinions and none of us can say for certain how he’ll do at Liverpool I totally respect what Carrick has done for us so far but it was for half a season and if we’re to judge them on what they’ve achieved so far I don’t think it’s controversial and reasonable enough to say Iraola is considerably more Premier league proven and more proven as a coach than Carrick at this moment in time. If you think otherwise that’s fine and I can respect your opinion…. I just don’t agree with it.

Whether Iraola succeeds at Liverpool is another debate entirely and of course its a risk, but I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if he turns out to be one of the top coaches in Europe over the next few years. I’m just gutted that as a fan of his I was looking forward to seeing how his career would progress but now I obviously will be wanting him to fail.

And Iraola also lost some of his best players, but still got new signings operating to the style he wanted. Top manager / coach IMO

Yes, Carrick with the experience of managing a top club is somewhat less of a risk than Iraola. Iraola obviously has more PL experience but hes never managed a club with expectations of getting results. This time last year people would have been clamouring for Thomas Frank and now nobody wants him. There is a massive difference between being a coach in the Premier League and being the coach/manager of Liverpool, Utd, Chelsea, City or Arsenal. Iraola may prove to be another Jurgen Klopp level of success for Liverpool but he might just as well prove to be another Thomas Frank.

Just for context, Ruben Amorim, Erick Ten Hag & Arne Slot all won major trophies and were/are highly regarded coaches. None of them could handle being Manchester United or Liverpool head coach. The expectations place a whole other level of pressure on people. We know Carrick has the personality to handle it, now we'll find out if Iraola does

Good post jayo… let me be clear. When I said I was gutted that Iraola had been confirmed as Liverpool manager, I didn’t in anyway mean to knock Michael Carrick or his credentials for getting the United job. I also wasn’t making this Iraola versus Carrick….I’m just a huge fan of Andoni Iraola’s coaching and playing style, I think he will go on as I said to be one of the top coaches in Europe and I just didn’t want it to be with our biggest rivals.

Surely it’s okay to believe Iraola to be an excellent coach and still remain to be optimistic and excited about what Michael Carrick and Manchester United can achieve together at the same time.(I do have some concerns) Liking Iraola as a coach seems to have been viewed as me dissing Carrick in some way and thats not the case. I only made comparisons when a poster pushed me into it really.

i disagree with the asertion in the first place.
I think he was starting to look good at RW and LWB under amorim before the sacking.
He was our best player or close to it in poor performances vs Newcaslte, Wolves and Leeds, imo.

and there could be a variety of reasons - which could be down to confidence, pressure from or around Amorim, poor man management, the team in general struggling.

I would also contend that a lot of what he was asked to do vs City and Arsenal was effectively a LWB role.

And then he got injured.

And I don't think he looked good really since he came back from injury. the goal vs Brighton was a corner, nothing to do with LW play, and his assist came from being utterly incapable of controlling the ball. I don't think he was a driving force in attack, or particularly dangerous.

Yes I agree with all of that, don’t forget though that Slott has managed a big club in the premier league for two years and has even won it but yet they’re moving him on for Iraola so they obviously believe he has a higher ceiling in the long term. I hope both they and I are wrong about that now.