176: Amorim's INCREDIBLE Transfer Mistake!

0:00So hi everybody, good morning and welcome to the United Stands. I'm Mark Goldbridge. This is your latest Manchester United news and transfer news this morning, Friday the 5th of September. How are we all doing? How are you working through this international break? Got to say I'm enjoying it. Probably enjoyed it a little bit too much last night. Alvino did flow red, red wine. I thought I had so much red, red wine. The UB40 lead singer ran through about midnight. Anyway, feeling fresh this morning. Hope you are as well. Lots to get into. Friday night show with me tonight as well. What a good show it was with Terry last night.

0:32Really enjoyed that. I fell asleep to it when I got in, but I'll watch the rest later. Right, what we're going to talk about this morning. So quite a bit to get into. The good, the bad and the downright ugly. And I'm not being facist. I'm talking about stories. We've got some good stories to react to. We've got some okay stories to react to. And we've also got some rubbish stories to react to. A lot of people talk about Harry Maguire to Saudi. It's in the sun. Do we really need to go there first? No. Casemiro leaving Man United next summer. Concrete. Concrete. Wood. I don't care. It's obvious, isn't it?

1:09Where I want to start is incredible transfer mistake by Ruben Amorim is what many people are saying now, whether it's ex-players, journalists, fans. It's on Amorim. It's Amorim's incredible transfer mistake. And I think we all know what that is. it's the midfield i could read you 10 different sources from 10 different people saying what an incredible mistake it was that manchester united didn't sign a midfielder and amrim is now having to take responsibility for that because this is what will happen it won't just be the glazers or inios or anybody else who didn't buy the midfielder it will ultimately fall on amrim because when the transfer window closes, there is no value in a newspaper or a radio station or a fan or an ex-player or the media saying, well, you know, it actually was the owners who didn't buy a midfielder.

2:00It will fall onto Amrim. So Amrim's incredible transfer mistake will become the headline. I think what is worth adding in, and I suspect some of you probably saw this update from Fabrizio Romano yesterday is that you could flip that headline from Amorim's incredible transfer mistake and you could say Amorim so close to perfect transfer and that is where I sort of want to start the show today because when you listen to what Romano said yesterday and I completely get the point about how the window is shut of course but we didn't sell Bruno and we could have sold Bruno are we going to stop talking about that like this is still very very relevant because if the midfield is a weak area, which many of you think it is, then listen to this.

2:48Manchester United had several meetings to understand the situation of Sporting's Morton Youngland. The deal wasn't possible because Sporting had already sold Jochores and didn't want to sell another important piece to their squad. When you add that to the Labour talks for two weeks and when you add that to we tried to get Connor Gallagher on transfer deadline as confirmed by Ben Jacobs and Fabrizio Romano I would flip it and go what transfer mistake did Ruben Hammerin make it will ultimately fall on his shoulders but pray tell me what mistake did he make Jungland, Belieber, Gallagher miss miss miss if he gives them the arrows and the club miss on three targets, what, you know, Amram supplied the ammunition.

3:42The club has missed. If we had updates from Fabrizio Romano saying, it's interesting that the fans and many people in the media are saying that Manchester United need to sign a midfielder, but I can categorically tell you that Rupin Amram and Jason Wilcox decided that it wasn't a priority this summer. Then, you know, I think you've got to look at Wilcox and you've got to look at Amorim. But in the context of what we're seeing, unless I'm missing something completely here, we have very credible stories on three midfielders of which we got none, absolutely none. Now, why is Costa on the thumbnail we'll talk about?

4:21I've also got something to talk to you about, about Semenya as well. But I think that... Let me just get rid of this idiot in the chat. I don't know whether we've got any moderators this morning. I'll do it. it's easy done um it's actually a lot easier to delete people here just with when you've got a touch screen it's literally two clicks when i've got my mouse it's a little bit harder thanks gems um they're already gone gems gems is a legendary mod and she's in the chat um i was just trying to read one of your comments about something i just saw an idiot um i think that's what i'm what i'm trying to say is that instead of going for the negative headline at amram's incredible transfer mistake, maybe we should twist the news to hammer him so close to perfect transfer.

5:07Because when I saw that about Jumland and what I know about the Labour and what you know about the Labour and what we know about Conor Gallagher, I mean, ultimately, it's just very frustrating. It's very frustrating indeed that we were so close to these deals and for whatever reason, we couldn't get them done. And how you justify that in your head, I don't know. You tell me. I'll tell you how I justify it. I'm like, so we tried for three midfielders, every single one of them different. Conor Gallagher is different to Jumland and Jumland is different to Belayba. But we tried for three midfielders of which I would have took any.

5:45I would have been happy with any of them today. I might not have been happy with Conor Gallagher in mid-June, but I would have been very happy with him at the end of August. so we went for three midfielders and we got none and not only that we didn't get a midfielder so the way i look at it is yeah the transfer window's shut yes we've got to get on with it but it's not amrim's mistake um it's the club's and the scary thing is that quite clearly we spent time this summer talking to multiple midfielders that we wanted to bring in and we and on and you know you know i don't think i need to say anything further than that you know we tried to bring in midfielders all summer we didn't bring one in and i suppose the question has to be is there a price to pay for that we weren't willing to pay the price of a midfielder but what would the price be for not getting a midfielder like what are we going to do um and i think that is something that we're going to find out in the fullness of time because it could be that you know it costs manchester united football club money to pet to sack and replace amrim because the midfield isn't good enough it could be that it costs manchester united 100 million pounds because we miss out on european football because we don't have a midfielder there could be no price to pay you know amrim might work miracles with the team that he's got but um it is immensely frustrating when it is 100 % public knowledge that we wanted a midfielder and we didn't bring one in.

7:19And that's very, very disappointing. Joe Han, welcome to the Members Club. Thank you very much. But yes, if you're tuning in a little bit late, Fabrizio Romano confirming that Man United win for Morton Yulman from Sporting this summer, as well as Balaba and Conor Gallagher. And ultimately, as we know, we end up with nothing. On Costa, the only reason I've added Costa in, and I just think it's really important to add this in, is that LeMens is the goalkeeper and I need to learn how to pronounce his name. So if anyone wants to teach me that, is it Lehmann or LeMens? I don't know. He is the goalkeeper.

7:51He's a young kid. He may well be our starting goalkeeper. He may well be a backup to be in the real season. We don't know. You know, on the one hand, we've got a new starting goalkeeper. On the other, we've got a bench player that might be good in a few years. Nobody knows at the moment. Nobody can say either way. It's not coming out from the club. The club aren't confirming it. Maybe we've got a new goalkeeper. Maybe we haven't. If he is our new goalkeeper, maybe he's going to take time to settle. Maybe he'll be brilliant in two years. Maybe he'll be brilliant in two weeks. Maybe he'll be a total flop.

8:17We don't know. We're stepping into the unknown with the goalkeeper that we've signed. But I think it's also important when you see Costa on the thumbnail, and that could have been Donnarumma. That could have been Martinez. In fairness, it was never going to be Donnarumma. Donnarumma wanted ridiculous wages. But it could have been Costa because Amrim likes Costa. It could have been Martinez. We did try for Martinez. the reason we didn't get a martinez or a costa is andre andana it's as simple as that and i'm not going to start singing prat man there's enough of that um but remember if andana had left we would have bought a top experienced goalkeeper the reason we ended up getting lamens was because the funds available were not there to go and get the goalkeeper that maybe many of you wanted so Ananda is still a Man United player the Inder is still a Man United player we therefore have to go for one that we've got to operate in budget you can't bring in Emi Martinez and still have the Inder and Ananda on the payroll and our inability or to be honest with you

9:26their reluctance to leave ultimately did cost as Costa or Martinez and it's important to remember that It's not just the midfielder that we've not bothered to get. We hindered ourselves in the goalkeeping market massively. And as I said yesterday, you know, I look at this strange decision in hindsight to bring Amram in in November. And I don't agree with that, by the way. But as I said yesterday, if you were bringing a manager in November and your big selling point is, well, it was worth the bad results because now he knows all the problems and we're going to solve them okay you can justify that but amram knew all the problems they brought him in early they killed his win ratio they ended up with people amram out and then they didn't give him what he needed in the summer so that to me is always going to be incredible but we brought him in early we ruined his you know confidence or reputation um he apparently learns all the problems and then we went yeah we're not solving some of those and here we are now but on the goalkeeper obviously we're all in on the mens hopefully he's going to come into the team he's going to be bloody brilliant he's not gonna make any mistakes and it's you know we'll all live happily ever after but remember we would have had a more expensive experienced goalkeeper if we'd been able to move anana on and i think a lot has been written about man united going with their first choice in the circumstances is what i would say lament was our first choice in the circumstances of the budget restrictions and the fact that the indor and anana were still here if anana had gone i think it could have been very very different um what's this story on the on some menu mark i'm going to talk about it now because this is where i sort of wander into what i would call the uh you know the bad i don't actually well we'll talk about it but before i do that let me just read some of your chats lemans like lemons but with a u lemans okay i will remember that tommy that is the best super chat of the day lemans um hi mark is project 90 real i read on credible media inios have a plan to save 90 million in reserves in five years what's your opinion on this 90 million isn't enough to wipe your ass in football sanska is my opinion on this 90 million is what's 90 million it's it's not an over a five-year project it's um steam off a butterfly's piss that's how insignificant it is it you know it won't make a mark at all 90 million over five years doesn't do anything for liverpool you know and they're already a good team it's a it's a ridiculously low amount of money um do you think inios are going to back ruben in the way that if they give him the full two years will they spend more on him this january and july says Danny well look thanks very much for your super chat John Hogan as well Johan welcome to members club too um as as was said on Terry's show last night you know when you look at when you look at the summer whether you like it or not there are holes in it we've just been speaking about two there and I'm sure we will be for a long time but as Terry was saying last night and I completely agree with it.

12:38If Ineos have ignored and the Glazers have ignored that glaring mistake in the midfield, they're ignoring it against the advice of you and me and Amrim and Wilcox and Barada and Gary Neville and all the ex-players and all the media. There is a unity, which is very rare amongst board coach director of football fans ex-players media rival fans that we needed a midfielder and inios and the glazers decided not to do it so therefore it's not just um a opinion that's you know divisive it's a stone wall you should have got a midfielder and the only people responsible for that are the ownership so as terry said last night and i agree with this if you're not going to give the manager something that he absolutely fundamentally needed then you cannot be in a situation where you are bowing to media pressure or fan pressure and sack another manager before christmas logically it's just not fair so i look at Amirim and say, however bumpy the ride is, the club have to stick with him because they've not really backed him.

14:00And you could add in there that the goalkeeper was not sufficient for what was required. So I hope in answer to your question that we're going to see a very resistant and public-facing backing of Amarim for the entirety of this season. I personally don't know about you, I do not want to see a sacking of a manager before Christmas or even in season. I don't think it's ever worked for us. People say, well, it worked when we did Mourinho for Oli, but that's the manager sacking I regret the most. So how can it work? People go, well, Oli was at the wheel. Yeah, we all sang it, but the end of the season was shit.

14:43We didn't finish in Europe. opening you know i i think it was a mistake to sack amarin uh to sack marino um rangik mistake amarin last year mistake i don't i i personally i've always said with hindsight i'd rather we kept ten hog for the season and roughed it out i mean ten hog might have won that europe league you know we'd have been in the final anyway and ten hog against ang you know i think he'd have done a better job with his players so and then he'd maybe still be in a job though that's probably not what we wanted but no i'm absolutely convinced that regardless unless we go and lose 10 games in a row regardless we need to stick with amrin for the season because you cannot set such a um unprecedented uh structural change of a philosophy and then get 20 of the way there and say, don't like this.

15:39What I'm saying is, when you bring Ruben Amrim in and his insistence on a 3-4-3 and you haven't given him the players yet, and then, you know, what percentage of the journey are we there to Amrim having a squad of players that suit his system? I would say somewhere between 20 % and 40%, you know, just to give a wider parameter. We're certainly not halfway there. I mean, I'll say it again. If you are Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, or Pep Guardiola at Manchester City or Mikel Artex at Arsenal, whatever journey you've watched of theirs, are you going to tell me they were halfway there when they hadn't even signed a midfielder yet?

16:19I mean, the game where the place is won and lost, you know, the fulcrum of a team, the core of a team, we haven't made any signings in the midfield yet. So I don't think Amarin here, after that summer transfer window and, you know, this first international break, on a percentage of journey to start to finish, I wouldn't say he's anywhere higher than maybe 30%, if I'm being completely honest. So why would Ineos bow to fan pressure or media pressure and sack a manager on a journey that they started? They set us on this course. I agree with Paul Scholes that Man United should play a back four. I do agree with that.

16:54But when they brought Amrim in, I was like, wow, this is going to cost a lot of money. This is going to be an exciting journey. And I'm bought into that. So, yeah, I think that, yeah, we can talk and talk and talk about not selling Bruno. We can talk and talk and talk about the midfield. We can talk and talk about the mistakes. But there are mistakes that have been made. There are holes in that team. And the chances are we might not have a very good season. And the chances are we're going to have times where there's really big debate about whether the manager needs to go. It's at those times that the ownership need to take responsibility and stick to the plan that they brought in.

17:30because if Ineos sack Amarim, I think they're a failure at that point. I think as an ownership, they've lost any semblance of hope or respect or trust because the Ten Hag thing was ridiculous. Back him or sack him, back him with 300 million and then sack him anyway. And the Amarim appointment is just so different to what United have been for the last 50 years. You haven't backed him properly either. So I think it would be interesting. Like Fenke says, if any of us are Cameron, I'm done with the club. But also, you know what? I sort of hummed and aard about doing a show about this, but I actually agree that it's not show worthy.

18:14But just for a minute, before I talk about some more of the news, and I want to get, I can't poll it, so I'm going to have to read some of the chats. Where would you go? like just seriously like let's let me let me paint a picture here so i'm not literally painting a picture i'm just having a quick i'm just having a quick look if they've got any odds on it um no they don't unfortunately um let's say we come back from the international break man city destroyers chelsea batterers we'll lose the next two as well next international break we've lost four premier league games in a row um people are getting really concerned um we come back from that international break and we knew there was another three and then on the third international break people are saying he's got to go he's lost seven and eight uh the pressure is ridiculous uh inios react to that they sack him where would you go before christmas like what what would you do i'll answer the question but like what would you do i would stick i would stick and say look it's unacceptable we've got to you know you'd need to lead from the top i'd say jim madcliffe or an Omar Barada or a Jason Wilcox would have to come out and say, look, the results are not acceptable, but we have to take our responsibility as well.

19:31We've played a part in this. We believe in this journey and collectively we're in it with the manager. We're going to stick with him. That's what I would do. However, if he got sacked, where would I go? Or if he walked, where would I go? You know what? There's one name that comes into my brain and he was there before. and I don't know whether you could get him, but he nearly did go this summer, I'd go Conte. I'd go Conte. I just think like Premier League proven, disciplinarian, his teams do play good football and I think that's where I would go. But that is such a risk in itself. I mean, in Conte, you're almost combining Amorim with Ten Hag and Mourinho.

20:17you know it would be this is what i mean i absolutely do not want to do it because there is just no there's nobody out there like nobody out there um yeah you can't go back by the way you'd never go back to mourinho or ten hog or ollie that you know what the media is like it would you know and there's fans who wouldn't want that either but i i don't i don't see a replacement out there um which is surprising really because when i i always say this if you are an Amri Mauter, welcome to the show. Please do subscribe. But if you are an Amri Mauter, I do look at it and go, there is this strange thing that happened a year ago with Ten Hag, where people were screaming, Ten Hag out, Ten Hag out.

21:01And then you'd go, where are we going then? That's not my job. And you go, well, as I've said it so many times, so you're hypothetically sacking a manager, but you've got no clue where we go next. How do people live like that? you know and welcome to the world people think differently but i can't sack a manager hypothetically without having an idea where i think we should go next and i don't i don't see anywhere next um in fact i i would almost say if you did sack amram anytime this season that's the shortest tenure yet he's not even been here a year um so the next manager subconsciously we're giving managers less and less time we're making decisions it's it's an amazing human trait that when things are going wrong we actually start to become more demanding um and you know factually every manager gets less and less time even the job gets harder and harder and therefore bigger and bigger but the next manager gets less and less time it's mad isn't it so i don't know where i would go but i'd be interested to see let's have a quick look uh k says conte's a terrible shout you could go back to jose says keel um carrick says sam what is this the carrick who's been sacked by middlesbrough who's out of a job uh maybe bring van de soroy back as well yeah southgate i mean that that is a name that terrifies me um as i said if you if you went if you went for look what about the Bournemouth managers, Philip?

22:34What about Marco Silva? Kieran McKenna? I think, yeah, look, I just don't think there's a good alternative. Zidane being mentioned again by Joel. Yeah, there's not a good alternative. Goldbridge, a bit busy at the moment. Papa Green with the United Stand and all the Bundesliga stuff. But yeah, Xavi obviously gets a name mentioned by a few like Dominic. Yeah, but as Savage says, amram all the way um okay let me just catch up on a few of your super chats that have been coming in just move through those and go back to a bit of topical stuff um victor young danish midfielder playing for porto remember the name maybe a topic next summer for united says simone qatar would have inevitably made the balls of certain things too the context of change here dwarfs any other club perfect execution was unrealistic so stewart thanks for your super chas stewart aditya says jabi uh keel says are we wanting to keep amrin for the wrong reasons i want to be supportive but nothing about this path feels manchester united no one is happy uh i i'm i'm happy with amrin i like amrin i don't like that he's not been given midfielder this summer i feel like my honest look i'm not happy i i completely agree with keel i don't think there's a man united fan genuinely happy out there you might have faux positivity from some who you know just feel like they have to do that for whatever reason i don't know but um i i'm not happy but the reason i'm not happy is not because i want to see managers sacked or um or i wasn't happy with certain aspects of the transfer window the reason i'm not happy is that as i said like we were so close to the signing that we needed.

24:19We literally were talking to midfielders and we haven't done it. So I almost feel like when I look at my club, Manchester United, but then I look at Newcastle, who got there in the end, they got all the targets they wanted or a Liverpool, Arsenal, whatever, who just blitzed it. I just thought, I'm sort of sat here going, what's the plan? That's the big question I would ask Sir Jim Radcliffe. What's the plan, Jim? That's all I'm interested in. What is the plan? And that's why I'm not particularly happy because I look at it and I go, are we quitting? Are we literally putting up the white flag and saying we couldn't get what we needed?

24:55So we'll pay the consequences and try again next summer. You know, what's the plan? What, you know, if you tried to get a midfielder and you didn't get one and you've therefore failed, what does that say about the season? What's the real message to the fans? I mean, are you actually going to sit there and go, at the end of the day, you know, we didn't want one. We didn't want one. We'll be fine. You know, well, you did want one. So, and why did you want one? Because the midfield's weak. So you've left it weak. So what's the plan for the season? You know, are you genuinely thinking this manager can get his top four?

25:28Are you now thinking top eight? What's the plan? And I think, you know, for a club of the status of Manchester United to be sat here going, what's the plan? It's incredible. Liverpool's plan is to win the league and win the Champions League. Arsenal's plan is to do the same. Newcastle's plan is to do one in the Champions League and get in the top four. Same for Spurs. I could look at any club and go, you know, Bournemouth, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, get in the top 10. Aston Villa, get in the top six. You know, Stunderland, survive. What's Man United's plan? It's not identifiable like other teams' plans because we didn't actually fulfil the requirements of what was needed in the summer to go for the plan, which is to finish in the top five.

26:15And I think the club have therefore left some fans a little bit disillusioned and a little bit unhappy because they're sort of like going, well, is this now a write-off? What is your plan? Because if you tell me it's fifth, I'm going to say, shut up. You didn't buy a midfielder. So what's the plan? And if you're setting the plan as top 10, that's fucking horrible for a Man United fan to go, our aim this year is top 10. What's going on? But at least it's a realistic plan. They're never going to tell us, But, you know, I think it's one of the big problems that we've had over the years is this radio silence from those in power that we we don't even get told what we are.

26:51I mean, Joel Glazer could be sat there going, I don't mind if we don't finish in the top six for the next five years as long as we build this stadium and I make a load of money. I mean, at the end of the day, it's like putting money in a long term investment plan in 15 years will be absolutely minted. I don't really care what happens over the next five. That's a scary prospect. But what if that's the case? What if they look at it and go, look, we're never going to get relegated. We're always going to sell loads of shirts. We're always going to sell all our season tickets. I don't really care if we don't get in the Champions League.

27:19I don't support United. I'm the Glazers. I don't want to do it. And in 15 years, we'll be absolutely minted. What's the plan, ultimately? They don't even tell us the plan anymore. There's never any talk about winning the Premier League or winning the Champions League. So I don't know what the plan is. I really don't. And nobody will commit to it. Even Henry won't commit to it. because realistically, I don't think anybody believes that our plan can be to get in the Champions League based on the efforts we made in the summer. Talking about efforts in the summer, lovely assist from Mbamo last night for his national team.

27:55You might have seen it on the internet for Cameroon. And this is, look, I'm not going to dwell on it too much, suffice to say, I think it's great that we've got players that maybe weren't match fit, like Sheshko, Mbamo, who will get two weeks more in their eggs for when we come back. Obviously, every other club gets that, but we desperately needed it.

28:22I feel Amarin's personality hindered our sales, says Kiel. Tell me more. Evan's back. He says, you can't say they didn't give him everything he wanted if he was the one who chose to keep Bruno instead of taking the£100 million, says Evan. Well, I can say that and you can say what you've just said there because my instant reaction to that is after the decision to keep Bruno, we've been in talks with Yulman, Belaba and Gallagher. So if his decision to keep Bruno meant that he couldn't have a midfielder, then why did Man United keep talking to midfielders? So I would throw it back on the club there.

28:58I agree with you, Evan. If the decision to keep Bruno meant we weren't buying a midfielder, that's on Amrim. But we kept Bruno at the start of June and then spoke to three, definitely three midfielders about a transfer and ended up with none. So clearly, Amrim's plan was to keep Bruno and bring a midfielder in as well. Patrick Lynch says, I think we need to keep in mind that Le Mans will make mistakes. Every goalkeeper does. Let's not let the bad performances of previous goalkeepers less than our support. 100%, Patrick. I mean, Alisson makes mistakes. Rhea makes mistakes. So it's a really intelligent point, again, because every goalkeeper makes mistakes.

29:41And I think sometimes the scrutiny of players at Manchester United can be damaging because, you know, everybody does make mistakes. But because basically what happens is you get a bunch of players over the last decade that haven't been good enough and have made loads of mistakes and you become used to it and then a new player comes in and you scrutinize their mistakes even though those mistakes are natural you know and missing a big chance um you know making a mistake in goal not tracking a runner um Le Mans even if he comes in as the next Courtois. Courtois makes mistakes. We've got to be supportive, 100%.

30:25Alex says, Man United being in top three on most of the best attacking stats in the Premier League gives me some positive vibes. What do you think, Mark? Says Alex. Do you think we're almost there? Yes and no. Look, I've seen those stats. They are encouraging, but I've also watched those games. And for all the positive stats about touches in the box and XG and all that, I also watched our midfield get dominated against Burnley, against Grimsby and in the second half against Fulham. I think against Arsenal, opening game of the season, do you take much notice of that? I don't think we can, you know, I think we'd be better off going back to Lyon more than going back to Arsenal.

31:10Opening day against Arsenal at Old Trafford, it was good, but I wouldn't read too much into it. Fulham was an inconsistent performance and Burnley should have won the game three-day half-time, end up with a last-minute penalty. So I think there's positives to take from the first three games that probably haven't been discussed enough. but on the other hand some of the old inconsistencies are there as well i'm interested to see what we do in the next two games you know man city and chelsea lose both those people ain't going to be talking about those stats get results in both of those people will be saying the start was a hidden gem really um you can go back jose and keel says um okay i've done that one um kieran welcome to the members club thank you very much and uh really appreciate you getting your badge in I am on the eight o 'clock show tonight yeah it was only last night I very rarely miss an eight o 'clock but last night was just uh Terry so Eric played three four three in the Bundesliga is it normal there says dad rock Norway I think I'd need to analyze that a little bit more I mean I've only watched like two full matches this season um the three four three is not an uncommon formation it's played in the Premier League by teams I mean Eddie Howe was doing it Bournemouth do it wolves do it um there are teams that do it and i think this is you know propaganda in many ways it's unusual for man united to play a 3-4-3 and i think most people just don't like it but it's not unusual for it to be played in the premier league um good luck finding a club quote worries me how did the rest of that conversation go says keel robinson oh i'm gonna choke i see what you mean um and red devil girl hello says a sports commentator from antwerp told me it's pronounced against lamen lamen's lamen's in philip lamen's on the end lamen's there we go we'll find out i'm going to go with lumens lamen's sounds good though um patrick lynch is back he says if amram is sacked then the club would be uh in its most unstable state two permanent managers sacked in less than two years no manager would stand a chance trying to do a rescue job says patrick um and keel says 100 % agree with you, Mark.

33:24It feels like there is no plan this season. And look, I've said before, I want to talk about this Semenu story and the Maguire story, but I have said it before. Whatever you think about positive and negative or on the fence or whatever, I, in my life, can never remember in the Premier League a season where before it, you're saying we're not getting top four. As a Man United fan, I can't remember saying that ever. The first season, we just lost the league to Leeds. So it was all about winning it. And every season under Sir Alex, it was always about winning it. Moyes, I thought we could win it. Van Gaal and then put us out of the top four.

34:02Same with Mourinho, same with Oli, same with Ten Hag. And yet here we are. Nobody's putting us in the top four. So, you know, absolutely spot on about instability at the football club. We're at our lowest point. We all said that after the Europa League loss, we've never been this low. and the standards have never been so low um and the expectations are still going to be high we're Manchester United but we're also a club that's desperately searching for an identity uh on the pitch and off the pitch and these are the home truths like people talk about systems and formations what they really should be talking about is identity you know quality of football um in the last 10 years i've not seen man united play two three games in a row well and yet i can watch certain clubs we can bournemouth play well every week like they play a good brand of football they don't always win but they play a good brand of football bielsa at leeds got the sack but they played good football united for a decade have struggled to play two games together well in fact we struggled to play 90 minutes well that for me is a complete and utter sham you know it's criminal in footballing sense to have no identity.

35:16We're struggling for an identity. People talk about formations. We've tried loads of formations. We've tried loads of managers. People talk about systems. We've tried different systems. Even Oli tried a back five. Identity is what we're missing. When I look at Liverpool, I know what their identity is. I know what Arsenal's identity is. I know what Pep's identity is. I don't know what Man United's identity is. We're struggling for one on the pitch and that's not systematic or formational it's it's an identity what are we about are we about high press and suffocating the opposition creating chances with a high line are we soaking up and counter-attacking you know are we more balanced you know are we a are we a team that moves the ball quickly in possession one touch are we more composed i don't know what the identity is it's a mishmash every bloody game and then we don't have an identity off the pitch either the identity off the pitch is well i don't know or you know i say we're manchester united that that's pretty much it we're manchester united because the actual identity off the pitch is i don't know what the identity is because most clubs have a even if it's a pursuit of failure that they have an objection to be successful they may always fail i don't really know what our identity is we're building a stadium but it's not being built yet um we're Manchester United we want to be the best in England how are you going to do it you can't just say words how are we going to do it what's the pathway to it if you want to be the best club in England why didn't you buy a midfielder when everybody knows you need one is is it you want to be the best club in England with your handbrake on when you're going to let the handbrake off what's the identity I think on and off the pitch we're struggling for that and I think that's why fans get very frustrated um listen to Le Mans pronounce his own name on United says Rooney or tell me how he bloody does it i've got bloody time do you want mourinho back no joseph i love mourinho i don't want him back at united frosty says if man united season is a movie what with the title and why i think it's the titanic um well like i said at the start it could be the good the bad and the ugly which is a very good film clint eastwood um there is no there is not enough cohesion in the club for a systematic manager says rabid do you think we can be forced to get some free agent for the midfield if we continue says Alec I don't know what's out there mate I really don't um will Kone get more first team uh games this season says SR I mean hopefully he will do it'd be nice to have something positive and new in the midfield um I'd be a big big big big advocate of giving Kone time because it would be something exciting and new like a new signing even though it's within the club because my biggest concern is that the four midfielders we've got are the same four midfielders we had last year and look at what happened do you remember falling off your chair oh don't miss the eight o 'clock show tonight by the way friday night a little bit different but also got some very interesting topics for you so a bit more laid back tonight but it'll be a good show um wesley says do you remember falling off your chair during the psg and inter game great laughs keep up the great work i don't but i'm not going to dispute it um and barrel shark says in a way i'm glad we didn't get a midfielder no one will be good next to bruno and joseph says but Mark, to be fair to Amarim, I just won football manager three seasons in a row with Amarim's sister.

38:31Yeah, there's nothing wrong with it. Keel says, regardless, we're going to get top four. Clip it up. I mean, look, you know what? I will answer this. Do I think we're going to get top four? No. Could we get top four? Yes. What happens if we get top four? Amarim is a miracle worker. It will be despite the backing of the board, not because of it. because without an experienced goalkeeper and without a midfielder, he's got no right to get anywhere near top four. So if he did, it would be an absolutely ridiculous masterclass managerially because it shouldn't happen. It can happen. I don't think it will happen.

39:12But if it did happen, it will be despite the backing in the summer. Talking about the backing in the summer, you may have seen this. a few people have been talking about it so it's come in from duncan castles who says that manchester united um wanted some ennio from bournemouth um united put a limit of 55 million on the transfer but bournemouth wanted more personal terms were agreed ruben amrim dined with him um he was aggressively targeted by man united barrada and wilcox had several conversations with Bournemouth. Semenyu agreed personal terms and Ruben Amrim had a meal with the player in London at the end of the season.

39:56Semenyu then discovered the salary he agreed at Manchester United was 70 % less than they were prepared to pay Cunyar and Mbermo. Bournemouth used this and convinced him to stay and sign a contract till 30-20-30. It's not true. It's just not true. We told you this in April. The Semenyu story started off, I think, with talk shit, if i remember correctly and it is taught it is total shit um kunya was always united's number one um so leave kunya out of it and then you're in a situation whether you believe man united actively went for some menu over in burma um and even the story itself says that we were talking to embermo at the same time and offering him more wages so menu was never a target for manchester united because umbermo and cunha always wanted man united and they were their top two we were never signing three number tens or a winger or anybody like that it was always those two so look there's there's stories that are useful and that there's stories that are helpful and conor gallagher on the final day but labor but there's stories that are just you know it's a bit like saying i've seen people this morning writing articles about will cox's hundred million january plan i mean if you believe that please please please load up your bank details and send it to uh mark goldbridge's holiday fund um i could do with one uh oh yeah it's just naivety it's just not it's just not true and we must always remember that even though the transfer window is closed there are five strands of a transfer window total bullshit totally true agent led player led or player and agent-led or club-led.

41:46So not everything you read is true. We didn't go... Look, Semenyu's a good player. He's a very good player. But what was on the menu for Man United was not Semenyu. It was Embermo and Kunya. And they are two big positives. Like, number one targets, both ones at Manchester United, both ridiculously Premier League proven, and we spent a lot of money on them. So, you know, even if you believe that story and I don't, it would read like he was a cheap alternative where we're offering low wages and wouldn't pay any more than 55. We paid more than 55 for Cunha and Mburma. So, you know, not true. What about the Harry Maguire story, Mark?

42:28The Harry Maguire story is really weird. I woke up this morning and I saw it all. I was like, this must be coming in from Romano or Ornstein. It's coming in from the sun. um harry maguire is a target for two saudi pro league clubs and would consider a move at the end of the season when his contract runs out i mean like and it's in the sun i mean i i almost feel like who gives a shit like we've got a whole season before harry maguire can go and a year this time last year nobody was even saying ten hog out like and and look at what's happened in a year so So, I mean, one, the sauce is terrible. And two, he's out of contract.

43:13So, you know, Harry Maguire is going to leave in June and might go to Saudi. What? He ain't going anywhere until the end of the year. We might give him another year. He might want to go to Saudi. He might want to go to bloody Sheffield United. I don't know. But it's an irrelevant story that means nothing, basically. it's like Fabrizio Romano said about uh Casemiro this season could be Casemiro's final season in Europe nothing decided or guaranteed full focus on United but there's a concrete chance he leaves next summer I love Fabrizio but no shit no shit like there is a chance that Casemiro might leave Man United when his contract expires next summer bloody hell oh my god oh my god I can't speak what an exclusive casemiro and maguire might leave man united when their contracts expire next summer what what and we thought it was big when embermo got announced by ornstein that's the real bomber what i'm just sort of look at it and go casemiro's 100 gone in the summer 100 money and um maguire may be kept on like Tom Heaton as a leadership role, or he might fancy going somewhere else.

44:33But do I think Harry Maguire should be... Well, do you think Harry Maguire should be starting for Manchester United? No, not really. It's ironic, actually. It's ironic with Maguire because as much as people moan about Amarim's system and formation, it's actually rescued his Manchester United career. in a back four he can't do it in a three he's very good so as much as people moan about amram and his formation and we get these leaks about the leadership team at united don't like it i'm like well amram maguire's on the leadership team and this whole um system has a long uh elongated his career at manchester united got him another year on his contract so i i think Maguire is perfect for this system and who I think he should be starting for United probably not at the moment I think Yoro and De Litt have to start on that centre and right hand side and Masraoui is better there than Maguire as well on the left hand side you could play Maguire but I think when Luke Shaw's fit he probably does offer more than Maguire so I think at the moment Maguire's in the right place but we're going to get injuries and if you get an injury to De Litt Maguire's perfect if you get an injury to Yoro and Mizrahi then Maguire's perfect and at a push if Luke Shaw gets injured you can play him left side like he did for England so I think Maguire's a really really important player for United and you know at this stage of his career he's probably where he should be which is the next centre-back if anyone gets injured but he can do a job if we need him to and in that system it's worked out perfectly for us and him because in a two centre-back system we all know he would get exploited um for pace but in a three centre-back system he works quite well so i don't know whether i'd extend him another year i don't know let's see how he goes through this year with regards to injury and performance but um as i said before if he wants to take a pay cut which he probably will do unless he goes to saudi and he wants 90 grand a year instead of 190 grand a year i'd probably keep him on another year you know i've been one of the big criticizers of Maguire.

46:48But on the other hand, if a player can turn it around and show what they're all about, then you'll get the praise as well. The Matic system really is what I call it. Let's have a look at some of your comments. So yeah, I mean, God, the Maguire story and the Casemiro story is just ridiculous. A manager can only do so much, says Slazy. Amrim has guided us to the highest XG in the league, but we can't score. 120 shots August to October last season, but only seven goals. uh mike mcdonald says after a decade of failure can you really keep saying because we're manchester united them those are long gone no i agree mike i'm still you know that that's my point like what's the identity of man united what's the plan of manchester united all you've got is we're manchester united i'm taking the piss like that's not an identity that is not a philosophy that is not a plan just to go we're manchester united many people have said before that if you took away Old Trafford and Man United and the kits and put Man United in a you know generic FC 26 stadium with a generic kit and you had to guess who they were based on style of play attitude off the pitch managerial um you know results and and more importantly uh board uh objectives you wouldn't come back with Man United or Newcastle or Liverpool I think you'd come back with Everton and you know in the absence and this is a message in the absence of an identity and in the absence of a you know board level plan all you're left with is we're Manchester United well you're right that won't wash so then you wander into okay if we take away Manchester United and we actually look at the way the club behaves where what realistically is our identity philosophy and plan, I think you'd land on an Everton.

48:43I think you would. What are we trying to do this season? Are we trying to finish mid-table? We might project we want to finish in the top four, but we haven't behaved in the summer like we want to do that. You know, we're in a lot of debt. I think we're projecting the plans of a mid-table club at the moment, but we hide behind. We're Manchester United. And when I say we, we don't set the objectives. We set the standards that won't be met because we're the fans, but the club set the objectives. And I think they're very confused at the moment. Frosty Rooney, good name. Thanks very much for joining the members club and getting your badge in.

49:22Appreciate that. Good stuff. Right, let me just have a quick look. We've overrun a bit, but that's always a good sign in my mind. It means it's been a good show.

49:36I'm looking at the wrong place. Don't look at that. Don't worry, it's nothing like that.

49:45Somebody's just moaning about the international break. I don't mind this international break, really. I don't mind. What about the goalkeepers, Mark? Just the normal rotation of... I think the goalkeeper stories at the moment are a little bit like walking into a horse field where there's a big horse crap, getting a spade, scooping it up and flipping it over. It's the same shit. There's nothing out there. There is an opportunity in Turkey because the window is open. There is an opportunity in Saudi because the window is open. But at this moment in time, there is nothing progressing. And I think, to add an opinion to it, honestly, I still think Anana thinks he's number one.

50:34I think Bienda thinks he's number one. because I don't think I know who is our number one. And therefore, I would criticise United slightly on this because I don't think the message has been put through clearly enough. I don't know why we haven't just said to Anani, you're up for sale. I don't know whether we have or I don't know. But who's going to play in goal against Man City? We don't know. It could be Le Mans. It could be Binder. it could be bloody Anana. Now, if we're saying that, can you blame Biender and Anana for thinking that? Do I need to go on loan to Turkey or Saudi? I might be Man United's goalkeeper against Man City.

51:19And that in itself is a concern because we haven't made that decision. Seth says, General being asked to win wars without having bullets to shoot while others are geared up with Kevlar M16. At least we have positives to talk about this year. I think this year is going to be very very interesting i think the conversations we've been having on the eight o 'clock shows for the last six weeks have been a real testament to what a brilliant uh community we've built and um i think that there are so many layers to the conversations that are going on um and i think that the um major problem that we have is trying to just sort of understand what we're all about um i got asked a great question actually last night somebody said to me in the bar what what do you think land united this season and i literally went i don't know and they laughed and i went i don't know that's the hardest thing i just do not know and every fan wants to know like sunderland let's stay up that's the exciting journey can we do it uh arsenal let's win the league that's the exciting journey can we do it newcastle let's get back into the champions league that's the exciting journey can we do it as united fans it's a shame that we are not being given that excitement of of a plan i don't know what the plan is i don't know what it is and as a fan when you're talking to other fans and you're going i don't know i don't know what what are we are we are we meant to finish fifth are we meant to finish ninth i don't know because the club are shit scared to tell us because they don't i don't think they know and that that to me is a is a real shame so i want to get excited you know i want us to beat man city and start getting excited about top four but in my head even if we beat man city i'll be going we might lose the next three i just don't know um and i'm not so sure we'll get the answer because you could get the answer in a month when you've got eight games to look at and you look at it but if inconsistencies run through it you sort of like going i don't know i don't know the plan is to qualify for europe for europe's as Red Devil.

53:25Yeah, but that's a very broad statement. You can qualify for Europe in the Conference League in eighth. I think it needs to be more refined. I think it needs to be, we want to be in Europe in any way, shape or form, or we want to be in the Champions League. The Champions League is top five. Europe could be top eight. Very, very different to me. I would agree with you. I think eighth or below is a failure. I don't know whether I'm comfortable with eighth but in relation to last season and the lack of a midfield at the moment maybe that'd be good uh we've been rebuilding for 12 years chelsea needed three says mori thank you very much um the plan is to finish up as high as possible yeah it could be that vague right thanks everyone um ryan i haven't missed your chat i can't find it um for some reason every now and again one doesn't turn up and i absolutely cannot find it ryan i'm just gonna have a quick look you can leave if you want I'm just going to try and find Ryan's because he's been on about it but I've just been down the list three times and I can't see it Patrick Dad Rock done that Keel Robinson Sir Alex Alec Rabid Spaniel there is not enough cohesion in the club for a systematic manager we did that one Frosty Rooney Rooney yeah Joseph Frosty Rooney again Mike McDonald Seth Patrick Ryan the only one of yours is that last one I'm sorry that's all about um back at eight o 'clock with me beth's in the studio at two looking forward to the eight o 'clock show tonight don't forget don't miss it get your questions ready get your topics ready and uh have a great day and stay safe i'll speak to you all in a bit thanks for watching