179: Amorim CONTRACT Decision! No MORE Transfers!

0:01Hello everybody, good morning. Welcome to the United Stands. I'm Mark Goldbridge and this is your latest Manchester United news. As we start a new week and we start a week towards the Manchester derby, Manchester United. We're heading back towards the Premier League. We're excited. We've got lots to get into this morning. New deals around Amarim, Mainu and a few others. This is now the big plan for Manchester United. Also got a few things around Rashford, Inanna and a couple of other things too. Remember, it's a big week for us as well. The chart shows back this week. If you know, you know. If you don't ask someone in the chat, they'll tell you what it's all about.

0:37How are you feeling? Monday morning and we're buzzing. We're attacking the day, as Gary would say. We are. Let's get straight into it. So look, Man United's transfer window is over. That might not be breaking news to some of you, but some of you might have thought it was over a week ago. It wasn't. Inanna has moved to Trabsonsport, as we know, but United are finished. They go with what they got for the season now. Obviously, some people might mention the name Malassia. There are big problems with Malassia because, as we know, he had a ridiculously long period of time out injured. There are concerns that we can move him on because of that injury, i.e.

1:14can he get through medicals, etc. So I think with Malassia, it's a harder challenge to remove him. But I'm not really that bothered because we didn't pay that much money for him anyway. His wages are not that big. It's about finding a young player, or I don't know how old he is now, a future somewhere else. Do we go again in January, Marks, is Garfield? I don't think we do. I don't think that's the plan at Manchester United. So what we've got for you this morning, because we go and get the news for you. And as you know, we've been doing that for a long time now. Middler last week, we told you the injury update on Kunya and Mount.

1:46What we can tell you this morning is, and this is quite significant. Look, I am going to talk about Maynew's contract situation. We will do that. But what I want to talk about this morning for the first few minutes is what Manchester United's focus is now. Manchester United's focus is not talking about the Labour in January or the summer. It's not talking about Adam Wharton. It's not talking about Yulmland. That's gone, finished, finito, forget about it. Man United do need a midfielder next summer, but who that's going to be, how viable it's going to be. There is no plans at United to do deals at the moment because players and agents are sort of like, yeah, we'll keep you in mind, but let's see what happens this season.

2:23Everybody is getting ready for the season and part of this season now. So recruitment goes on in the background, but nothing concrete, as the experts would say. United's main focus now is contract renewals or contract decisions. That's what this is all about over the next few months. Recruitment never sleeps. Amorim focuses on the team, coaching, et cetera. But recruitment focuses on different areas. So now it's full steam ahead on contract negotiations and what's going on. And the first contract update we've got you is around Ruben Amorim. Ruben Amorim's contract runs until 2027. So in the summer, next May, he'll have one year left on his contract.

3:07No manager can go into their final year contract. Manchester United have an option of a further year so that they can activate another year. So effectively, if they want to, they could say next May, we're going to activate your contract. It's basically two years left. Man United will do that unless there is a huge issue. They want to pin Amrim down for as long as possible. Now, if Man United were to finish eighth, handing him a new contract may not go down that well. So they'll activate the plus one. But the long term vision is to stick with Ruben Amrim. Now, what we're hearing is if United had an amazing season, maybe finished fifth, maybe finished sixth, get back into Europe and do well, then there could be a new contract there because they feel in that climate, you could go, there's a three year contract, bang.

3:59but they definitely want to extend that contract next year, even if it's just by the plus one. So I think this is really good news because I think when we're discussing that contract, it was quite short, two and a half years, but you have to factor in the plus one. And we were talking about this, I think, on Saturday night. And yeah, look, if things go really badly, he'd probably get sacked next summer. But that's not the plan at Man United. They are looking to at least extend it by another year, which would give him two years from next May, which I think is a good thing. On the May new situation, this is the big thing for Manchester United.

4:40They want May new to sign a new contract. It is a priority. Ruben Amrin wants him to sign a contract. Manchester United want to sign him a new contract. Now, I have a list here in front of me of all the players whose contracts are running out in the next two to three years. Next summer, Maguire and Casemiro contract up. Casemiro has the option of a plus one. We'd be bloody idiots to do that. I mean, he's on 350 grand a week. So why would you do that? So Maguire and Casemiro out of contract in the summer, as we know. The following summer, Bruno, Maynou, Martinez, Luke Shaw. They're the next contracts for Man United to look at.

5:17And as we know, Maynou, we're looking at. Now, they've all got a plus one. I don't think Luke Shaw's got a plus one, But Martinez, Maynou and Bruno do have a plus one that you could keep until 2028. But 2027 is their contracts. Maynou's wage is very low. So Man United are looking to work on that one, of course. This is now a priority for United to get this Maynou contract done. But what we're hearing is, is that there is, now that all the talks of transfers and whiplash and everything have died down, thankfully and we can focus on the games coming up with the midfield that we've got and Manu's a big part of that to get that contract done remember Manu is earning around 30 grand a week it's a crap wage and he's going to keep earning 30 grand a week Man United are acutely aware that they have a player that is not in the team that is desperate to be in the team and he's also earning a wage that if I'm being completely honest would piss me off like I'd play for Man United for free.

6:20But if I was on 30 grand a week and I'm looking at what Agate is getting and I'm looking at what Casemiro is getting, I mean, let me just make this clear. Casemiro is on arguably more than 10 times a week what Manu earns and he ain't 10 times the player. So that's something that Man United are aware of. They're very aware that they've got a player here that, you know, is not necessarily settled, to put it bluntly. So they need to solve that because they haven't bought a midfielder. They've only got four with Collier gone and Maynou is obviously out of immense potential. The club really value him, but they have to give him a contract.

6:59They know they have to sort this out. But the problem they've got is the contract they want to give him is very far away from the contract that the people around him think he should be getting. And look, that could be 100 grand a week, 200 grand a week. It could be 75 grand a week, 150 grand a week. There is disparity. There is a gap between what that should be. But United want to resolve this. You know, their public stance is the same as what it is privately. They want Manu here. They want Manu working. They want Manu as part of that midfield for years to come. They're very aware that that midfield is going to change a lot next summer and they want this contract sorted.

7:30And the longer it's not sorted, the more problematic it becomes because there is then like two magnets just not be able to connect. So this is a major priority. What I was told is that it's not like that that contract's going to get signed any time in the next few hours or days, but United would love to be announcing it now. In fact, probably their plans were to announce it now, considering they didn't get a midfielder. If they'd announced Manu's new contract in the international break, that would have gone a long way to silencing those of us who are not happy that we didn't sign a midfielder because it would be the old PR.

8:05It's like a new signing. So United, desperate to get this deal done, but not desperate to necessarily overpay. And you come back to the question again, how much is Maynou worth to you as a fan for a wage? Tell me. Because we can talk about this. We know what players earn wages roughly anyway. And I think that his wage at the moment is pitiful, but he's not an established first team player. And I think United need to be a little bit more forward thinking when it comes to contracts that they can be revisited. I'd personally be saying 100 grand a week, but if you start 30 Premier League games, we'll revisit it in the summer with the guaranteed minimum increase of 20%.

8:52What's 20 % on 120 grand? That's the sort of thing I'd be doing. It motivates the player. What I'm not up for doing is dropping a 150 grand a week wage for a player that's not even in the first team at the moment. And I think that this is, I mean, people talk about the legality of doing that, but it's not illegal to do it. If I give Maynou 100 grand a week and say, look, I believe you're going to be brilliant, but you're not in the first team at the moment. So you start 30 games for Man United this season, I will give you a 20 % pay rise from the minute the season ends. So you'll go from 100 to 120 grand.

9:29And in year two, if you start another 30 Premier League games for Man United, I'll give you another 20 grand on top of that. So you could be on 140K in two years time if you're a starter in the midfield. And then in year three, we will review it anyway. That's how you do it. But if you've got a player, and I'm not talking about Manu here that says, I want 150 grand a week and Chelsea will give me that, then you've got a problem, haven't you? And you've got a player there that maybe doesn't want to be here. So you have to pay what players are worth, but I think you also need to motivate them as well.

10:04We need to solve this. We need to solve this. I've just solved it in a few seconds there, but I don't know what I'm getting back from the player's side. But I think that's a fair deal. I think it's a fair deal. 100k base, revisit it at 20k a year, integrate steps over the next two years if you're playing a certain amount of games. You know? So that's what Man United are looking to do there. I want to talk about some of the contracts as well, but it's got a couple of comments coming in here. Naz says, It's great Amirim gets extended because the players both at the club and unknown know there is little chance they can outlast the manager, work as a team, or get out Amirim in.

10:38A couple of questions coming in about the Amirim stuff. Obviously, we're getting this from the same source we've been getting stuff from for the last six months. You know what that list is. Um, so, so, so basically if you hammer him out and you want him to be sacked, what needs to happen? I mean, we would need to be finishing, you know, below 10th. I think, I don't think United can say that because what if you finish below 10th, but you, you know, you score 150 goals and concede a hundred goals and you're the most entertaining team in the bloody world, but you finished 10th. I don't think they'd sack him then, but I think if you finished 10th or below and it's like last season, I think there might be a problem.

11:15I think if he finishes around 7th to 9th, I think they'll just extend the contract by year. I think if he finishes 6th or above, they'll give him a new contract of maybe three years. The plan, 100%, is to keep Amirim and work with Amirim for a long period of time. That is written in stone in the Man United boardroom. They want Amirim. They chose Amirim. They want to back Amirim as far as they can. They will extend that contract, even if it's an average season by one year because he's got a plus one. They'll give him a new contract if it's a good season, which I think will be sixth or above. And if it's a bad season, then obviously, who knows?

11:55So all options are on the table, but United want to keep Amrim. One person said, when can they activate the plus one? They can activate the plus one now. So if you don't know what we're talking about here, Amrim's contract is up in 2027. So in May, he's only got one year left on his contract. You just can't do that. You can't do that with any manager. It's a terrible idea. But Man United have got a plus one. So next May, 2026, when the season ends, and he's only got a year left on his contract, they could just go, Ruben, we're activating the further year. So you've got two, which means the next season you're on trial again, because then you'll have one year left at the end of that.

12:34Man United can act. I think Man United could activate that now. But you get this with players as well. The reason you wait until towards the end when there's only a year left to activate is because you get more evidence, don't you? If I've got, let's say, if I've got, I'm trying to think of a player. If De Litt's got one year left on his contract from now, but I can activate an extra year at any time, would I activate it now? No, because what if De Litt does his knee tomorrow and never is the same again? Again, I'm always going to wait until nearly a year is left on his contract to activate the final year.

13:12Not because I think the shit, but because I just want to get more evidence. So I would say the Amarim extension will happen around early next year, maybe sort of April time. If we're doing well, I think you'll get a new contract. If you want to, John says, feel free to criticise Amarim. If you want to do that, that's fine. You'll probably be met with a fair debate back, but that's absolutely fine. Alejandro, welcome to the Members Club. Thank you very much for that. Do you think Maynou wasn't allowed to leave to keep the academy tradition alive? Are you worried about the academy numbers getting into the first team, says Big Z.

13:48This might be really controversial. We spoke about this a few weeks ago. My stance on the academy is that it's a very proud tradition that we've always had a youth academy product in our matchday squad since the late 1930s. That is incredible. And when you compare it to other Premier League clubs, it obliterates them. No one can get anywhere near. But you can't just keep doing it because it's a tradition. It's ridiculous. Like there has to be merit to it. All records come to an end. Life itself is not infinite. You know, we were dead a long time before we were born and we'll be dead a long time afterwards.

14:26You're here for a certain period of time. No legacy or tradition should just stay forever. There are many traditions that have been obliterated by modern society, some good and bad, but nothing should stay forever. I don't want to be in a position where we're putting a youth academy player on our bench just because we've always done it. It started because it was a vision and it's moved through the decades, through the Busby Babes, all the way through to the class of 92, because it's a proud tradition with very good players coming through it. I mean, you think about people like George Best and Ryan Giggs, etc.

15:02When was the last time we produced a really good youth product? We've nearly got close a few times. I think Mason Greenwood had the potential to be generational, as I said. Marcus Rashford, very, very good. Obviously, we're looking at Maynou now. But I don't want it to be a token gesture. I think there are better youth academies out there, and that's a horrible thing to say. I mean, you look at what Arsenal are doing at the moment with people like Louis Skelly, Waniere, Saka, Downman. Chelsea have got a good youth academy. Liverpool have got a good youth academy. Man City have got a good youth academy.

15:37We need young players in our team, but we don't want them there as a token gesture of, oh, we've got to have somebody there. Then they become a mascot. If it dies, that reflects badly on the football club because it shouldn't die. Football fans are not stupid. You can't just go, oh, here's the youth product on the bench again today because we need someone, but they're not very good. Let it die if we can't do it. And the club has to look at that. Old Trafford's going to get knocked down. To me, that shouldn't happen either. But if we need to knock it down because we need to build a new stadium, I accept it.

16:13It should never have happened. It should never have allowed to be, Old Trafford should never, ever have been knocked down. It needs to be knocked down now, but you go to Anfield, they're never going to knock it down. They respect it. They nurtured it. they looked after it, they renovated it, they kept it modern and their sacred ground will stay there beyond us and I think that's an absolute embarrassment to the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, not only of where they are on the pitch at the moment but where we are off the pitch. Anfield is sacred and will never get knocked down because they've looked after it.

16:44Old Trafford is sacred and we're going to watch it get knocked down at some point in the next decade. And that's not your fault. And it's not my fault. That's the owner's fault. So if Old Trafford can get knocked down and rebuilt next door, then maybe this youth thing needs to get knocked down as well. We can't just put young players in because we're Manchester United. If they're not good enough, you don't put them on the matchday squad because excellence and performance is what we want. And if there isn't young players good enough, they shouldn't be on the bench. So a very good question. And do I think we've kept Maynou to keep that record going?

17:24No, because the flip side of the coin is there are some really good youth products coming through and there's a lot of good work being done in the academy. So I think that record will be fine, but I don't think we've kept Maynou to help with that record. I think Maynou is a talent and that is why he was a brilliant player when he broke through. and that is why he was playing for England in the Euros only just over a year ago. But if it gets to the point where we're ever just putting players on there as a token gesture, then we failed. Very, very good question though. I don't want it to fail. I don't want Old Trappard to knock down.

18:01I don't want Mag United not to be challenging for the league every year like we should be. But reality is, you know, there's a lot of mistakes being made at this football club And I don't believe that I wouldn't, you know, be very happy about it. But ultimately, whose fault would it be? Big Z says, my worry is the Academy output. We should be able to maintain the tradition with great promise and product. If we don't, it needs addressing, says Big Z. A great point. I'm broke, says Oak. I read them in the order. I want to read them, mate. and you didn't put a previous message in. So I can't read your previous message because there isn't one.

18:44Young players also tend to look better in well-oiled teams. Arsenal weren't producing too many youngsters when they were poor. Suddenly they're producing one player daily, Sassahil. Look, very, very quickly because I want to go back to the contract stuff. When you've got Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Dennis Irwin, Peter Schmeichel in the first team and you're nurturing David Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, they will be better in a team that has great players in it to learn from. When you are, you know, Marcus Rashford or a Manu or a Ganacho or whoever else, and you're coming into a team that is weak and poor and underperforming, it's harder.

19:25Now, I'm not saying that if you dropped Marcus Rashford into a team with Roy Keane and Eric Cantona are in it, he would emulate David Beckham or Ryan Giggs? Absolutely not. They're better players on a different level. But I do argue that we would have got the full potential out of him and he either would have been good enough or not. And it's easier for a younger player to come in and develop in a... Basically, I can't remember who said it, so I will say it. A young player should come into a team with no pressure and basically be something different. So that when you're playing Manchester United, you're occupied with Roy Keane, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, et cetera.

20:13And then the young player is just pure unknown, unpredictability with no pressure. And they give you as a team that unpredictability and you protect them with your established players and you nurture them without pressure. That's how you do it. When Dowman's coming on for Arsenal, he's coming on to a very good team, isn't it? So I think that's really interesting.

20:50Sorry, I've just had a message coming in there. But look, I think very, very good question. And I'm very, very grateful for that question because I think it's always brilliant when you get a question that takes us off somewhere else. Now, I want to just go back to contracts because I will completely forget

21:17what... Sorry, I've lost my live chat here. That's why I'm... Without my live chats, like me without oxygen. Contracts. We've spoken about Maynu and we've spoken about

21:32Sorry, one minute

21:37I just had a message from Terry

21:59There we go. It's interesting we talk about Maynou and we talk about Amorim contracts because Bruno, happy birthday to Bruno. Bruno. Bruno. 31 today. Bruno's contract. So Bruno has a contract that runs out in 2027. So that seems like a long time away for people. but it's the season after next. That's the way I look at it. 2027 is two years away. God, I'll be, no, I won't be 50. Don't worry. But there's nothing wrong with being 50. I just think every day is a privilege. People worry about their age. I mean, I don't want to be blunt, but I will be. I know good people who didn't make 40. I know good people who didn't make 16.

22:49I'm saying it in a relaxed way because that's life. So never worry about your age because every year is a gift. People worry about it too much. And I think it's complacency. People moan about when they get to like 30 and 40 and 50. And I think, oh, sorry, have you had a message from whoever the God is saying that you're going to live till 100 and you're on a countdown? You might never make it. You might never make it. It's a privilege. But my point is happy birthday to Bruno. He's 31 today. As I said, his contract is up at the end of the 27 season. That feels like it's a long way away. It's the end of next season.

23:25Now, obviously, we've only just started this season, so that sounds closer than it is, but it technically is two seasons of Bruno. There is an option of a plus one. So you've got to factor that in. We could have three more seasons of Bruno on 300 grand a week. But I think that, as I said over the weekend, it wouldn't surprise me if Man United put a new contract on the table. I think it will come to a head with Bruno next summer. I think he'll either go to Saudi next summer or will extend. The reason for that and the reason I mentioned this contract is because United are now focused on contracts.

24:03This is their big thing now until probably Christmas, contracts. Where are we with our contracts? Let's start having discussions with people. And with Bruno, I think those discussions will continue and the rumours will continue because obviously there was a potential for him to go to Saudi in the summer. And the fact remains that he did think about that for a long period of time. And if he'd have said to United, I want to go, I think United would have done the deal. And I think if United had said to him, we want you to go, he'd have gone anyway. What actually happened is Bruno spoke it through with those people around him, his family, and decided that it wasn't the time.

24:38And that in a World Cup year, he wanted to be still playing for Man United and he felt that it wasn't the time. And United didn't want to sell him. So that's why he's still here. Obviously, I think this will be revisited. Absolutely nailed on because the Saudis have moved for Bruno in the last three transfer windows, including January. So they will go for him again. Once you've got a foot in the door, it's about forcing your way through. And they have a foot in the door. United will have two years left on Bruno's contract next June. That's if they extend it. I think that's the perfect time to take a very big fee and I think if Bruno wants to go he will go which will obviously lead to major upheaval next summer at a time where Amram is still trying to build something he's going to have a major upheaval in his midfield next year so I think Bruno is one certainly to revisit that will continue to be spoken about because a deal like that needs to be spoken about I mean what I was told by a certain journalist

25:43is that it's very possible that the speed in which Saudi wanted to do that deal with Bruno and Man United's not being prepared for it means that having a year to actually do that deal might be easy for all parties as well. Would you go for a midfielder like Connor Gallagher in January if we finish around 5th or 6th after December or go big ones like Belieber in the summer? We need at least two, says Seth. Look, mate, I mean, I'm not going to ridicule the Belaba conversation, but we go with what we've got in the midfield. And I think that there is always going to be optimism and there's always going to be negativity and there's always going to be people who sit in the middle.

26:33When it comes to Belaba, I sit on the middle. I don't think it's impossible that he comes to United next season, but I don't think it's nailed on either. I think just because you have a chat with a player that's willing to join you in August 2025 doesn't mean he's going to be willing to join you in June 2026. There's a lot of football to be played. What if he's shit this season? What if he's amazing this season and Real Madrid fancy a look or PSG? Because Real Madrid are going to strengthen their midfield. PSG will always be on the lookout. And that's not to mention the Premier League clubs. So I just don't think that we can sit here and say, you know, would you go for Conor Gallagher in January or would you wait for Belaber in the summer?

27:10Belaber may not wait for us. Wharton may not wait for us. I think Conor Gallagher would have been a decent player to bring in. I'm very disappointed that we didn't do it. But obviously, I wasn't talking about him until the last two weeks of the window when it's like, what can we get? In January, that might be something we might want to revisit. I certainly think we're going to need more than one midfielder anyway. I think two. And you're very unlikely to sign Adam Wharton and Belaber. So a Conor Gallagher and a Belaber or something like that wouldn't bother me. Do you think there's any chance that Maynou will leave Manchester United?

27:44I think the reason for talking about the contract, you know, makes it worthwhile. I think that, you know, if Man United, I nearly said the word desperate. We're not desperate. Manchester United want to sell. Sorry, they don't want to sell. Manchester United want Maynou to sign a new contract. and this has been being worked on for about eight months. They want to announce that new contract. They want the noise to go away. They don't want to talk about loan deals. They don't want speculation. They want commitment for a young player that's really important to them. That strengthens Maynew's position, by the way.

28:22It's worth mentioning Maynew's a young player from the academy. If there is any player that has a bit of a bargaining tool, I'm from the academy. You have a great record with your academy. who's your player coming through if it's not me I want this so he has a strong position there is also clubs that would want him as well so he's not in a terrible position himself United want him to stay the disparity is going to be the wage you know if Maynus is concerned about his first team position why am I United offering you a decent wage like you know I guarantee that that wage will be 100 % around 100k that's a lot of money for somebody who's not actually a first team player at the moment so the wage will be good um i think that um but but but but look will man united sell mainu only if man only if manu refuses to sign a contract and continues down the road of wanting to leave um i think you know anything's possible i just hope that i just hope that there is some sensible thinking there that we can just do a contract that's staggered that is rewarding him now i mean look if i was him and i was on 30 grand a week and somebody offered me 100 grand a week with you know staged improvement based on performance i'd sign it now like you know it's a huge pay increase it makes you feel valued valued um samuel says i tested the average stay of a united player post sir alex that played at least 100 000 minutes with ai is 3.94 years and for 500 minutes it's 3.8 years says Samuel that's very good well done it's still way too long for Liverpool it's also four years they've just bought better than us says Samuel look I think I think if you watched the show last night you'll understand it if you don't get the context I'll explain it very very quickly at the start of the show last night we took every signing from 2017 to now and averaged the amount of time that they stay at the club and it's 4.3 years we've bought a lot of flops and they're staying for 4.3 years what Samuel's saying is that Liverpool's is around four years it's not the length of time if you're a decent team like if I was looking at the United side from 1999 I would want all of that team to be staying for 10 years if I could obviously age and how long they've been there would impact that so I don't care if our average signing stays at the club for six years if we're fighting for the title every year that's great.

30:53So if Liverpool's average stay is four years, look at the last eight years for Liverpool. They've won the Champions League. They've won the league twice. You'd be quite comfortable with an average stay of four years. But when you're shit like United, you don't want a high stay because they're not good enough. Seth says, not Belaba specifically, I meant the calibre. Whatever happens, Seth, we will have to next summer spend considerable money on the midfield because Casemiro has to go. Bruno might go and Agate will be hitting that two-year point. So if all those, if Bruno goes, Casemiro goes and Agate flops, you need three midfielders.

31:33And if Manu wants to go, you need a whole new midfield. So the midfield is a, I think in relation to the midfield, it's very obvious that we made a mistake this summer. There is nobody that can justify, I've not heard anybody say, even the most positive people will say we should have bought a midfielder. Nobody can justify United not signing a midfielder because one, we need one and two, next summer we might need two or three. So we should have got one now so that they were at least settled for next summer because bringing in three midfielders next set next summer, wow. The only team I can think of that did that and I'll never stop shouting about it was Jurgen Klopp when he bought in Sabozlai, Gravenbirch and McAllister in one summer and it did work but it's very very difficult to change a midfield like that uh Kone obviously we hope about red but I think that's always very dangerous I mean I hope Kone can be very good but you're talking about a teenager that you've never seen play in the first team and you're saying that he's going to solve the problem and I think you people are the problem sometimes you know in a nice way I think you are because what happens is Dorgue comes in oh he's shit you know or Chong comes in the team, he's shit.

32:45And I don't ever like it when people say, oh, Kone is going to solve the problem. You've never seen him play in the first team yet. And if he plays one bad game, you'll say he's shit. Like a young player has to be given years of patience and nurturing. You can't just go, we don't need anyone, we've got Kone. I hope he can be a good player and he'll certainly get the patience from me and many of you. But there are people out there that start pontificating about, oh, this player is going to solve all our problems. They come in the team. They behave like a young player where they're inexperienced and inconsistent.

33:18And then it's like, oh yeah, they're shit actually. Why are we using them? Big C says, read the captain. If we'd sold Bruno, who would have become the captain? We need to think ahead. If Bruno leaves next summer, captain is another piece of the puzzle. I think that team's got leaders in it. I mean, Delitz was captain of Ajax at 19. Definitely got leadership qualities playing in a position where a captain, as we've seen with Van Dijk, can be very effective. Vidic, obviously, at this club. I think that, you know, people like Cunha have got captaincy capability. I wouldn't rule that out. And then you've got people that could steady the ship.

34:01You know, Maguire might stay for another year. He wouldn't start, probably. That would be problematic. Luke Shaw as a captain obviously can't stay fit. I certainly wouldn't want someone like Deleu to be captain. He's been here for a long time, but I don't think that works. So yeah, I think someone like Deleu, Acuna, you know, but I think, you know, I think there are potential captains coming through. I was laughing my head off this morning. There was a story about De Ligt. I think he played two minutes in two international games. I mean, Koeman's an idiot, isn't he? He really is. But look, whatever.

34:40International football for me is... The only good thing about this international break is that some of our players get two weeks more fitness. I think it's good for Sheshko, Mbermo and a few other players. Robert McCormack says, I'd be disgusted if a manager ended that record.

35:07Oh, the youth record. Well, look, as I said, Robert, for me, I don't want to see that record go. It's been nearly 100 years in the making and I think United won't let it go, to be honest. But do you want some bang average 19-year-old on the bench every week just to keep a record going? That's what I mean. That record should keep going because we've got a constant pipeline of very talented young players coming through. I don't want to just put a young player on the bench just because they're a young player, you know. So that's what I'm saying. Young players also tend to look better. I've done that one from Sahil.

35:49Big Z, we did that.

35:55I've done that one from Naz as well. Appreciate it. Just on the goalkeeper very, very quickly. I've seen a few people talking about it in the chat. And also I saw it. But I can't. People are saying that. Get your words out, Goldbridge. People are saying that Amrind's made his mind up that Le Mans is going to be the number one goalkeeper. This is nonsense. Be very, very careful because you might be setting yourself up for a diss. what I don't like on a match day is when we see the team news coming in and people lose their shit because it's not the team's, you know, free our mad, etc. And sometimes it's justifiable, but sometimes it's not.

36:38Don't fall into the trap that Le Mans is now Man United's number one, because you'll end up moaning like mad before the Manchester derby next Sunday, if he doesn't deal with that. There is nothing coming out United that Le Mans is the goalkeeper. In fact, Man United aren't even back properly full training as a team until I think it's probably Wednesday when everybody. And I don't think everyone's back then. So there's a lot of light training been going on and there's a lot of days off for certain people. So Amrim has not made his mind up. Now, I'm hoping that Le Mans will be in goal for the Man City game, but there's a very big chance it will be Biinder based on.

37:16And Sheshko hasn't started a game yet. And Bienda's played every Premier League game. So he might stick with Bienda and think, you know what? Do I want to throw Le Menzen straight away into a Manchester derby at the Etihad in front of the watching world in one of the biggest games of the season? He might do it. He might not. But I don't think that decision has not been made for public consumption yet, because I don't think that decision has been made. in fact let's be clear there is no way that amarin has told anybody to leak that lemans is number one goalkeeper because he hasn't even seen him train with his players yet and what if lemans comes in and trains on wednesday thursday friday with the first team and it's very very clear that he ain't ready so that decision hasn't been made yet even though some people are talking that it It has.

38:05Let me have a quick look here. Sahel, I've heard from you. I've heard from you.

38:13That was from last night. Marcel says, even Endo could get in your midfield. Keep up the hard work, Mark, says Marcel. Man United's midfield is, on paper at the moment, very, very poor. I don't think anybody is going to deny that. Based on last season, it was really, really poor. based on the roster that we have. It's not great, but they are going to have the chance. The transfer window is closed. We can't make any changes to it. So hopefully things can change because they're going to need to. Certainly. What were you going to say about Rashford? We sort of touched on it yesterday morning. So it got to a point where even Barcelona outlets So having to sort of say this is not true.

39:00I think some United fans are starting to panic that Rashford might. In fact, I think some United fans were starting to celebrate that Rashford might be sent back on his loan from Barcelona. Some people were panicking about it. I don't really know what this is based on other than the fact that I think some Barcelona fans are very, very demanding. And they may not be over the moon with Rashford's start to his career at Barcelona. so there was talk about rumours about you know they're not happy and they might send him back

39:34this has led to further articles that this is not the case just that Hansi Flick and Barcelona have very high standards and they have confidence that Marcus Rashford can meet them even if he isn't at the moment now I haven't watched Barcelona yet this season I'll put my hands up and say I've been very busy with the Premier League and the Bundesliga so I haven't watched it yet but you know what they are one of the best clubs in the world at the moment they have just won La Liga they did get to the semi-final of the Champions League and that's the arena that Marcus Rashford wanted to be in what he's going to have to do is live up to that hype and perform because in a club like that they actually do behave like a big football club regardless of debts regardless of issues and having to sell Messi etc they've still always stayed in the top three in in the Spanish League and they're still always in the Champions League.

40:24So even though Barcelona may have been on bad times in the last few years, they've still been relevant. They've still been in the Champions League. They've still been fighting for La Liga. Man United obviously haven't. So whatever Rashford had about Man United being a big club, he'll have witnessed that Man United big clubs don't necessarily perform. At Barcelona, you have to perform. So you've got to cut him some slack. What he's learnt at United might be that you can switch off. You're not expected to be that good even if you're a big name Barcelona it's not acceptable so I think there needs to be a level of understanding here that this is a year loan it's a year audition Barcelona probably brought him in on a understanding that they felt there was a good player there and it's a bit unfair after one period of games before the first international break to be thinking about sending him back he was in the England squad as well I mean I didn't watch the Andorra game I'm going to do the Serbia game tomorrow.

41:22So, but as Josh says, I hope he does well.

41:27So he doesn't have to come back. Maybe I'm harsh, but I want results. Now, look, you know, it's the same as Inanna, isn't it? I want Inanna to do well at Trabson Sport. I think he's very, you know, very much a player that we want to move on. But I want Rashford to do well as well. Sancho at Villa, you know, all these things help us because I don't want Garnaccio to do well because he's gone, isn't he? But the players that haven't gone permanently, you want them. Rasmus at Napoli, I want him to do well because it benefits us. And where it also benefits us as well is that when we want to sell players in the future, it makes them more valuable.

42:05If Rasmus goes to Napoli and performs and Rashford goes to Barcelona and performs, that makes people go, there's good players at Man United. For whatever reason, they might not have delivered, but they are good players. Look at what they've done here. Look at what they've done there. These sort of things really, really help us. Look at Scott McTominay at Napoli. It helps us if players go off and do something else well elsewhere, which obviously we haven't seen for a while.

42:37So I'm not going to call that. I'm not going to say that.

42:43Goalkeeper in defence. Players need to train and get their agreements in order for last man to be efficient, no matter how good he is, says Mike. Don't think it's true, but I never thought he's good enough for them, says D3 for about Rashford. When is the FIFA career mode starting, says Asher. I don't know when it's out and it's FC 26. So I think it's out in about two weeks, probably. So as soon as it's out, we'll get on it. I have been playing the beta, so I am ready in a sense to get going. So yeah, as soon as it's out, the career mode will be back did anyone see sesko physicality manhandling two defenders for slovenius as cats i think look i'm very excited it's the start of a new week and at the end of it i've got frankfurt leverkusen on friday night i'm then straight into the premier league on saturday and it's a manchester rb on sunday so and the chart shows back so it's a very exciting week um for all of us hopefully but um i am i think in the case of sesko i'm probably more excited than any any other player because he didn't start a Premier League game despite being here for the start of the season so that has to be about fitness you know that that's another fortnight of fitness training starting like I don't think he's going to start the Manchester derby I don't think he'll start the Manchester derby but then I think well how can he not start the Manchester derby because Kunja and Mount are probably out so would you really how could you even construct a front three without Sheshko in it.

44:07You could put Bruno as a 10 with Mbermo and play Xerxi. You could put Ahmad with Mbermo and Bruno. But I think, like, you know, he's got to start this game. Like, Man City showed vulnerability against Spurs at the Etihad. I want to see Sheshko start in this game. And I certainly don't want to see fitness as an issue.

44:35Rob asks, it depends on how United conduct the talk with Balaba. It'll be a positive sign if Balaba says only want United. This will put off other clubs to go for him. Yeah, look, Rob, I think you've nailed it. A lot of people say, why don't you think Man United will sign Balaba next summer? And I'm like, well, we didn't sign him this summer. That's the big thing. It's not negativity. people say we're going to sign him next summer what like the big elephant in the room is we didn't sign him this summer why didn't we sign belabor this summer because the price was too high so why won't the price be too high next summer so that's without anybody else coming in we didn't sign him because we thought he was worth 60 million when they won 100 so why is why is he going to be any cheaper next year why would united go and do it next year so i think that's um i think that's a a difficult one um any suggestions for new football football channels is rizzy is that for yourself um it's a very polluted not polluted um congested well polluted is probably good it's very congested uh space mate now football you content on youtube very very congested um if i was recommending a type of content to do god i don't know i don't know i i I couldn't answer that one, to be honest with you.

46:00It's not like when we started. We had more to buy this window. Next window might be different, says It's Noob. I don't think so, mate. I don't think so. I mean, look, we haven't even played the season yet. I look at next summer. We know Amarin wanted another wing back. We know we're going to need two midfielders. I would still say goalkeeper might still need to be looked at. I think a centre-back is going to be needed at some point. Potentially a backup striker. so i still think next summer you're going to be saying we need five signings i don't think we'll be going into next summer going now we only need two midfielders i still think that this is a look i said when amram came in you're going to need to spend a billion he spent 300 so conservatively still needs another half a billion of spending yeah um

46:54Duncan Lord says your comments about no baths in the morning. What happens when I work overnight and sleep during the day? Well, that's a very technical niche situation. Please have a bath, Duncan. A bath before bed is absolutely fine. A bath when you rise is weird. there are free agents out there

47:23reason we didn't try was club wouldn't sell him and wouldn't even entertain sale this summer says Hitman mate mate you can't just come in and make stuff up that's not what happened at all Manchester United spent two weeks speaking to Belaba they then spoke to Brighton and Brighton said we don't want to sell but make us an offer and Man United didn't make an offer Man United valued him as per very good sources around£60 million Brighton sold Caicedo for£100 we were never getting him we were never going to pay that amount of money so you know it's not like we could have negotiated something they weren't going to go below£100 million and we weren't going to go to£100 million so you saying they wouldn't have entertained selling him.

48:14We never even got anywhere near a price that they would have done. And what makes you think that will change next summer? I don't know. The worry I have about Belaber, very, very simply, just to close this door, is that we got nowhere near their valuation this summer. And if he has a good year, that valuation only becomes more justified. So, are Man United going to spend£100 million on a midfielder? Well, Sir Jim Radcliffe said no. Those days are gone. So I don't know how you get Belaber's price down to 60 or 70, which we might do it at. I think that's the problem.

48:54He's still going to be very high on the list, though. Mark, can you commit to growing your facial hair until we win three on the bounce? You'll be Santa by December, says Sam. Yeah, no, I ain't stupid enough to do anything that I don't do any shaving your head challenges or growing your beard. I actually do need a shave. It's getting a bit on my nerves at the moment. So I will be shaved by the next live show. Definitely. Belaber's not been very good so far this season, says Gibbo. Well, that poses a good question as well, doesn't it? Imagine if Belaber has a bad season. Do you then go and spend£60 million on him?

49:30Somebody made a great point a few weeks ago, Evan Ferguson. There was a point with Evan Ferguson at the start of his Brighton career where there was considerations that we should probably bid 70 or 80 million pounds for him while we can. He is now on loan at Roma.

49:49So if Balaba has a bad season, would you go and chuck 60 million pounds at him? I don't know. I don't know. Aidan Heaven will keep going, says Natasha. I think Aidan Heaven's got a very big future at Manchester United, definitely. I was at the Brighton versus City game. Balaba was poor and he was subbed off, says Enfad. I watched the Brighton Man City game last year He came on at half time and he was the best player on the pitch So I think he's a fantastic player I think he's been well scouted But I think getting players out of Brighton is also very very difficult Look I would not want Man United to spend£100 million on Belaber next year If we need two midfielders There you go I've said it I do not believe that there are not players like Belaber for half that price If you scout well What I would want to know is And again, I'm stealing this from one of you.

50:40If we're going for Belaber next summer for somewhere around 80 to 100 million pounds, the most important thing I want to know in the next few months is who's Brighton's replacement. That's all I want to know. Who are Brighton looking at to replace Belaber? And that, you know, I'd send Indiana Jones to go and find that secret. it like that's what I want to know if we're going for Belaber next summer who are Brighton scouting to replace him that year you know that that's that's the golden egg that's the one because you can guarantee that replacement's going to come in and be amazing and they're going to cost about 10 to 15 million pounds that's what I want to know that's all I want to know um

51:27because we need more than one midfielder next summer definitely arsenal spurs and someone else were going to pay 25 million plus for michu back in the day after one good season you've got to be careful says gaz uh we've got priced out of branthwaite as well says red and that was good you know i think branthwaite's decent but you know nobody went for him the year after i mean that's a great lesson as well you know sometimes walking away is not a bad idea based on valuation um i would have been very excited if we'd signed belabor but you never know man united's refusal to go anywhere near 100 million and value him at 60 could look inspired in two years time have you ever thought about that because we offered 50 for branthwaite they wanted 70 united walked away that looks a very clever deal now you know we all as fans we always see a player that's got talent and go, let's get the deal done.

52:21Let's get the deal done. Sometimes you walk away and it ends up being a massive mistake. Sometimes you walk away and it ends up being inspired. And walking away from the Branthwaite deal was brilliant. A year later, nobody went anywhere near him. Move! Nobody went anywhere near him. So sometimes walking away is not a bad idea. And I firmly believe that there will be another belabor out there for 30 million right now, 20 million there will be this football is coming through all the time there is a constant um steady flow of players coming through there's another dembele out there there's another yamal out there they're coming through they're around somewhere you've got to find them we've never been um we've never been um so bad at recruiting young talent and there are players out there we've got to scout a lot better.

53:14We're still not touching the South American market, by the way. Nottingham Forest have brought in three Brazilians over the last 18 months. And I think they've all looked really good. Why are we not hitting that market? Why are we not hitting the young French market, the German market? There are good players out there. We need to scout better. Cunha and Mbermo make total sense. Established Premier League players in their mid-20s, but we spent 130 million pounds on those two players we can't keep spending that amount of money on every player because it will take a long long time um we needed that experience and they were both very very good signings but we do need to start looking better at you know the right personality the right talent at the right price um and i think our scouting does need to improve definitely get the scouts out to south america and find the next belabor for about 25 million says McAlvis, definitely.

54:11Well, look, on That's Football, I'm loving watching the Bundesliga and learning about that. There's a lad at St. Pauli, Fajita. I'm not saying he's going to be Premier League class, but he looks very good. Wonderful sense of gravity. Lovely on both feet. Very tenacious. I'm not saying he will be in the Premier League, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is playing in the Premier League in the next two years. He's 23 now. So that's just one in two weeks. Nuzsa at Leipzig, I've been talking about him for ages. He's another one. Now, they're not going to cost the earth in the Bundesliga. I know Seshko did cost a lot.

54:54Verts cost a lot. Maybe the prices are starting to go up, but traditionally they've never been that big. There are some really good players out there. Anyway, thanks for watching. Pop yourself over to Terry's channel. He's got straight facts on if you want to carry on the conversation while you're working or whatever. Stop complaining about learner drivers then, says Bobby. I mean, literally, you don't listen to anything I say, do you? I literally just said, we didn't need learner drivers this summer. Getting Cunha and Embermo was intelligent. But we're starting to build quite a lot of experience in that team.

55:25You know, Cunha, Embermo, obviously Bruno, Casimiro are still there. DeLitt, Maguire, there is experience in that team. What we didn't need to do this summer was buy learner drivers. And we didn't really. I don't think Seshko's a learner driver. I think he's young, but he's got a lot of experience playing in the Champions League. Obviously, Kunja and Bermot, experienced players as well. So, yeah, Le Mans is obviously going to be inexperienced, but we can't afford to just keep buying experienced players all the time. You need to have a mix of that. Right, might as well get the next Messi as well, says Trish and Well.

56:01finding the next Messi is, you know, that's the dream, isn't it? But I don't know about that. Maybe JJ Gabriel will be that. But I worry about that. Let that naturally happen, you know. Take care, everyone. Stay safe. We're back at two, eight o 'clock show tonight as well. Lots to get into. Football's heading back and we're very excited about it. Speak to you all in a bit.