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Take nothing away from United's well-deserved derby win over City, they absolutely deserved it. Despite the blue half of Manchester having the lion's share of possession, United absolutely tore them apart on the break with slick passing combinations and electric counterattacks. City barely had a sniff at goal, with Lammens largely untroubled. But is this another false dawn for Manchester United, or a sign of better things to come? To give you an idea of just how one-sided this derby was, United had three goals disallowed and hit the woodwork twice, whilst City had ZERO shots on target As a football supporter, I'm well aware of the effect of the "new manager bounce". But Saturday's brilliant performance against Pep Guardiola's men have inevitably raised many questions, most of which were criticisms aimed at Ruben Amorim's spell in charge. Let it be known that I am still pissed at Amorim's sacking. I love the guy. He's a straight-talking, no-nonsense manager. He got rid of the troublemakers in the group (Garnacho, Rashford, Sancho). And the fact that many of our current players took to social media to thank him for his time in charge is concrete proof that contrary to popular belief, he did not lose the dressing room. Criticism may be aimed at his 3-4-2-1 formation, but United knew what they were getting, and Amorim has every right not to deviate from his philosophy, as he’s said from the start. Lisandro Martinez's return and Harry Maguire's ongoing redemption arc has brought much-needed steel in the heart of United's defence And for all the "backing" that INEOS and Jason Wilcox promised, this summer brought a host of forwards and ZERO midfielders. I’m not slating the signings, Cunha and Mbeumo have brought a fresh impetus to our attack, something we sorely needed, but for years now, the midfield still lacked a decent upgrade. Someone in the mould of Elliot Anderson, or even a punt on Morten Hjulmand, would've benefitted us greatly. Instead, the board ignored Amorim's concerns that have long been echoed by the previous United managers. Can you really blame him then? Granted, we looked good in a 4-2-3-1 when we beat City. And being a former long-serving United player himself, Carrick knows a thing or two about the club's DNA. But as he's stated, he's just here on an interim basis until the summer. Who then, would be a good fit for the United hot seat? If you've been following the news recently, then you'll agree with me that Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes need to keep their traps shut And if you've watched the United-City game, I implore you to cast your mind back five years, when United were under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's charge, and you'll inevitably notice similarities. Under Ole, United sat in a low block against stronger opponents and launched devastating counterattacks on the break. Against weaker opponents who were happy to sit back and do the same to us, United struggled to break them down. Isn't this just regression? I for one, am wary about celebrating too early. I've seen this far too many times. Under Erik ten Hag, his first season was about pragmatism: Sit back and hit opponents on the break. His second season saw him try to implement the same philosophy that brought him much success under Ajax, and we all know how that went. Ole was hired on an interim basis midway through the 18/19 season and went on a lengthy unbeaten streak before being awarded the full-time job, but his three years in charge brought a total of zero trophies. Amorim wasn’t even given a full season: Hired midway through the 24/25 season, fired midway through the 25/26 season. Blasphemy. Erling Haaland may have an impressive goalscoring record against United, but on Saturday, Licha and "Slabhead" kept him largely shackled And to be honest, I have zero faith in anything changing for the better at United until those INEOS leeches and greedy Glazers are far, far away from Old Trafford. 21 years of mismanagement and lining their pockets have brought this once-great club to its knees. Any straight-talking manager will just get shown the door, while puppets will stay for a few years before the Glazers decide to shift the blame, press the reset button, and shake their crystal ball in the hopes that another puppet comes along to appease the fans. So don't celebrate too early yet and keep any criticism of Amorim to yourselves. He was the only one who gave a damn, and now he's gone. This may be a huge win, but how long this feel-good factor will last is up for debate. And if, like me, you’ve been following United for a long time now, you'll know just how many false dawns we've had to endure over the years. ~ Fremont (Images from Manchester United)

ManU New Season With the latest inclusion (and hopefully performance similar to Haaland) of the 74mil ; 6'5" 22yo Benjamin Sesko (Leipzig) as striker, Hojlund (AC Milan / Fulham) has been told to look for another club by Amorim as gametime will be a rarity for him. The new signings of Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) and Diego Leon (Cerro Porteno) brings the amount of over 214mil, with possibility of Carlos Baleba (Brighton), goalie Luigi Donnarumma and Mateus Fernandes on the cards if transfers of Antony (Real Betis), Ganarcho (Chelsea / Villa), Sancho (Juventus), Malacia (PSV Eindhoven), Toby Collyer (West Bromwich) etc are realised for funds, with Rashford already on loan to Barca absorbing his hefty wages. Possible line-up for tomorrow's EPL opening match with Arsenal (11.30pm) would include the 3 new signings in front, Dalot / Leon, Amad / Mainoo, Bruno and Ugarte / Mount in midfield with Heaven, De Ligt and Yoro in defence and Onana in goal. With his pre-season training completed, Amorim is expected to acheive at least a top six placing for European football. GGMU!

Having followed this club for more than 20 years, I'm well aware that a promising transfer window does not directly equate to an improved season. Forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, as well as Diego Leon, the young Paraguayan wing-back, have been Manchester United's signings for the 2025 summer transfer window so far. On paper, this team should have no problem challenging for silverware. On the pitch, the current crop of players finished 15th last season. While both Cunha and Mbeumo have had stellar seasons for their respective Premier League clubs (Wolves and Brentford), playing for Manchester United is, in Eddie Hearn's words, "different gravy". Wolves, or to give them their full name: Wolverhampton Wanderers, were god-awful under Gary O'Neil for the first half of last season, before the Englishman made way for Vitor Pereira 10 days before Christmas. The Portuguese sparked a resurgence in results, with Cunha playing a huge part. But he has always been a rather temperamental player, prone to angry outbursts and lengthy suspensions. Mbeumo formed a brilliant partnership with Yoane Wissa at Brentford, with the two combining to score 39 goals last season. The hope is that with these early signings, both players have more time during the preseason to get used to Ruben Amorim's tactics and carry on their rich vein of form into the upcoming 25/26 season. Fingers crossed. The biggest surprise of United's first preseason game is that Luke Shaw (bottom row, second from right) has somehow magically regained enough fitness Diego Leon is still a player very much for the future. Having only turned 18 this year, it would be unfair to expect a big impact from him. But as is the truth, unfortunately, he will have to come to terms with the fact that another injury crisis in the left-back position could see him thrust to the forefront a lot more earlier than anyone can anticipate, especially with Luke Shaw and his glass legs. In truth, United need touching up in a lot of areas. Left back remains a big issue, as is central midfield (Casemiro enjoyed a brief resurgence towards the latter half of last season, but he's not getting any younger). And for all of the glamorous signings in attack, how United have yet to sign a proven goalscorer is beyond me. Unfortunate United supporters who witnessed the travesty of the 24/25 season unfold will know that for all the chances Bruno Fernandes puts on a plate for his teammates, Rasmus Hojlund is not the answer. Perhaps I'm being unfair on the Dane. The United of yesteryear had experienced and prolific strikers helping the new, young signings settle in and take the weight of the goalscoring burden off their shoulders for the first year or two, but in this current team, it feels like pretty much every man for himself. Perhaps Hojlund could have flourished in a more stable environment, but then again, two years without any kind of improvement is saying something. A proper "number 9" has been sorely needed. Social media was awash with United supporters dreaming of a reunion between new United manager Ruben Amorim and his former player Viktor Gyokeres, a striker who is currently in the form of his life and whom the Portuguese has a good relationship with. Alas, at the time of writing this, the Swede looks more than likely to join Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. Don't ever question my loyalty or commitment, I'm a lifelong Manchester United supporter through and through Onto the midfield. Arguably the most important area in football. Legendary United gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson once said that "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles", which is largely true (Leicester City's legendary 15/16 title charge, anyone?), but without a midfield to link them both, one might as well start raising the white flag. Under Erik Ten Hag for the first half of the 24/25 season, United's midfield was continuously overrun, and embarrassingly enough, not just by the big teams. Other teams repeatedly took advantage of Ten Hag's tendency to shove all his players into the counter attack and leaving his midfield exposed. This isn't a bad tactic in itself, but without the right players to cover a large area of the pitch, every United game seemed much like a typical NBA match: Back and forth, back and forth. Amorim's 3-4-2-1 isn't that much different, with players pushing up into a 3-2-5 formation in attack. This leaves two midfielders to win the ball back and start attacks, but with almost every other team employing a three-man midfield, United's midfield were largely outnumbered and outran, which left many United supporters often groaning, head in hands. I myself am guilty of this, although I lace my frustration with a healthy and colourful string of expletives. Still holding out for a resurgence from the Red Devils this season? Don't be too overly optimistic. Let's go back to the 2021 summer transfer window. United finished second (74 points) the previous season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. A very respectable record and a strong core group of players gave many supporters much hope for the upcoming season. Two big-name signings, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, arrived from Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively, as well as the experienced goalkeeper Tom Heaton on a free. But the best was yet to come. Four days before the transfer window closed, Cristiano Ronaldo announced his Manchester United homecoming, and social media went absolutely ballistic. For days, all anyone could talk about was CR7's return to the Premier League after 12 years. The Portuguese duly slammed home a brace on his second debut and United supporters dreamed of a first title win in nine years. Unfortunately, that was as high as the mood was ever going to get. Top 10 things science cannot answer: How this United team actually struggled as much as they did United capitulated, Solskjaer got the sack, and even though Ronaldo hit 18 league goals in his first season back, it wasn't enough to rescue the Red Devils from slumping to sixth. Looking back, it is to be speculated that the signing of Ronaldo severely disrupted the flow of the team, who now had a megastar to contend with. Word spread that the signing was made by the board and not the manager (Solskjaer carried the same aforementioned worries and was reluctant to break the selfless team spirit he had built) in the hopes of selling more shirts and bringing in more sponsors. A tale as old as time: United's utterly incompetent and a waste-of-DNA owners, Joel and Avram Glazer, putting their greed ahead of the team. It is worth nothing that ever since their takeover in 2005, the Glazer family has not put a single cent into United's coffers. They were more content with siphoning money out of the club into their pockets. Absolute leeches, but that's another rant for another day. With just a handful of signings and a host of deadwood to clear, United supporters would do well than to rely on blind optimism after three new signings. Been here, done that. I'm not falling for that trick again. I'll believe it when I see it with my eyes. Surely it can't be worse than last season's horror show. Hah, famous last words. ~ Fremont (Images by Manchester United)

Yes, this post was made a mere two days after Manchester United’s statement win over defending champions Liverpool on their home turf, our first since 2016. Yes, I’m still basking in the afterglow of a much-needed victory. And yes, like everything concerning my beloved club, Twitter has been awash with the usual dross of dreamers, realists, and pessimists. Seriously, I saw a few tweets and comments saying that we could win the league. Really? With a midfield leakier than Rebekah Vardy’s mouth? I’d say dream on, but I think these folk need to wake the heck up. Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after his first minute goal threw a spanner into Liverpool's gameplan A 2-1 victory at Anfield gave Ruben Amorim his first back-to-back league wins after taking over the helm in November 2024. And of course, you wouldn’t be amiss to question why a manager who has only now managed that feat to still be in the hot seat. But bearing in mind that this is the Portuguese’s first full season, and with restricted finances due to Financial Fair Play, the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules, and two decades of mismanagement by the incompetent Glazers, I still think it’s too early to fully judge him. And yes, I am aware we splashed the cash to sign Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko. All big statement signings. And you would also be right to question why the midfield wasn’t given an upgrade, seeing as that has been United’s Achilles heel ever since Michael Carrick’s retirement. As the saying goes, control the midfield and you control the game. Carrington graduate Kobbie Mainoo can't contain himself after Lord Maguire's late winner But with transfer prices at an all-time high, Jim Radcliffe’s cost-cutting measures, and clubs knowing that they can bleed United’s wallet due to years of overpaying (€100m including add-ons for Antony, anyone?), the Old Trafford hierarchy will have to be savvy with their funds. What could’ve been if Sheikh Jassim showed a bit more leeway. There has also been a rise of managers willing to live and die for an idea. Think Russell Martin at Southampton or Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham and most recently, Nottingham Forest. Amorim is no different, stubbornly sticking with a 3-4-2-1 in a world of 4-2-3-1s and 4-3-3s. Instantly, the mismatch is evident. A two-man pivot will always be outrun and outnumbered by a three-man midfield. It takes a certain kind of ball-winner to perform the role Amorim wants, and with the Red Devils defending in a 5-2-3, our midfielders might well be in the stands, joining the United faithful in bated breath and silent prayer. Harry Maguire's redemption arc is one for the history books Casemiro, bless his soul, has these qualities but, at 33, lacks the legs to chase the ball around. Mainoo and Bruno have a tendency to push upfield, leaving the backline exposed. And according to some sources, Amorim has told Ugarte that he “is not the player he was at Sporting”. Chat, how cooked are we? But to his credit, Amorim is trying to address this issue by quite simply ignoring it. When starting attacks, United bypass their midfield entirely. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens goes long 99% of the time. So do Leny Yoro, Mattheus de Ligt, and Luke Shaw, who are usually the left- or right-sided central defenders. United are more interested in passing combinations along the wing instead of risking it in midfield, although someone forgot to tell Bruno Fernandes the memo on Sunday. We finally have a keeper that sticks to the basics, commands his box well, and claims aerial balls with ease. I could cry So, going back to the Twitter dross: Is it possible for United to win the league? Theoretically, why not? Leicester City did it despite odds of 5000/1 in the 15/16 season. But they had an assured spine of dependable players, a goal machine in Jamie Vardy, a magician in Riyad Mahrez, and the magical touch of Claudio Ranieri. What do we have? A beleaguered backline of Shaw, Maguire, and de Ligt constantly under siege. A striker in Sesko that gets little service because our wingbacks are vampires, i.e., afraid of crosses. And a midfield with more holes than Swiss cheese. It would be an embarrassment for the league if this current United team won the title. Then again, recent history proves that a win against Liverpool can signify a change in fortunes for Manchester United, even if its not an unlikely title charge. Erik ten Hag’s maiden tenure in the 2022/23 season got off to a rocky start, with a 1-2 home loss to Brighton and a 0-4 away drubbing by Brentford. Then came Liverpool in Gameweek Three. Against all odds, United won 2-1 at Old Trafford and never looked back, clinching a third place finish and silverware in the form of the Carabao Cup by the end of the season. Ultimately, that was as good as we got under Ten Hag, but that’s beside the point: Revival after beating Liverpool is possible. Then again, with four out of our next five opponents being Brighton, Tottenham, Everton, and an in-form Crystal Palace team, don’t get your hopes up. ~ Fremont (Images from Twitter)

Since Ruben Amorim accepted the responsibility of attempting to restore the fallen Mancunian giants back to their glory days, he has taken charge of seven games so far. Today, we break those seven games down, what went wrong, positive signs, and any other factors worth mentioning. First game: Ipswich Town 1-1 Manchester United (Premier League) 4/10 Amorim’s tenure kicked off with a game against newly promoted Ipswich Town who, at the time, only managed one victory in their last 11 fixtures. On paper United should’ve coasted to a comfortable win. The match proceedings were anything but. Marcus Rashford smashed the Red Devils ahead after just two minutes, but Omari Hutchinson levelled things a few minutes before half time. In truth, the home side had the better chances and should’ve scored a few more, but for Andre Onana’s heroics in the United goal. An ageing midfield pairing of Casemiro and Eriksen proved detrimental against a young Ipswich side who ran through the midfield with relative ease. However, United were playing with panache and a style of play seemed to be forming. A young Ipswich Town team overran United's midfield but struggled to find a way past Andre Onana, who won save of the month in this game Second game: Manchester United 3-2 Bodo/Glimt (Europa League) 5/10 European fixtures are never easy. Just ask Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City side, prior to this game, were trounced 4-1 by Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon side in the Portuguese capital. Chopping and changing his starting XI was to be expected, as the new man sought to figure out his best eleven. Rasmus Hojlund put in a sterling performance: his pressing forced the keeper into an error, which Garnacho duly converted for the opener. A well-taken double followed to hand United all three points. Third game: Manchester United 4-0 Everton (Premier League) 7/10 As of 16 December 2024, Everton’s Jordan Pickford and United’s Andre Onana are joint top for clean sheets (six). Years of mismanagement and debt accumulated under owner Farhad Moshiri have seen the Toffees slide down the table, which nearly cumulated in relegation in the 21/22 season. Under Sean Dyche and with first choice England keeper Pickford in goal, they have built a reputation for having a watertight defence. Against United’s swashbuckling attack, it turned out to be a one-sided affair. Rashford and new summer signing Joshua Zirkzee nabbed a brace each, with Amorim’s usual 3-4-2-1 formation in full flow. Amad Diallo, very much a peripheral figure under the previous manager, was at his scintillating best. Typically a winger but playing as the right wing-back, he was given license to roam and grabbed it with both hands. One minute he’s tracking back and making tackles, the next minute he’s marauding up the pitch, ball at feet, eyes always scanning for the best possible option. What’s even more impressive is that he played the full 90, and not once did his standards drop. Mentality monster. Still only 22-years-old, the future looks very promising for the Ivorian. Joshua Zirkzee does the gunfingers celebration a la Robbie Keane, just without the forward roll Fourth game: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United (Premier League) 4/10 This was Amorim’s first real test at United. Runners-up for the past two seasons, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side have a reputation for having one of the meanest defences in the league, and also for set-piece goals. The latter was clearly on show that day, with Arsenal’s two goals coming from set-pieces, headed in by defenders Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for United: promising signs such as players looking sharper and confident, clear on their instructions and roles on the pitch. Set-pieces remain a weakness, as it was under the previous manager Erik Ten Hag, but one mustn’t forget, this is only Amorim’s fourth game in charge. A transitional period is to be expected. Fifth game: Manchester United 2-3 Nottingham Forest (Premier League) 2/10 In fairness, Nottingham Forest have been flying this season. With the impressive Chris Wood leading their attack, and pace and creativity in midfield, and a robust defence with different skillsets, Nuno’s men are proving to be tough opponents. Still, at Old Trafford, one would expect United to get a result at their home ground. Forest scored after just two minutes, another set-piece goal. Hojlund equalised soon after. All square at half time, but the visitors came bursting out of the blocks as the second half kicked off. A long-range effort caught Onana, so promising in recent games, flat-footed. Chris Wood (who else?) added a third, and suddenly United were in danger of letting the game run away from them. Captain Bruno Fernandes pulled one back, but it was not to be. A second consecutive loss for the Red Devils. Cold picture. Results-wise? Absolutely steaming Sixth game: Viktoria Plzen 1-2 Manchester United (Europa League) 6/10 Last year, United goalkeeper Andre Onana endured an error-strewn first season, with many supporters questioning the unceremonious departure of club legend David de Gea by the board and manager. On the night, he did his doubters no favours, with an underhit pass handing the Czech side the lead. Enter Ramus Hojlund. The Danish international was immense in the previous European fixture, and today was no different. A double, including a late winner, handed United all three points in their bid to qualify for the next stage of the competition. Seventh game: Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United (Premier League) 11/10 Be real guys, we all knew this was coming. And get ready for a long-ass piece. The best game under Amorim so far. Reigning champions City, winless in their last 10 games in all competitions, were still a force to be reckoned with. A few hours before kickoff, it emerged that Amorim had left Garnacho and Rashford out of the travelling squad completely. Whether it be the rumours of alleged United lineup leaks before the embargoed timing by members of the squad or simply performance-related, United had bigger worries on their minds. Two wounded giants, one led by a serial winner albeit cheating scum (115 charges, we see you) and one led by an up-and-coming manager. No United manager had won their first Manchester derby since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986, so the odds were stacked against Amorim. But, as club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once said, “Mountains are there to be climbed.” A cagey first half, in which United poked and prodded at the City defence without much effect, saw City take the lead, once again from the result of a set-piece. For the most part, the Red Devils sorely missed the runs in behind by Garnacho and Rashford, which would’ve stretched a typically compact City side. Sloppy passing and indecisiveness almost led to more goals for the home side, but Haaland and co found Harry Maguire in scintillating form. Harry Maguire channeling his inner prime Paolo Maldini on Sunday The second half saw United adopt the same style of play: a patient buildup, prodding and testing the City backline, trying to exploit any gaps, not rushing things. The away support increased their volume to try and galvanise their team on, wanting to see some form of attacking intent. Bruno Fernandes missed a golden chance to put his team level, and a collective groan echoed around the Etihad. United had been guilty of squandering chances in the past and not killing off games, and it looked like a recurring theme, until one man decided enough was enough. Enter Amad Diallo. Capitalising on a sloppy back pass by Matheus Nunes, Amad raced towards the City goal with only Ederson to beat. Realising the angle was narrow, he attempted to cut the ball back and was duly hacked down by a recovering Nunes desperate to make up for his mistake. Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot. Penalty for United. Bruno Fernandes stepped up, took a deep breath, and sent Ederson the wrong way. A roar of delight reverberated around the stadium. 88 minutes gone, United were finally level. City were wounded and hurting. The home fans knew it. The away fans were baying for blood. United smelt it, and duly went for the jugular. In the first minute of stoppage time, barely two minutes after Fernandes levelled proceedings, Lisandro Martinez picked up the ball, and with no City players immediately pressing him, scanned the vicinity. Amad, now inverted, made a run in between the opposition defence. Martinez picked him out with a lofted ball, and Amad dinked the ball past an onrushing Ederson, before directing the ball into the net from a tight angle. Cue euphoria. Amad Diallo sprinted to the away fans to celebrate. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, two unused substitutes, embraced the Ivorian, wide smiles plastered on the faces of the United players. Ruben Amorim pumped the air with joy, whilst Pep Guardiola collapsed in his seat, head in hands. The City players looked at each other, baffled. The home fans were silenced. For the first time in four years, United had triumphed at the home of their crosstown rivals. Post-match celebrations saw Amorim declare to a reporter, with a wry smile, that “Manchester is Red.” Similar Instagram posts by United players appear to take the mick out of City, all in good fun of course. Banter is a vital part of football rivalry, as long as the line isn’t crossed. My personal favourite? Rasmus Hojlund’s post (shown below) aimed at Kyle Walker, who comically fell to the floor in the hopes of getting the United player sent off, following a confrontation between both men after an unsportsmanlike barge from the latter. Walker is 34 by the way. Kyle Walker is no stranger to cheating, just ask his ex-wife A long way to go Hopefully United will take this as a sign that things are clearly working out, and to push on with the aim to improve instead of resting on their laurels. Amorim is clearly doing something right, but admittedly I said the same thing about Ten Hag in his first season. But the major difference between both men is that Amorim has repeatedly stressed that his tactics and formation will be decided by the players at his disposal, meaning that despite all the talk about his staunch refusal to budge from a 3-4-2-1, it does not mean the Portuguese is not willing to adapt to the game conditions. United currently sit 13th in the table, which sounds bad until you realise only six points separate us from fourth-placed Nottingham Forest (yes, you heard me right). The chase to the top four is on, in a bid to bring back Champions League football to Old Trafford. With a young manager at the helm – Ruben Amorim is only 39 – and a young team brimming with raw talent and massive potential, United have the best springboard to capitalise on, and with actual brains heading the football aspect (instead of the waste of space that are the Glazers), the future looks bright. Also, if it wasn't already blindingly obvious, I am an ardent Manchester United supporter, so expect a dash of biasedness and a splash of unseriousness except about everything that is and will be mentioned about the absolute parasites that are the Glazers, who really should carry a potted plant around to replace the oxygen they waste. - Fremont - Photos from Twitter (@utdscope)

Manchester United have once again signalled a restart with the sacking of Ten Hag, and just days later, announced the appointment of Ruben Amorim, who will join midway through the first half of the current season from Sporting Lisbon. Back to square one yet again for the Red Devils who, despite being one of the most successful clubs in England and biggest clubs in the world, have not won a league title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Since then, they’ve gone through a whole host of managers with varying degrees of success. My exact reaction to Ten Hag's early dismissal, after the United hierarchy publicly backed him in the summer and gave him a new contract 2013 to 2016 - David Moyes was Sir Alex’s immediate successor, lasting just 10 months as United trudged to seventh place. His replacement was three-time Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal, who won the FA Cup but faced the sack two days afterwards. 2016 to 2022 - Jose Mourinho, arguably the biggest name on this list, won the Europa League and the League Cup in his first season, but fell out with certain players and members of the board, and bade United goodbye a week before Christmas in 2018. Club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped up and lasted the longest despite not winning anything, but was dismissed just five weeks shy of three years at United. Ralf Rangnick was brought in as an interim coach for the rest of the 21/22 season. 2022 to 2024 - Erik Ten Hag came from Ajax and despite winning the League Cup in his first season and the FA Cup in his second, was shown the door ten games into the 24/25 season after a poor run of results despite signing a new deal in the previous transfer window. The last Portuguese manager to manage United, and in my opinion, the best hire since Sir Alex's retirement However, with the investment of INEOS and its owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, himself a proclaimed United supporter and who assumed the responsibilities of the footballing aspects of the club, the club moved fast to snap up Amorim, who reportedly has been on their radar for quite some time. This marks a positive change of United identifying and signing targets that would benefit the club in the long run, much unlike when the Glazers, United’s majority shareholders and much-hated owners (with good reason), simply threw fat, lucrative contracts at big stars whose light were fading, clearly to boost shirt sales. Having been poorly run for the last eleven years, and one might argue even before Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the future looks bright for the Mancunian club. Gone are the days of signing has-beens. United’s past few transfers have been with the future in mind – think Rasmus Hojlund, Leny Yoro, and Joshua Zirkzee – and many academy graduates have been promoted to the first team and have had a big impact – think Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. A young and vibrant United team overcame current title-holders and city rivals Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, with academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo (not in shot) scoring the winner Given new gaffer Amorim’s track record at Sporting Lisbon, winning the club’s first league title in two decades and repeating the feat three years later, and going toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite in the Champions League despite having a significantly lesser budget, he will presumably have a lot of credit in the bank, even with the ficklest of United supporters. With the Old Trafford faithful yearning for an exciting style of play and the pacy, counterattacking football of the successful United teams of yesteryear, the Portuguese manager seems like a good fit for the fallen giants. Only time will tell if he can reap long-term success and bring back the glory days or end up as just another failed United project. - Fremont - Images from Twitter

New signings for the new season! With the departure of Varane and inpending sales of Casemiro, Eriksen, AWB and Maguire, these two new signings will augment the midfield and defence structure as we have Mainoo and Mason Mount with Dalot, Martinez and Shaw to shore-up these positions. Also, among the Academy players, Amad and Harry Amass were impressive in the pre-season friendly match against Rangers yesterday and deserves a place in the first team squad to bring MU to greater heights under ETH who signed a new contract till 2026. Upon the return of the regulars from Euro'24 in time for pre-season matches against Arsenal (28/7), Real Betis (1/8), Liverpool (4/8) and the Community Shield Cup against ManCity (10/8), these friendlies should confirm the starting-eleven before we swing into our first EPL match with Fulham on 17/8.

https://www.reuters.com/business/elon-musk-says-he-will-buy-manchester-united-2022-08-17/ Elon Musk says he is buying Manchester United August 17, 20229:49 AM GMT+8 Aug 16 (Reuters) - Elon Musk, the world's richest person, on Tuesday tweeted that he was buying football club Manchester United Plc (MANU.N), without offering any details. Musk has a history of being unconventional and making irreverent tweets, and it was not immediately clear whether he planned to pursue a deal to secure Manchester United. "I'm buying Manchester United ur welcome," Musk said in a tweet. The team is controlled by the American Glazer family. Neither the family nor Musk immediately responded to a request for comment. British newspaper The Daily Mirror reported last year that the Glazers were prepared to sell the club but only if they were offered in excess of 4 billion pounds.($4.84 billion) Musk is currently trying to exit a $44 billion agreement to buy the social media company, which has taken him to court. Manchester United is one of the world's best supported football clubs. They have been champions of England a record 20 times and have won the European Cup, the most prestigious club competition in the global game, three times. Dissatisfaction among fans at the Glazers' perceived lack of ambition to bring in top players intensified after the club finished sixth in the English Premier League last season, while crosstown rivals Manchester City won a second successive title. The football club had a market capitalisation of $2.08 billion, as of Tuesday's stock market close. Manchester United fans have in recent years protested against the Glazers, who bought the club for 790 million pounds ($955.51 million) in 2005, due to the team's struggles on the pitch. The anti-Glazer movement gained momentum last year after United were involved in a failed attempt to form a breakaway European Super League. Some fans have urged Musk to buy Manchester United instead of buying Twitter. Musk has a history of unconventional actions and comments, making it difficult sometimes to tell when he is joking. His ambitions range from colonising Mars to creating a new sustainable energy economy, and in the process he has built the most valuable car company in the world, electric vehicle maker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX, and a slew of smaller firms. One is a tunnel maker called the Boring Company. Musk has appeared to smoke marijuana in a podcast and fought U.S. regulators over his comments about his plans for Tesla, including an abandoned effort to take it private. Forbes estimates his fortune at $270 billion. ($1=0.8268 pounds)

Time for us to be great again! GGMU!!! Will JM bring champions league football back again? Will we even be champions of England?

The new fixture list is out. Man Utd play Spurs on the opening day. Falcao on loan to Chelsea. Is Depay the answer?