[0:00]Hello everybody, welcome to The United stand. I'm Mark Goldbridge. Bit of an early one, but some big news coming in tonight. we've got some updates around the manager, around the summer transfer window, around the left back situation, and some strange stories about and that we'll talk about a little bit as well. Uh, but let let's get straight into it. a little bit early because I'm doing the Bundesliga at half seven. it's a Friday night, the weekend starts here. Um, but we're going to start off with, um, what Mark Ogden has written this afternoon. uh, ESPN journalist, been around for a long, long time, talking about what could be a brutal summer transfer window for Manchester United. if what he's written is to be believed. Um, really, really quite concerning around some of the managerial updates there. But let's start off with what he said about Tonali because basically Mark Ogden, ESPN is saying that Sandro Tonali and Bruno Gumeraz would both be of interest if they were to become available to Manchester United this summer. But there is an acceptance already at Old Trafford that Newcastle would make it almost impossible to negotiate a sensible financial deal for either midfielder. Now, look, my instant reaction to that is Manchester United don't know how to negotiate for big players. Because you look at last summer and was a very, very good signing and Kunya was a very, very good signing. But Kunya had a release clause. So there's no negotiation, you pay the release clause or you don't get him and we paid the release clause. we spent from the start of June to the middle of July negotiating a deal up to the level that Brentford wanted. So we spent six or seven weeks negotiating for nothing because Brentford wanted 65 million and they got it. So we're just not very good at negotiating when other clubs say we want good money. And I think already are we starting to get that indication of how Man United's ineptitude in the transfer window will bite us in the ass? Because I don't I don't I saw some people going, oh, piss off Newcastle. And I thought we hold on a minute. Tonali is quite comfortably one of Newcastle's best players and so knows so is Bruno Gumez and so is Luis Hall. So if Manchester United are already accepting that they won't be able to get them at um, a sensible deal for them. But why would they do a sensible deal? They're in the Champions League. They they're this time last year. They were competing for the Champions League spots. They got into it. And now look at where they are. Manchester United are where Newcastle were a year ago. If somebody had come and tried to get Bruno for a year ago, we wouldn't have gone, well, let's do a sensible deal. We'd have gone, we don't want to lose this player. Let's not do a sensible deal. So I think with regards to, um, sensible deals and etcetera. Um, Tonali is going to cost a lot of money, probably in excess of 70 million pounds, and Bruno Gumeraz is going to cost in excess of 50 million pounds. The problem is, is that we run ourselves like a business. So the scouts will say, let's go for Tonali. And Man United will go, let's go for Tonali. And then you'll knock on the door and Tonali will go, I'm interested. And then United will go, let's go to Newcastle. And Newcastle will say 85 million and Man United will go, we can't pay that. We can give you 50 and they'll go F off. You're going to have to negotiate around 70 to 80 million pounds for Tonali. And if you're not going to negotiate that, what are you doing in the first place? I mean, what do you think it costs to get a top-class midfielder to replace Casemiro? I mean, do you really think that happens for 40 million pounds? Maybe if you get a little bit lucky and you've got really good scouts, that happens. But the reality is you need somebody to come in and hit the ground running, who's Premier League proven. They they retail at north of 60 million pounds. Water's going to cost more than 60. You're going to pay more than 60 for Belber. So if you want Tonali, there is no there is no sensible financial deal. And it worries me that that sort of stuff's coming out from the club already. Well, we want Tonali. It's almost like we as fans are meant to go, well, they're right to walk away. They're right to walk away. If Newcastle want 80 million pounds, forget it. We can walk away. And I sort of like go, but the reason they want 80 million pounds is because he's probably worth it. And if we're not willing to pay it, then we won't we won't we won't progress. And one of the things I wanted to bring into the show tonight is that there is another parameter that we're not talking about. There is this parameter of not buying players over 26 and we know that parameters there. Um, there is also this parameter of Premier League proven, which some of you might agree with or not. I think there's also a parameter of not paying over 70 million pounds for a player. I I genuinely think that is there. And I think that is going to harm us because you do if you want the quality, you do have to go north of 70, sometimes north of 80. So, look, sensible offer or not, we're going to we're going to have a brutal summer transfer window if we're going to look for sensible financial deals. It's not a sensible market. It's a competitive market, and in a competitive market, you sometimes have to pay. Look, Elliot Anderson is not sensible at 100 million pounds, but I do think it's a signing that Manchester United should be looking at. I mean, Mark Ogden himself in the article said, there does remain a belief at Man United that Elliot Anderson could be tempted by a move to Old Trafford ahead of rivals Man City this summer. And, you know, maybe there is that belief at Manchester United that they can do that type of deal. But again, you will not get a sensible offer unless there's some hidden release clause that's going to go in our favor because they will want to get good money. I just I do, I do. Look, we're going to talk about the manager next, but I do worry over the last two weeks, we're starting to get the reality bite that we were always going to get. But we don't like the reality. When it hits the March international break, it starts. And so it begins. It's on the countdown to the real transfer window. And United have to start being truthful then, because you can't spin anymore. You can't say Elliot Anderson's the priority in the March international break and then not get him. You have to start being honest. You can say it in September because they'll they'll just go, yeah, well, it gets us clicks. You can say it in January because it covers off buying a midfielder in January. But you can't say we're going for Tonali and Anderson in March because people remember it too close to the window. You have to sort of look, look, look, basically, start of April last year, Liam De Lap, we broke it and we did go for De Lap for two months and he went to Chelsea. Uhm, Kunya was late April. We did go for Kunya and we got him. So we're starting to enter that area now where Ornstein and Romano and other credible journalists start talking about Man United going for players. It's because we're going for those players. And I think that what's worrying me about the last couple of weeks is we're starting to get, oh, Tonali's too difficult. It's too expensive. Bruno Gumeraz is too expensive for his age. Anderson, oh, if if it's realistic. And I think, look, look, you cannot do this cheap. You can't. Maybe Wilcox and Co have this arrogance that they can do some do things other people can't do. I remember one of you saying it about two years ago. It's amazing that Man United think they can do things on the cheap that other clubs struggle to do spending lots of money and what win the league. Man United think in 2026, they can win the league on the cheap. You can't. You can't. You can't even come second on the cheap. Like you've got to spend decent money on decent players. 100 million pounds on Declan Rice. I mean, I don't know how much Arsenal spent on Suma Mendy, but I bet it was over 40 million quid. Um, you have to spend to achieve. But United are one of the few clubs in the Premier League that think we can get back on top and stay on top spending cheap. We won't be back in the top five next year if we don't spend well in the summer. We won't. Newcastle are the warning themselves. Emily Derry says, let's be honest, United's idea of a sensible deal is entirely different from ours. There's no consideration of value and hyperfocus on the size of the price tag andchangeable ideas like resale value. Exactly. You're absolutely spot on Emily, as per usual. Um, the the way we approach a deal is like a business deal and actually I would approach a deal like, I want this player. How do I get this player? Well, it's a little bit expensive, but I want this player. I don't want the second best, you know? If you want the best, you need to pay good prices for them, says Mike. Um, if you pay less than what they are worth, you will get laughed at here, end of the lesson. And Labell says, manager Goldbridge, just finished reading story book football, the rebuild, a book gifted to me by a lady during our game against Spurs. No spoiler, but you're one of the most crucial characters in it. You really need to read it if you haven't, says Labell. Thank you very much. I will I heard about that a couple of months ago, actually. I need to go and check what it's all about. Daniel Thompson says, hope hope everyone's well. We're terrible at negotiating. It's the fact they aren't even willing to try. I'd pay whatever for Tonali, we need him. I completely agree and Amrit says, all we can do is come up with interesting targets and a wish list, but what if it's just another Glazer summer, a dud? So fed up. Well, look, I think that's in the balance. We can have a really good summer with a really good manager. And we can have a really mediocre summer with a really mediocre manager. And I know a lot of people and I know a few journalists and you can ask that question to a fan or a credible journalist. What type of summer transfer window are Man United going to have, and nobody can give you anything other than a guess. They could have a top-class manager and a top-class window. They could bring a mediocre manager in and have a mediocre window. But you have to deliver a top-class manager and a top-class window if we want to be successful, otherwise we're going to be back. Bold of you Mark to assume they are trying to win the league and even businesses try to grow and be the best. They are not even doing that. Well, well, I say they're trying to win the league. I mean that's what they tell us. Honestly, I personally think, and I've got no evidence to this. I personally think they just want to finish fifth for the next five years on the cheap, and try and build a stadium. I don't think I don't think they have any intention of trying to win the league, but you know, that that's guesswork to be honest. Um, talking about the manager, this was quite an interesting update in the Mark Ogden piece as well. basically saying that top targets, Thomas Tucal and Carlo Ancelotti are unavailable, narrowing options for managers with proven Premier League Champions League success. Michael Carrick lacks major trophy credentials despite a strong recent improvements with help from coach Steve Holland. Alternatives, alternatives include Una Emery, Eriola, Glasner, Deserby, Nagelsmann. Po is ruled out because he's likely to return to Tottenham after the World Cup. Only Emery could be seen as a clear upgrade, but he's pushed for full control, conflicts with United setup under Inios's board. And I think these type of up updates become very, very important. Because this this pool of managers is concerning. And the criteria of these managers is contracting by the day. When two months ago Amrin was sacked, it was basically like we're going to go all out for the best manager in the business. Two months later, a lot of them are are written off and the good ones that remain conflict with Wilcox's control. So we're just going to end up with a puppet, which was the fear all along. I mean, I couldn't give a shit. If they interview Glasner, De Zerbi, Roberto Martinez, Eriola, if that's the interview process, I I actually don't care. Put put the names in a hat, really. I mean, I I I don't care. And I suppose Carrick has to be in that as well, because I just look at them all and go, This is not inspiring. It's not going to strike fear into the opposition and it's not going to inspire our players. Um, I think a lot of our current players are talented, but they struggle with consistency and they're not going to improve that with a coach that's basically on trial. You bring in a top-class coach and I think he'll take these players to the next level. And no one ever thinks about that. It's always about the new manager and the new signings. But what about the Kunyas, the Amad, the Enmos? What about the players that clearly have talent but still have a lot to learn? Who's going to teach them? A manager that's trying to learn something already or a manager that's done it all before and can literally come in and start teaching these players to go to the next level? I think that's really important, really, really important. But it does go on to say that Carrick has impressed the hierarchy with calm media handling and team stability. No decision has been made on extending his contract beyond May, as the club prioritized a thorough recruitment process without rushing. Carrick was brought in to stabilize, has exceeded expectations, but there's acceptance that the form could fade. He has interest from other clubs and was planning a break before United's call. If he doesn't get the permanent job, offers are expected. This is in the same article. You know what, Carrick has done really well. Let's park that. But what I find interesting about that is that the club feel that Carrick has exceeded expectations over the last few weeks. What was their expectations then? That's that's quite scary that they actually feel that Carrick has exceeded expectations. What was the expectations? We were three points off Champions League football. If the if the expectations of the interim coach was not to get Champions League football, what was it? How if he's exceeded expectations by putting us in a Champions League spot? What were they expecting? I mean, I'm sorry. When I sacked Amarin three points off fourth, and I'm saying to to Jim Radcliffe, I want to sack this manager. If I'm Jim Radcliffe, I'm saying, I'll tell you what, this is going to cost me 15 million quid to sack him. If you're sacking him in January, you better be delivering me Champions League football in May. Because if you're sacking a manager three points off Champions League, and I'm paying 15 million pounds to do it, you better bloody make sure that the interim is going to get us in the Champions League. And this is where it makes me laugh. Because you read stuff like that and it's not the first time. Oh, Carrick's exceeding expectations of Wilcox. What was your expectation then? Sack a guy who was three three points off fourth, paying 15 million, bring an interim in and finish mid table. What the fuck? Like seriously, you're you sacked that man. So you've got to go to Jim Radcliffe and say I'm sacking him because I I reckon I can get us Champions League football with an interim. That has to be. The expectation had to be to get Champions League football. It was my expectation. I'm sure it was all your expectation. Carrick's done very well. He could have gone wrong, but the expectation was to get Champions League football. You're playing one game a week. You're three points off fourth. Everyone else is in numerous cups at that point. FA Cup and Champions League, some of them in the Carabao Cup as well. Um, Champions League football. Yeah, Champions League football, definitely. 100%. 100%. Uhm, let me just come back to the chat. I mean, if they don't spend big this summer after Casemiro leaving and our midfield basically being League one standard, it's criminal, says the Reckon guy. I mean, they they will they will spend big in the in the in the midfield. They have to because, um, it's interesting. I can't remember who it was. Um, I have a feeling it was in The Athletic and it was a I don't know, it might have been I don't want to guess in case I get it wrong. But I I I think it was a journalist in The Athletic and they were being asked about whether they think Man United will go for two or three midfielders. And they said, I'd be very surprised if they went for three. I think it'll be two and then a Carrington recruit. And I thought, what Carrington recruit is this then? What midfielder from Carrington is anywhere near the first team at the moment? That's not good enough. That's not good enough. You can't go into the summer and go, we'll buy two midfielders and the third one's going to be from Carrington. I mean, by well, look, Thwaites is very good, but it's unfair for them. You your young players should never be the squad. They should be the nurture. They shouldn't be used. You know, next season we can't go into it going, well, we've already got two left backs. We've got Luke Shaw and Leon. Or Amas, they've never bloody played. You've got it you've got to give them I wouldn't include them. So even if we bought two midfielders and you've got Man U, and then the fourth one's a youth player that's never played yet. That's not right. You know what I mean? Like, I would have three new signings, Manu, and then a young player as the fifth one with no pressure. And if he does well, he plays, but I think we need to sign three players. Yeah. Um, if we don't get the best manager, we'll be back here in 12 months, says Mike. This is on Wilcox and the board to sort properly, or yet or it's yet another failure, says Mike. Look, I I mean, look, I I I don't mind guessing that in uh, a 12 months time, there is a chance that because we don't bring the right manager in and bring the right squad in, we're outside the top five, and Jim Radcliffe is going to have to sack another manager or Wilcox. I I think that will happen in the next 18 months. I think the next manager or Wilcox is going to be have to go in the next 18 months. And I know who I think. I I've I've been watching football for a very long time. And I'd love to be wrong, but if I had to guess the next 18 months, I would guess that it might get better for a bit, but it'll go wrong again. Qualifying for the Champions League is great. But the season resets in August. You can't live off last season. You know, we lost the Europa League final and we finished 15th. Thank God we didn't have to start from that point. You start again, and now we're in the top three. Next season it resets again and you have to go again. And I think we'll struggle next season unless we have this incredible summer transfer window. I think we will struggle. So I think that, um, it's it's it surprises me. that that we are, look, I'm not going to say what I'm about to say. I'll leave it. I'm hopeful we have actually got some plans in place because the way things are heading at the moment.
[18:40]I've always been worried. I I said it about Ten Hag. when Ten Hag came in, I said, we might not have hit the I was excited that Ten Hag came in. But I said at that point, we might not have hit the bottom of the barrel. And it looked like we had it looked like we're on the way back for two years because he he won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. But I would say it again, I would not be surprised if we haven't hit the bottom of the barrel. Right here today, I would not be surprised if things got bad again. Um, because I just think that the consistent theme of the last two years has been bad decisions, you know? Uh, what about this story about the left back, Mark? So, we, yeah, I mean, look, I I'd have to double check where it came in from. So, yeah, it's coming in from Ekram, uh, Ekram Kunan, who is a transfer Global transfer News expert for court offside. Um, BBC goal, all those build. Uhm, basically saying that Man United are considering a move for David Ram this summer. The RB Leipzig's left back, um, is entering the final year of his contract with a potential fee expected to be around 30 million pounds. He's very good Ram. He's very, very good. Uh, obviously he's played for Germany. Um, but I would say that, well, two things. First of all, there's a lot of stories at the moment that we're not going to sign a left back. Second of all, he's 20, I think he's either 27 and he's going to be 28, or he's 26 and he's going to be 27. I I think he's 27 and he's going to be 28 in April. Straight away, out out the parameter, isn't he?
[20:20]I mean, for me, a left back that's just going to be 28 is perfect. You're going to get two, three years out of him. I I'd be very happy with that, but not played in the Premier League either. I mean, look, three parameters. You've got to be under you've got to be 26 or under. You've got to have played in the Premier League and you can't be over 70 million pounds. They are very restrictive parameters when you think about it. You've got to be under 26, Premier League proven and under 70 million pounds. and Bunmo, Kunya, yeah. Tonali, that's not going to work. He's going to be over 70 million pounds. Uhm, Ram, not played in the Premier League and over 26. So, just work with those three parameters with United this summer. If you're over 70 million pounds, over 26 or not Premier League proven, there's very little chance that we're going to sign them. Uhm, I think if you've got a couple of them, you might be okay. If you're under 26, you're just over 70 million pounds and you're Premier League proven, they might do it. If you're over 26 and you're under 70 million pounds and you're not Premier League proven, they might do it. But you've got to have two very redeeming out of the three, I think, certainly.
[21:32]Uhm, come back to the chat. Academy players, says Emily Derry, should be a bonus, not part of the transfer plan. That was that's what I was trying to say very, very badly. You have to wonder what Wilcox has been doing since sacking Amarin, except covering his own back, just waiting for the excuses in September. I think a lot of what Man United's board has been doing since sacking Amarin, Emily, and it's still going on now, is tapping up certain journalists like, um, oh, what's his name in the Daily Mail? I forgot his name. Not Chris Wheeler. Um, constantly for positive PR stories about how the data team is the best in in the Premier League and Carrick's at the youth game again. Um, I think that's all they've done for that and and, you know, linking us to players they know we're not going to sign. I think the last two months has basically been that. PR, PR, PR, spin, spin, spin. Have they actually been speaking to managers and players? I don't I don't think they have from being honest. Uhm, okay, somebody just said, is it Samuel Lookers? He plays he plays, he uh, writes for The Sun now. He's not at the Daily Mail. Although, although I I I still find this really difficult to believe, but uh, apparently it is true. Um, this was in The Sun through Samuel Lookers today, apparently. Manuel Agarte has been revealed as the star who leaves training first at Carrington. Uhm, I mean, I don't I mean, I don't I don't I don't really know what to do with that really. I'm sort of like, um,
[23:29]he wasn't getting picked under Amarin. He's not getting picked under Carrick. He's clearly going in the summer. He turns up and does his training and probably he wants to leave in the summer. Uhm, I don't think if he turned up training first and left last, he'd be in the team anyway. So I don't I don't I don't really know what the point would be to to pile on Agarte because he might leave training early. So so what? I I I I just don't really care.
[24:20]I mean, Carrick's reduced the training anyway. I mean, I I just find it weird. But the the most weird one was this. Get try and understand this one, because this this one sort of blew my mind a little bit. Um, Brentford sources claim and Ber Mau could find it a challenge to play two or three games per week. Yeah, same article. Same journalist. Same outlet. So I don't I don't I don't even I don't even understand this one. So listen to this. Brian and Bumo has endured a steep drop off in form with his worst performances coming in the two-one defeat at Newcastle following issues against Palace. Sources from Brentford say he may find it challenging to play two or three games per week, having had limited preseason minutes, just 45 against Everton and not training on grass with Brentford to avoid injury ahead of his 71 million move. I mean, look, that's by United exclusive. They might have taken bits here and there, but again, is it a coincidence that from Agarte we go to And Bumo who just so happened not to be British? I mean, are we literally going to go back down this road again of trying to build momentum against foreign players? Uhm, what does what's Brentford got to do with Brian and Bumo and Europe? They've never been in Europe. The only time Brentford players go in Europe is when they're on holiday in June. How do they how do they know he won't be able to play two games a week? They haven't had him for a year. And last time I checked, he's he's in his mid twenties, not his mid thirties. Um, it's it's just weird. But look, I shouldn't probably talk about it, but I think sometimes it's important to talk about it because this drip drip drip effect can be dangerous. I've sort of seen people turning against And Bumo and we saw it with Doku and we've seen it with Yoro. And I'm like, there is a theme, they're foreign, and also there is a theme that it starts off being like that and then it turns into something bigger. And the the thing about and Bumo is, he probably shouldn't play on Sunday. I think I put Amad in my preview, in fact, I did. That's just rotation on form. You've got to win your place like Cesco did and like Amad will have to. But some people say and Bumo is signing of the season. If he's in the Premier League, not for Manchester United. Some people say that Brian and Bumo is signing of the season in the Premier League. So we can't go from prospective Premier League signing of the season to and Bumo's a little shit. And it's like Andrew says, it feels like it's planting these seeds against him. But the seeds are shit. Brentford sources say that and Bumo might struggle playing two games a week and he played badly against Newcastle. The correlation isn't there. He had a bad he did have a bad game against Newcastle, but what's that got to do with two games a week and Brentford sources? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And in Bumo's not going to play in the World Cup. So if he struggles with playing two games a week, I'm pretty sure for the two months he's off in pre-season, he can work on his fitness. So, you know what? I I do wonder because I've seen a few people with it. And this is speculation and it's unfair. But I do wonder if there's like a little bit of he looks a bit overweight, you know, because I've seen some people saying it. Oh, and Bumo looks a bit overweight. I'm like, he looks nothing like he looks nothing different from what he did for Brentford. He's always looked like he looks. And it and, you know, he can't play two games a week. I I I just feel like it's like sowing the seed to start a story. And I think and Bumo's been a decent signing for United. Um, I thought 65 million was probably about five, 10 too much. But he has done very, very well at Manchester United. And I actually think at 65 million, despite a few bad performances, I feel like he's probably been worth it in my opinion. Um, thank you very much. Okay, I've got I've got to wrap it up there because I've got to go over and do the Bundesliga. I've got a Bundesliga match tonight to do. Um, if you want to join me there on that football, you're very, very welcome. Full match footage. Uh, we will be over there in about 10 minutes. So, thank you everybody for watching tonight. A nice compact good show. Uhm, enjoyed that, enjoyed that. Um, enjoy the rest of your evening. I'm back with you at 10:00 tomorrow. Uh, stay safe and I love And Bumo, says Mike. Even when he's knackered, he's still trying. Unlike some players who have been here for years and he'd come back from the Afcon as well, says Mike. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. Uhm, I think he definitely can play two games a week. He telling me that I mean, he literally Beth was talking about it this morning. And Bumo, the funny thing is, and Bumo did an interview where he was asked whether he prefers one game a week or two games a week and he I mean literally from his own mouth, he said I prefer to play two games a week. Yeah. Take care everyone. Stay safe. I'll speak to you in a bit.
