conquistador of the useless www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Uncomfortable but essential reading. www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

Alex Crook & Ben Jacobs saying Mbeumo medical being arranged for next week. Lovely stuff.

The midfield recruitment discourse is completely warped. Every player linked is either written off for not ticking every single box, or ruled out because someone already here does part of what they do. Like we’re not allowed depth or variation.

Excellent. There's been a shortage of former United players in the setup for years now. And Irishmen, obviously.

Considering the various reports saying we were working with Brentford to find a fee agreeable to all parties before submitting another bid... you'd imagine this one gets it done. #MUFC

enter sandman has to be the craziest song about going to bed

Alright people, let's get your thoughts. Assume we make the necessary sales/have the necessary financial room (after Mbeumo arrives) to make purchases for the three following positions. Your budget is £125mil/€150mil. GK: CM: ST: Who and why? #MUFC

Brb lads, just heading down the shop to get a hundred quid worth of groceries that I have no intention of paying for.

Potential guarantees nothing, and most are still a way off — but it’s hard not to be excited about Shea Lacey, Jim Thwaites and co. breaking through in the coming years. Then you think about the ceiling of Yoro, Heaven, Chido and others too. Something special brewing if we supplement them well.

Have maintained for some time that I think our striker signing will be someone unexpected. Especially likely now that Delap looks set for Chelsea. Interested to see where we land. Osimhen talk is interesting but what Napoli would be willing to do and what we're able to do could be very different.

An abject performance to sum up an abject season. The worst United team in half a century and the worst season of my life. I've not got the stomach for the post-mortem, truthfully. Time to think about anything but United for a few months. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

YANITED 🔴🔴🔴🔴

Rodrygo wouldn’t be the first underappreciated genius Madrid have let go — but this feels less like another Robben or Di María, and more like selling Benzema during peak Ronaldo/Bale. Like draining the oil and expecting the engine to run smoother next year.

This, from @danielharris.bsky.social is exceptional as usual. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Prompted by @okwonga.bsky.social on Stadio a few weeks back, but haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. If Villa are serious about Rashford, United should be having conversations about Watkins going the other way. (Think it could well be rendered moot by Rashford's own plans, though)

Pain, pain, pain.

Leny Yoro Ultras

MASSIVE MASE.

Uncle, we're sorry, forgive us.

It's absolutely staggering how much better Amad makes this team.

Kiko Macheda vibes.

BIG MASE.

Pain.

Watching back some old United season reviews. 09/10 felt like the bleakest of setbacks at the time. No title, Ronaldo gone, Obertan/Valencia in. I was miserable by the end. But now? 85 points, 34 goals from Rooney, League Cup win, CL quarters. Time’s a funny thing.

Been in the air since 7pm UK time. Just landed. My god!

Not gonna lie, sick to my stomach at the prospect of this game tonight. Just get back with a 0-0 or score draw I beg, then win the game in the second leg. San Mamés with the wind in its sails is an overwhelming prospect.

Amad back in full training ahead of Bilbao. Praise the Lord.

I don’t think there’s an obvious, affordable 25-goal-a-season striker out there we can realistically compete for—either financially or in terms of opportunity. Gut says we’ll bring in another option, but more to add goals in the aggregate alongside Cunha, rather than carry the whole burden alone.

Interested to see who we ultimately bring in at centre forward. May need a little creativity as so many clubs are looking for a striker (and are in a better position than we are). Wouldn't be surprised if it's not Delap, Osimhen or any of the names mentioned so far.

I've been "this season is probably a write-off" in the league since Amorim was hired, so I can’t complain too much now—but this is absolutely as bad as even the most pessimistic could’ve imagined (short of relegation).

Yep. This idea nothing else matters is mental. Winning is a habit. So is losing. We shouldn’t be taking risks with fitness etc, or overworking players unnecessarily. But there needs to be some kind of intensity.

From our own free kick too.

I know all our eggs are in the UEL basket but our prospects of winning that might be helped by not losing every other game we play.

A masterpiece.

Dynasties are built around players like Adam Wharton.

Keep them both. Shift Sancho, Rashford, Antony, Casemiro (more difficult) and even Hojlund first. There's at least £100mil of income there, even if we're conservative (with the usual caveats).

Can’t shake the feeling that if Garnacho leaves, more than any before him, he’ll immediately find an elite level elsewhere—whether it’s development or just more time on the ball—and we’ll have to watch him tear up top-end European football for years. And it will SUCK.

Osimhen feels like the kind of signing we can only make if we're in the Champions League next year. Though Napoli's interest in Garnacho does give us a bargaining chip. Will he wreck the wage structure?

Agreed.

Cunha news is promising but that's a big fee outlay relative to our financial position this year. We better be sure. That aside, I like rather than love him as a player. He won't be boring, that's for sure.

Dominate games, create some chances while we're on top, never look like scoring them, run out of steam, concede the winner. No hope until we've got some proper goalscorers. Roll on summer.

I've been patient with Højlund, but the rest of the season is going to be very painful for him. He needs a total reset—a spell out of the firing line, a gentle reintroduction, backing up a more established forward to rebuild confidence. Ideally a loan, if our acquisitions allow it (seems unlikely).

Bruno's performance was staggering last night btw. Maguire, Mainoo, even Cas will rightfully get the headlines, but Bruno in extra time, man. Darting to find space all over the pitch, quarterbacking, taking all the responsibility on his back. He's unbelievable

This Casemiro run

Thoughts are for tomorrow

No thoughts, just feelings.

LIQUID champions league knockout stuff, this.

Nothing will ever make sense to me less than United funding the João Neves transfer with our move for Ugarte. Not sure we'd have been able to compete with PSG for him but we should at least have tried to make it difficult for them (in financial terms if nothing else). What a footballer.

Either way, time for deep breaths and cool heads. It'll all feel very different if/when we manage to put Lyon out on Thursday eve.