Manchester United

Alex Turk
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Almost one year ago, Manchester United entered the January transfer window on the hunt for a specialist left-wing-back for Ruben Amorim's system.

Patrick Dorgu arrived from Lecce in a £25m transfer. He has made 30 appearances since, displaying some promising glimpses of the future star United invested in.

However, as January rolls around again, left wing-back remains a problem position that needs some attention.

There was a general consensus that United were recruiting a raw talent in Dorgu. He only turned 21 last week and was always going to need time to adapt.

Yet, there has been plenty to like about his performances. The Denmark international wins his fair share of duels and possesses pace and power that suit the demands of the Premier League.

Dorgu has also fallen foul of defensive lapses, though, and his crosses tend to evade 6ft 5in striker Benjamin Sesko. He isn't the finished product.

That has prompted Amorim to turn to Diogo Dalot, a right-back who has never really convinced in his natural position.

Now he's operating on the left, and he continues to let United down. Dalot's role in Nottingham Forest's second goal on Saturday was his latest inexcusable blunder.

The Portuguese defender is passionate and supposedly a leader off the pitch. But he struggles to tackle and mark opponents, and is slow to react to defensive scenarios far too often.

Dalot doesn't represent the attacking outlet a wing-back in Amorim's system needs to be, either. It's time for the United boss to put his trust in Dorgu's development or return to the market.

United's top task in January is to recruit a better-suited left-wing-back in his prime years, who Dorgu can learn from.

Replicating Bryan Mbeumo and Amad's partnership by giving Matheus Cunha someone to dance with would elevate this team again.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

Former Manchester United and England captain Sir David Beckham has been formally knighted for his services to football and British society.

The 50-year-old, who was named on King Charles' Birthday Honours list earlier this year, was knighted by the King during a ceremony in Berkshire on Tuesday.

"I couldn't be prouder," said Beckham. "People know how patriotic I am - I love my country.

"I've always said how important the monarchy is to my family.

"I'm lucky enough to have travelled around the world and all people want to talk to me about is our monarchy. It makes me proud."

Ruben Amorim celebrated one year at Manchester United with a draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday - their 17th point from the first 10 games this season.

Reflecting on Amorim's bumpy inaugural year at Old Trafford, former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "I believe he is building something. I know we have said that he is too honest at times, but I think he is very honest with his players and he has got rid of players that were not pulling their weight on the pitch.

"It takes time to build at any football club, but the team togetherness feels like it is back at Old Trafford and that comes from the manager.

"It has probably taken longer than what Ruben will have wanted but the recruitment was good in the summer and there is an improvement in the attacking players."

There had been question marks over Amorim's position following spells of poor results and performances over the last year, but United appear to have found some stability.

"The defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup feels like a lifetime ago," added journalist Rory Smith. "It feels like his position is the most secure it has been in months.

"I am conscious at Manchester United though, that it doesn't take much either way for the mood around the club to change completely.

"Three wins and a creditable draw at Nottingham Forest and it feels like they are back. If they lose a few games in the next weeks then the entire atmosphere could shift again."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

This is your Man Utd page. Come back for stats, debate, analysis and fan views.

Not a Man Utd fan? Find your club here

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo's January exit from Manchester United has edged closer with Napoli aggressively pressing for a loan deal for the 20-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Barcelona will sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United permanently at the end of the 28-year-old's loan agreement, if the England forward accepts their salary proposal. (Talksport), external

Chelsea and Manchester United are interested in signing Brazilian forward Vitor Roque, 20, from Palmeiras. (Mundo Deportivo), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The Devils' Advocate host Gaz Drinkwater believes Kobbie Mainoo will leave Manchester United due to a lack of game time.

Mainoo has featured in just seven of the 10 Premier League games this season, playing just 138 minutes with all of those appearances coming from the bench.

"Mainoo is going to be gone, he's too good," Drinkwater said on the podcast.

"I said not long ago that I'd choose Mainoo over Amorim. That was when we'd lost back-to-back league games, and now it's maybe working a little bit.

"But it's a big risk for United to say we're going to let him go because we trust this manager so much.

"Maybe further down the line, we say to Amad Diallo that he's capable of brilliance, but you're better as a right winger and we don't have right wingers in this system.

"It's a mess."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United midfielder Sekou Kone is set to return to action after this month's international break.

Kone - signed from Guidars FC in August 2024 - has not featured since he suffered concussion in a heavy collision during the National League Cup tie at Tamworth that had to be abandoned as the only available ambulance was needed to take the 19-year-old to hospital.

However, the Mali youngster has now returned to training and while Tuesday's EFL Trophy tie with Notts County is regarded as too soon, United Under-21 chief Travis Binnion has confirmed Kone is on the brink of making his comeback.

"After the international break, we think he will be ready to play, which will be good," he said.

"He has not been able to do contact, which limits the work we can do but he is back in full training now and we will get a body of training back into him, with contact."

After the Notts County game, United's next Under-21 games are at Solihull Moors in the National League Cup on 25 November and Anderlecht in the Premier League International Cup on 2 December.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United Under-21 chief Travis Binnion feels Paraguay defender Diego Leon needs to get a succession of 90-minute games under his belt for the next stage in his development.

Leon struggled for game time in his early weeks at United as he remained within Ruben Amorim's first-team squad without making his senior debut.

The 18-year-old struggled on his Premier League 2 bow at Liverpool on 21 September but looked much better as he played three games in the space of eight days at the end of last month, which included a superb goal against Tottenham at Leigh Sports Village on 25 October.

It remains to be seen whether he will be involved in the EFL Trophy encounter with Notts County on Tuesday but after making his senior international debut against South Korea in Paraguay's last match, he seems likely to be handed another call-up for this month's friendlies with the United States and Mexico.

On his return, United's Under-21 side has matches in the National League Cup and Premier League International Cup, which offer Leon the best opportunity to step up his work.

"It is evident for all to see he has some real qualities and some strong foundations to his game that he has to build on," said Binnion.

"He is aware, we are all aware, he has stuff to work on but to be fair to the kid, he has not played a full 90 minutes yet.

"We will be looking to tick that off pretty soon and that will be really good for him.

"If he can get a run of 90 minutes, then it is fair to look at his game and see where he is at.

"At this moment in time he has shown real glimpses of promise and has fitted in with the group really well."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.

Here are some of your replies:

Forest fans

Kevin: Fight, bottle, determination. Sean Dyche has unlocked everything that Ange Postecoglou failed to. A fair result in the end although I don't think it was a corner that led to the opening goal.

Malcolm: Improved cohesion, looking more likely to score and Callum Hudson-Odoi is looking sharper. We need to put our best competitors in the six-yard box to defend set-pieces and our goalkeeper needs to be much more assertive in his domain. He needs to try to dominate his space, with more punching practice and strength under pressure. Dan Ndoye is settling in and looks strong. A win will give us all a massive boost.

Gary: Despite the set-piece issue, I think Forest turned a corner in this game. There is cause for real optimism for the first time since the opener against Brentford.

Rob: Supporters are craving stability after a farcical start to the season, and I'm confident this manager together with his backroom team will give us that. You can see the impact he is having already, but we are still very much a work in progress. Players clearly knew their roles, especially in midfield where Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates were excellent and disciplined. Onwards and upwards.

Man Utd fans

Stefan: Despite leading and being pegged back, this is still a game United would've lost last season. We are still showing improvement and there is still something to build on. If you can't win, make sure you don't lose.

Mark: Almost lost this game due to not being competitive enough on too many levels. Poor defending, lacklustre midfield and attack and giving the ball away cheaply yet again. All these faults need to be addressed in order to continue to moving upwards.

Edward: This defence is really getting embarrassing - playing Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw together just doesn't work. I can see that, the fans also see it, so how on earth does the manager not?

Robert: If there is improvement, I don't see it. When you are losing and you have a very ineffective centre-forward on the field, why wouldn't you replace him? Why change out the backline when you need to get forward and score goals. United were very lucky to escape with a point.

Manchester United and Tottenham are closely monitoring 23-year-old England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, who Everton do not want to sell and value at around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

John Bennett
Final Score reporter at the City Ground

You know Amad Diallo has been a key player in Manchester United's recent resurgence because the fans are already talking about how much they'll miss him during the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins next month.

The Ivorian started in all of the club's three wins in a row in October against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton and he came so close on Saturday to giving United a fourth victory on the spin to make it a great start to November. His brilliant volley made it 2-2 with nine minutes to go at the City ground and then, in injury time, another excellent effort, this time from a tight angle on the left, was brilliantly cleared off the line by Murillo.

The equaliser was Amad's first club goal of the season and you wonder if it'll be a moment which opens the floodgates because he was certainly a constant threat in the wide areas against Forest.

United boss Ruben Amorim, though, wasn't getting carried away by Amad's performance after the game, pointing out that "he can be so much better and more consistent". Questions will also continue to be asked about his defensive qualities, especially when defending crosses.

But there's no doubt that the 23 year-old is a key part of this improving team and replacing his energy, dynamism and work-rate at wing-back during the Afcon will be a huge challenge for Amorim and his coaching staff.

Listen to Amorim via BBC Radio Manchester

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's Amad Diallo feels his team-mates are starting to get to grips with Ruben Amorim's positional demands.

Amad secured a point against Nottingham Forest with a sensational late equaliser at the City Ground.

It was the Ivory Coast international's first goal of the season and further proof that he is providing an attacking option from the right wing-back position, as Amorim demands.

"It wasn't easy at the beginning for him and for us," said Amad. "But the beginning was a start. We are training very hard and we are getting better with every game."

Even though there was a measure of disappointment that United were not able to extend their three-match winning streak, Amorim was convinced the point gained was more than his side would have collected from a similar situation last season.

Amad agreed with his manager on that point.

After a tricky start to the season, United know victory at Tottenham next Saturday in their final game before the international break will have them within touching distance of a place in the top four, given the other matches taking place, and in line for the European place the club's ownership have set as their target for the campaign as a whole.

"When you win, you have confidence," said Amad. "That is the aim because we want to bring this club to the level where they deserve to be."

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

• Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United

• Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

One of Ruben Amorim's bolder decisions in his year in the job has been to trust Amad Diallo as a wing-back.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were deemed unsuitable for the role but Amorim has trusted the Ivory Coast international, believing he is willing to do the less glamorous parts of the job - namely defending and tracking back.

The move has reduced Amad's effectiveness in attack, but it has earned him a place in the team and on his preferred right side, where his partnership with Bryan Mbeumo has been one of the most notable aspects of Manchester United's recent improvement.

The good and bad aspects were noticeable in this match.

A natural defender would surely have presented more of a physical threat for Morgan Gibbs-White. The Nottingham Forest skipper is hardly a striking powerhouse, but he was far too strong in the battle to reach Ryan Yates' cross and the space he had was enough to allow him to score.

The goal was crucial as it changed the shape of the game.

But then, as it was drifting away from United, Amad struck with a superb volley that few on the pitch could have executed - certainly not Patrick Dorgu or Diogo Dalot, his rivals for the wing-back role.

It seems as though Amorim and United will have to live with the good and bad of Amad for now.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his side settled for a draw at the City Ground: "If I think about game, we lost control for five minutes. I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation, going from 1-0 up to 2-1 down, we would've struggled so much more than we did today.

"My feeling is that we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we are full of energy, we are the better team. My players are giving everything but we have the potential to do better and sometimes we have these moments.

"In the end, we lost two points and we need to get three points in the next game."

On goalscorer Amad Diallo: "Amad has a lot of talent. We have a lot of players who are young and talented. He can be so much better and more consistent. You could see in first half that he had some other opportunities, so I believe he has potential to do better."

Manchester United winger Amad Diallo also spoke to Sky Sports about his late goal: "I don't know if it is the 'goal of the season'. I just know that we are really disappointed to go home with just one point.

"We have confidence now. We believe in the system. We are trying to do our best. We believe in the manager like he believes in us."

Did you know?

• In his 37th Premier League match in charge of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim named an unchanged starting XI for the very first time.

• Amad Diallo's equaliser was his 10th Premier League goal for Manchester United. All 10 goals have been scored in the second half of matches, which is a competition record.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Manchester United's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Sean Dyche resists the temptation to make changes to the side that lost at Bournemouth last Sunday, as he looks to win their first league game since the opening weekend.

Former Manchester City youngster James McAtee has still started just once since his £30m summer move.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Douglas Luiz, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus

Substitutes: John Victor, Morato, Sangare, Awoniyi, Kalimuendo, Hutchinson, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee

Ruben Amorim names an unchanged side as Manchester United chase a fourth successive win, which would move them up to second in the Premier League table.

Harry Maguire returns to the bench after missing last week's victory against Brighton with a minor injury.

Manchester United XI: Lammens, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Amad, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko

Substitutes: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Maguire, Mount, Zirkzee, Dorgu, Ugarte, Heaven, Mainoo

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Leeds

• Burnley v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Crystal Palace v Brentford

• Fulham v Wolves

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Aston Villa (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Burnley v Arsenal" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Chelsea", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's under-21 coach Travis Binnion believes Albert Mills' red card in their surprise 4-0 home defeat by Blackburn will prove to be a useful part of his education.

The 17-year-old defender, who was sent off in the first half for two yellow-card offences, was making his Premier League 2 debut in Friday's match.

Blackburn opened the scoring early on through Aodhan Doherty before Mills' 39th-minute red card triggered a tough 10 minutes for Binnion's side, who conceded twice more before the break through Joseph Boggan and Brandon Powell.

Boggan sealed Blackburn's victory with a second goal late on, as Manchester United surrendered their unbeaten start to the competition.

"It is a learning for a young lad making his debut at this level, who finds it a bit quicker and a bit more physical playing against teams who play it forward quicker," said Binnion.

"He has to get to half-time and learn that when you are already on a booking, you cannot give the referee a chance.

"If he doesn't get the early booking and stays on the pitch, I'm pretty sure he goes on to have a really good game because he has loads of ability.

"But this is a level up, the consequences are higher and the decision-making has to be quicker. How often will he be in that situation? Probably not very often."