Manchester United

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The 3-4-2-1 system is working very well for Oliver Glasner but not for Ruben Amorim - so, clearly, it is not the system that is the problem.

‌Another defeat for Manchester United, this time at Brentford, is beyond serious for the club.

Is it the squad that does not suit the system, the players not buying Amorim's ideas or years of mismanagement that has led to there not even being a flicker of surprise at the current predicament?

‌As ever, it is probably all of the above to some degree.

‌All the happenings with the 'bomb squad' have not helped in building any sort of trust and belief in the team. As a player, you know precisely just how you are going to get treated when the boss does not fancy you any more.

‌I watched Harry Maguire after he was subbed and he looked awfully like a guy who has had enough of the situation. Considering he has always had such a perfect, professional attitude, it made me wonder.

‌It made me consider one of the most overused and misused cliches in the game: has the manager lost the dressing room?

‌I can't be sure, but I am pretty certain he is very close to losing part of it.

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Lincoln City had a comfortable evening against Manchester United, who included Jack and Tyler Fletcher in their starting line-up, the twin sons of former Old Trafford favourite Darren, but went down 3-0.

Tom Hamer put the 2018 winners in front early in the second half and Erik Ring doubled the lead before Reeco Hackett fired into the far corner with his left foot with two minutes remaining.

The result drops United to the bottom of Northern Group D after one game played.

Manchester United insiders fear Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim, 40, will resign before he is sacked. (iPaper), external

Meanwhile, Real Madrid's 27-year-old Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde has emerged as a target for Manchester United next year. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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

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Following disappointing results or performances, former players are often heard saying "but this is Manchester United Football Club" - but can that still be said?

Everyone knows the success that Sir Alex Ferguson brought to the club, but it has been 12 years since he left and it is the same narrative around rebuilding.

"This is just what Manchester United are and that is why I think what Wayne Rooney said is really interesting," said The Observer's Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"Twelve years is quite a long time in football. That is a substantial amount of time and a chunk of the team's history.

"There will be fans who are 23 years old who don't really remember United being good because it has been so long.

"I don't actually see the point in sacking Ruben Amorim because if you do, you are just continuing the cycle. They are in so deep that they almost have to stick with it.

"He has come close on occasions to making me think he is daring them to sack him. I am sure he is not, but you do sometimes wonder whether he thinks it is time to call it quits here.

"It is a sense you get. I don't have any proof of it but he has said a few things that you don't normally hear managers say.

"It is obvious he doesn't know how to make the system work. The system doesn't suit the players, so he is moving people around to try to make it work, but it just doesn't."

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Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia has returned to first-team training.

Malacia was the one remaining member of the 'bomb squad' exiled by head coach Ruben Amorim at the start of pre-season who did not get a move away from Old Trafford.

United sources say the plan had always been to reintegrate players still at the club and Malacia's return is not connected to any injuries or loss of form.

The Netherlands international spent the second half of last season on loan at PSV Eindhoven and was linked to a deadline day move to Spain this summer. His time at Old Trafford has been scarred by injury.

It remains to be seen if Malacia will be involved in Saturday's home game with Sunderland.

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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Manchester United are sleepwalking towards a third disastrous Premier League season on the bounce unless a change is made.

That does not necessarily mean a managerial change, but the ball is in Ruben Amorim's side of the court, and he has to make a move before he leaves his higher-ups with no choice.

There is plenty of scrutiny over Amorim's 3-4-3 system and whether he should surrender and switch to a more traditional four-at-the-back formation.

Such coverage is natural, considering he has picked up just 34 points in 33 Premier League matches and lost 17 times, almost double his nine wins.

But Amorim is right to downplay the commotion over his system. Oliver Glasner, touted as a potential replacement because of his transformational work at Crystal Palace, previously said it best.

"The system is not important, the habits are important. The patterns and how you want your players to behave on the pitch are more important," the Austrian insisted.

Glasner also utilises a three-at-the-back system but has adapted from his preferred 4-4-2 to suit the players at his disposal at Selhurt Park. He has used a plethora of alternative formations at other clubs.

Why can't Amorim do the same?

The Portuguese head coach is nearing his first anniversary as United boss, and he has not yet overseen back-to-back Premier League wins. It is a ghastly reality that I still have to read twice to believe.

Glasner is proof that a three-at-the-back system can work in English football. Amorim failing so dramatically is a glaring indicator that the "habits" and "patterns" are the real problem.

If he is unable to identify and fix them, he is, frankly, not of the standard required to lead a club of United's magnitude. The past several months suggest he cannot, and will not, before it is too late.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United youngster Sam Mather will be integrated back into the club's Premier League 2 squad after his proposed move to the UAE could not be completed.

Mather was the subject of numerous discussions over the past few weeks, with advanced discussions taking place with clubs from Portugal and Turkey among others.

Al Wahda were keen to take the 21-year-old but no agreement could be reached over a potential sell-on clause.

Mather spent last week training with Ruben Amorim's senior squad, although he was not involved in Saturday's defeat at Brentford.

He has made two appearances for Travis Binnion's under-21 side this season and it is expected he will now be involved on a more regular basis until the transfer window opens again in January.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is continuing to attract interest despite signing a new contract in the summer, with Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa all keen on the 25-year-old Ghana international. (TBRFootball), external

Barcelona will wait to make a decision about signing Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis. (Football Insider), external

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Michael Carrick becoming interim manager at Manchester United if Ruben Amorim gets sacked has been suggested on the latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast.

"I now have zero faith that this is going to change and get better," co-host Gaz Drinkwater said, referring to Amorim's time at Old Trafford.

"What is the point of hanging on to a manager if we know it's not going to get better?

"People say it's not all on the manager, and I agree. But there are many, many other managerial options available who would get better out of these players. That forward line is enough [to improve results].

"Some people also say we shouldn't bring another interim manager in because it didn't work last time. Yes it did! Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did a brilliant job as interim. I am not saying [hire] Ole, but I think he would play much more exciting football with this team and get better results.

"If you don't want to get Ole, go down the United route and get Michael Carrick until the end of the season.

"That is the only hope we have to save our season."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Manchester United fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

Here are some of your replies:

Garry: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. As a lifelong United fan of more than 60 years, I cannot watch this garbage any more. We have the players but we do not have the system. I will not watch another game until either Ruben Amorim changes his formation or he is sacked. It's not so much losing, it's the manner of the loss.

Alan: Another nail in the coffin. Dead ducks in the water. Couldn't beat a drum. These descriptions do not even come close to describing Manchester United at the moment.

Sam: Once again, United put in a shambolic defensive display and failed to break down their opponents' defence. These are things that an average coach should be able to put right during training sessions. Amorim has had all week with the players and still fails to sort their problems out. He won't change so get him out. Bring in an 'average' coach - he is hopeless!

Maurice: A Sunday league manager. Every manager must be able to change the way the team plays at times and change formation, but he won't change his system. Will the board allow this to go on or are they like a rabbit in the headlights waiting for something to happen when clearly it never will? It is relegation form. They need to get a grip, admit their mistake and send him on his way.

Stephen: How long is this going to be allowed to continue? The whole team and the manager are shot to pieces. I feel for Amorim in many ways, but clearly this latest attempt to get the club back to something like even a competent Premier League team has failed miserably. I don't know what the answer is to fix this, but this present set-up is not it.

Moe: Who is there to replace Amorim? Nobody wants to manage a team of losers. From goalkeeper to captain to substitutes, this is a team made up of players who are not even League Two players.

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Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Transformation of the Old Trafford area has moved a step closer after the public body due to be chaired by Lord Coe was approved by Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants a new stadium to be a central part of the plans.

Ratcliffe unveiled impressive designs for the proposed stadium in March last year that included a distinctive 'circus tent'.

However, as negotiations with Freightliner, the organisation that owns land needed for the stadium, are proving difficult, it is understood United have asked for alternative plans to be drawn up.

No decision has been made on the exact nature of the proposed stadium and planning permission has yet to be requested.

However, the establishment of the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation is viewed as being critical to the overall development of the area, which will include 15,000 new homes.

It will be legally formalised following Parliamentary approval.

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: "The MDC will be a powerful organisation that will bring significant advantages to this ambitious, complex and long-term project.

"Its broad public and private sector expertise at board level will focus on co-ordinated and consistent delivery to develop and deliver the strategic vision to make Old Trafford a world-class, community and sports-led visitor destination, rich in culture and entertainment."

After Manchester United's disappointing defeat by Brentford, manager Ruben Amorim said: "I am never concerned about my job - I am not that kind of guy."

The Portuguese, 40, has been criticised for his stubbornness in sticking with his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, ex-Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards said those tactics could lead to "his undoing".

Richards looked at the mid-game changes made by Amorim on the show and how they may have only made things more difficult for United at Brentford.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United youngster James Overy was an unused substitute in Australia's defeat to Italy in their opening game of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

Overy was born in Perth, Western Australia but is also available to play for Scotland and has featured for them at Under-19 level.

The Scottish FA has been keen to get Overy to commit to them.

However, he was named in Australia's interim squad for the prestigious tournament in South America and has committed to the country of his birth.

The 17-year-old joined United in 2024 but spent eight months on the sidelines with injury.

He has made appearances at both Under-18 and Under-21 level for the club this season.

Wayne Rooney believes the soul has gone from his former club Manchester United and he has no faith in manager Ruben Amorim to turn things around.

United's record goalscorer said the club was "broken" on the latest edition of BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, and he goes to games "expecting" them to lose.

Manchester United's 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday meant they have collected 34 points from Amorim's 33 league games in charge and have still to win successive matches.

The club are said to remain supportive of their head coach despite the damaging loss which left them 14th in the Premier League table.

But Rooney added that some current players "don't deserve to wear the shirt", the side "needs a new engine" and supporters are "waiting for the club to crumble".

"I am not seeing anything which is giving me any confidence, there needs to be big changes in my opinion," said the former England striker, who won five league titles during 13 years at Old Trafford.

"Manager, players, whatever that is. Whatever it takes to get Manchester Untied back.

"I don't recognise the whole football club. I don't see players fighting, I don't see character, I don't see desire to win.

"I go to a game watching, expecting, here we go again - expecting the team to lose or maybe pick up a point.

"It's not even just results on the pitch. It's everything about the club that needs fixing - Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have walked into a real challenge.

"We're seeing staff members getting sacked after 20, 30 years who are very important people to that football club.

"The soul has gone from the club. It needs a new engine, a new lease of life. It needs something to kickstart that football club."

Listen to The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sounds

Manchester United are interested in signing Juventus' Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic, 25, in the January transfer window. (Gazetta - in Italian), external

Former England manager Gareth Southgate is on a three-man shortlist to replace Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim if he is sacked. (Talksport), external

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt accepts Saturday's performance at Brentford was not good enough but said Ruben Amorim cannot shoulder the blame.

As the inquest began at the club's Carrington training ground on Sunday, the Netherlands international felt it would be unfair for the players not to take responsibility.

"It's always easy to look at the manager but in the end the players on the pitch have to do it," he said.

"The goals we conceded, the chances we conceded, are because of what? You guys [the media] always talk about the system, but it also has a lot to do with focus and concentration.

"If that's lacking in key moments, it is going to make a difference. When you're up against a Brentford team who play like they do, they will kill you."

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates 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:

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• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland