Happy anniversary, Ruben Amorimpublished at 15:05 GMT
15:05 GMT
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, PA Media
There are a few one-year anniversaries looming for Ruben Amorim.
He was officially confirmed as Manchester United's new head coach on 1 November, 2024. Amorim arrived in Manchester on 11 November after presiding over a final few games for Sporting and his first game was at Ipswich on 24 November.
There are three games in that period, which means the current upbeat mood around Old Trafford could change significantly.
Regardless, Amorim has reached a point many had felt was unlikely given the significant number of defeats he has suffered during that 12-month period. For that, he deserves credit.
It also means some of his critics' most stinging comments can be thrown back at them, as happened on Thursday with Sean Dyche.
Amorim says he wants to be at United for a long time. Results will determine whether he is. But the past 52 weeks have certainly been memorable, if not always for the reasons he would want.
Amorim on Martinez, one year in charge and Dyche's commentspublished at 13:51 GMT
13:51 GMT
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Defender Lisandro Martinez, who has returned to training, "wants to go" to Forest but "won't be going to this one because it's going to take time" for him to be back to full fitness.
Amorim said he does not know if Harry Maguire will be in contention.
Saturday marks one year since Amorim was appointed manager: "It was a journey - a big journey! It was really tough, good moments and bad moments. I learned a lot like how even in my lower moments, I can stick with the things I believe. It is one of the biggest honours of my life to be here and I want to stay here for many years."
He said he "more or less" knows what to expect from a Sean Dyche-coached team and "it will be a different game" to last weekend against Brighton, when United "had space to play."
On it being away from home: "We are not being the same team away and at home, so we need to improve the way we control the environment. Every tackle is a big moment for the opponent's fans, so we need to play better away. We are prepared for a very tough match."
Acknowledging Amad and Bryan Mbeumo's partnership and how they will both be going to Afcon, Amorim said: "We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games."
On Dyche saying he could have won more games as manager of United: "First of all, maybe it's true if we play 4-4-2. I can look at Sean Dyche as a manager and then as a pundit. If you are a pundit and you don't say very strong things, I don't want to watch you! I'm the same. So I can understand that it's a completely different job."
More on Dyche's comments: "I know that Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game. He also understands that one thing is when we are seeing the game and talking about the game, the other thing is to coach a team. So I understand that, I have nothing to say, I just want to win the next one [game]."
'Amorim deserves credit for Man Utd's turnaround'published at 17:02 GMT 29 October
17:02 GMT 29 October
Image source, Getty Images
Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Rob asked: I'm a Manchester United fan keen to know if you think Ruben Amorim's coaching/tactics deserves credit in light of recent results - my opinion is that another decent coach (eg Thomas Frank, Oliver Glasner) would have got defensively solid wins sooner (and beaten Grimsby) given the excellent summer transfer additions.
Phil answered: We will never know what Frank or Glasner would have achieved but, yes, I do think Amorim deserves credit for the recent turnaround, especially for the decision to leave Benjamin Sesko on the bench at Liverpool and use the very mobile front three of Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo.
Amorim has had enough criticism, so let's not shy away from giving him credit when he gets it right.
In the wider context, I think United have signed two really top-class forwards in Cunha and Mbeumo. They have made plenty of very bad buys in recent times, but not here. Two very good acquisitions.
Team spirit is now soaring for Man Utdpublished at 09:20 GMT 29 October
09:20 GMT 29 October
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
Think of what you could have done had you owned a crystal ball. Investing in Apple or Google when they were start-ups would have made a fortune and putting £100 on Leicester winning the Premier League at 5,000-1 in the summer of 2015 would also have been a nice earner.
I think getting a bet on Manchester United being above Liverpool and level with Manchester City with a quarter of the season gone would also have delivered astronomical odds. Even a few short weeks ago, this would have sounded like delusional deranged ramblings.
There are a multitude of reasons for this incredible short-term turnaround in the fortunes of both United and Liverpool. United beating Chelsea in a bizarre game a few weeks back helped, but not as much as their 2-1 win at Anfield.
This has led to a team spirit finally becoming visible from space, when you couldn't see it from 10 yards with a telescope beforehand. It has given them that other secret ingredient too: confidence.
For the opener against Brighton, Benjamin Sesko, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Matheus Cunha were flicking balls to each other just outside the Brighton 18-yard box. There is no way they were trying such intricate moves just a few weeks back.
Ruben Amorim has to keep the work-rate up and retain that spirit, but if he can keep them as relaxed as they looked against Brighton, the nightmare might just be over for the Red Devils.
Man Utd gain National League Cup successpublished at 07:33 GMT 29 October
07:33 GMT 29 October
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter at Crown Oil Arena
Image source, Getty Images
Chido Obi and James Scanlon were on target as Manchester United's under-21 side got their first win against senior opposition by beating Rochdale in the National League Cup.
United's youngsters have a 100% record in Premier League 2 this season. However, they lost to Brackley in their only previous outing in this competition and have also been beaten by Lincoln City and Barnsley in the EFL Trophy.
Their task against National League leaders Rochdale was made easier by home boss Jimmy McNulty taking off Ryan East and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling after 30 seconds, having only selected the pair to comply with competition regulations.
Chido's goal came after just 11 minutes as 17-year-old midfielder Jim Thwaites nicked the ball inside the Rochdale area, allowing it to break to the Denmark Under-21 international, who found the corner with a first-time finish.
Gibraltar international Scanlon wrapped up the victory with a neat finish in stoppage time.
The game was preceded by a minute's silence in recognition of the sudden passing of the father of United player Rhys Bennett, who was present at the game after being given compassionate leave by his club.
Casemiro impresses during Man Utd's winning runpublished at 13:55 GMT 28 October
13:55 GMT 28 October
Alex Turk Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
On the back of a third consecutive win - which feels good, right? - I was going to assess Manchester United's burning need for another wing-back.
Ruben Amorim needs to upgrade on Diogo Dalot while also easing the pressure on Patrick Dorgu, who proved with his shaky substitute cameo against Brighton that he is still a raw, developing talent.
The substitutions changed the game at Old Trafford, and not in United's favour. What was a 3-0 lead and could have been four, five or six became, in the blink of an eye, a 3-2 advantage with seven minutes of stoppage time to play.
Upon reflection, it would be easy to draw attention to Dorgu's mistake that led to Danny Welbeck's opener. However, there is something, or someone, more important to discuss.
Because it seems like United's most important player is not Bryan Mbeumo, it's not Matheus Cunha, it's not Amad, it's not even Bruno Fernandes.
It's Casemiro.
The Red Devils have conceded 16 goals in all competitions this season and Casemiro was only on the pitch for three of them. It's not a coincidence, it's the truth staring us in the face.
Masses of supporters have clamoured for Kobbie Mainoo to play more regularly while ignoring the fact that Amorim's system demands a midfielder who lets his partner flow with the attackers.
While Fernandes was dancing with Mbeumo, Cunha, Amad and Benjamin Sesko against Brighton, Casemiro held down the fort - as well as contributing a goal and an assist.
If there are any beneficiaries of United's one-game-a-week schedule this season, it's the 33-year-old Brazilian.
United won't extend Casemiro's contract beyond next summer on his current salary. He will be 34 by that point. But the priority must be to identify a younger player of the same profile to replace him.
Man Utd getting rewards at lastpublished at 08:31 GMT 28 October
08:31 GMT 28 October
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
I wrote an article in September about how Manchester United's performances just prior to that were better than their results suggested, and that they would not "cheat" their xG forever.
And, sure enough, their goal difference now almost matches their expected goal difference over the past 10 games.
This does not mean they should have been winning games all along or that they are really good now - just that they probably deserved more from their earlier games and have probably got more than they deserve in their past two games against Liverpool and Brighton.
Jobe Bellingham has no interest in joining Manchester United, who had been weighing up a potential loan deal for Borussia Dortmund's 20-year-old English midfielder. (Mirror), external
United will block transfer requests from England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, and Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, if they ask to leave in January. (Sun), external
The Red Devils have given Napoli the green light to exercise their obligation to buy Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, 22, in January. (Mirror), external
🎧 'Mbeumo has got better and better'published at 16:18 GMT 27 October
16:18 GMT 27 October
A new episode of The Devils' Advocate is now available on BBC Sounds.
Joe McGrath and Gaz Drinkwater are joined by Manchester United fan Sue to discuss the 4-2 win against Brighton and look forward to Saturday's game against Nottingham Forest.
Drinkwater spoke of his admiration for summer signing Bryan Mbeumo:"I think he's got better and better while he's been at Manchester United. And he's growing into this shirt and he doesn't seem too emotional either. Obviously, he enjoys himself when things are going well, but even his celebrations are cool aren't they? The arms outstretched, the little shrug, I'm all about it. I really love him and and he's a lethal finisher as well.
"He just doesn't stop all game. I'm not saying he's out of shape, obviously he's not. But you almost don't expect him to be as fast as he is and as hard-working as he is.
"And he's not just a workhorse, is he? He's got incredible finishing ability, as he showed. He nearly took the net off with that last one. We needed that goal. And he needed that goal. The whole squad needed it. The fans needed it.
"I'm just so delighted that we signed a load of players, and they're actually all looking decent."
What's the latest on stadium plans?published at 12:09 GMT 27 October
12:09 GMT 27 October
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Manchester United's current Old Trafford stadium has been their home since 1910
Some of you have been in touch using our Manchester United 'ask me anything' form and have queried what's going on with the club's stadium proposals.
To say nothing is happening with the stadium plans would be untrue.
Lots of discussions are going on behind the scenes, Lord Coe – who led Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Taskforce that concluded a new stadium was the way forward for United – has begun work as chair of the wider Old Trafford Regeneration project, which includes new homes and transport links and is intended to become a hub for businesses as well as a 'destination' football fans will want to spend time at.
However, the core issues are unresolved.
Firstly, there has been no agreement over the purchase of the land adjacent to Old Trafford that is intended to be used for the new stadium. United do have options – revised plans have already made their way into the public domain that wouldn't require the land – but chief operating officer Collette Roche recently said she was confident an agreement over the land would be reached.
However, until it is – and a price determined – United cannot settle on a design, let alone ask for planning permission to begin the construction process.
Then, there is how the stadium will be paid for – or how much it would cost.
The initial estimates were £2bn and Ratcliffe did deliver improvement to United's Carrington training ground within the £50m budget.
However, for projects of this size and length of construction, the final cost is often well in excess of initial expectations (see HS2).
It is not expected the Glazer family will be contributing, which would mean any payment by Ratcliffe would reduce their shareholding, which is thought unlikely.
United already owe around £1bn through a combination of the historical debt the Glazers used to buy the club, a rolling credit facility and outstanding transfer fees. Simply borrowing on top of that – even in stages – also seems unlikely, especially as global interest rates are higher than they were in the calmer, pre-pandemic, pre-Russia-Ukraine war days.
More likely is the funding being arranged through some kind of separate company that effectively owns the stadium until such time as the debt is reduced and another funding mechanism found or paid off.
In theory, this splits the club from the stadium but the general idea is that, with a 100,000 capacity and a significant percentage of corporate seats, United will generate even more money than it does now. That is how the payment will be made – and no-one can be sure what percentage will be charged on the money, which is another topic for negotiation.
Whatever it is, in order to fill those seats and sell those corporate packages – the club recently sent fans indicative prices which in many instances, ran into thousands of pounds - United need a good team, which costs more money, with no guarantee of success.
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
Man Utd 4-2 Brighton - the fans' verdictpublished at 09:39 GMT 27 October
09:39 GMT 27 October
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Manchester United and Brighton.
Here are some of your comments:
United fans
Dave: Three wins on the trot. Oooh the Devils are hotting up. There's so much more for opposition teams to fear with this new look squad. This could be the start of something good.
Bob: We were better, Brighton were terrible, hopefully because we are becoming harder to play against. The teamwork is finally showing but we still have a few players who aren't getting the message. Overall a massive improvement and plenty of hope there's more to come, which is the first time I've thought that for about 15 years.
Carl: The team worked very hard and pressed the ball well. We coped well with some strange decisions and did not let that spoil our flow. The seeds of improvement are there for all to see and we now just need to add consistency and who knows what we can achieve. Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko look a threat and we're growing defensively, long may it continue.
Brighton fans
Philip: Hurzeler has to take responsibility for this poor performance. Why keep playing Baleba when he is clearly out of form? When James Milner comes on the team respond positively time and time again. We must cut out the silly mistakes that have cost us many times this season and perhaps replace Dunk with Coppola. Looking like a mid-table season at best.
Tim: After a bright start, we gave the ball away in our own third time and time again and were inevitably punished for it. Our central midfield was non-existent with Baleba running around like a headless chicken and Ayari half asleep. We have to do something about our defensive weaknesses or the season will fall apart.
Tony: We were poor, far too many simple mistakes, giving the ball away time and time again. Baleba was awful and Minteh had his worse game of the season. Definitely a foul by Shaw before the third goal - no idea why VAR didn't intervene - but didn't really make a difference as we were so bad. One day we will keep a clean sheet!
David: Brighton never give up and almost stole a point. Hurzeler mad a big mistake in giving the defence an early day off. The one really good thing which we got from the game after that display and being poor in the last few games is Baleba must now be well down the Manchester United wanted list.
Mbeumo 'best signing for club this season' - Rooneypublished at 08:31 GMT 27 October
08:31 GMT 27 October
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney believes Bryan Mbeumo has been the "best signing" for his former club so far this season.
Mbeumo scored twice as United picked up their third league win in a row, defeating Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford.
Another summer signing, Matheus Cunha, opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal for his new side.
But Rooney believes the consistency of Mbeumo has made him the standout addition to the squad so far this campaign.
Speaking on the The Wayne Rooney Show, the former striker said: "Mbeumo has been consistent with his performances, I think that's the main thing.
"If you're consistently getting in the right positions, getting chances, you will score. When you're a forward and you score goals, you enjoy scoring goals and that feeling keeps going."
Mbeumo has four goals from his first nine Premier League games in a United shirt, and he also scored in the EFL Cup earlier in the campaign.
For Brentford, the 26-year-old hit 20 goals from 38 league games and United fans will be hopeful he can repeat a similar goals tally this season.
"His confidence is very high at the minute," Rooney added.
"Hopefully that continues because he's certainly been the best signing for United this season."
Gossip: Ratcliffe blocks plans for Lewandowski movepublished at 08:04 GMT 27 October
08:04 GMT 27 October
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blocked plans to move for 37-year-old Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, who will be out of contract at Barcelona next summer. (Mirror), external
Manchester United are willing to sanction a January loan deal for Joshua Zirkzee, 24, with Roma now among the clubs interested in the Netherlands forward. (TBR Football), external
Manchester United, though, are not planning to trigger an extension to Casemiro's current deal and the 33-year-old Brazil midfielder could leave for free at the end of the season. (Football Insider), external
Man Utd midfield connection building in fluidity - Carrickpublished at 14:00 GMT 26 October
14:00 GMT 26 October
Media caption,
Former Manchester United midfielder and Match of the Day pundit Michael Carrick praised the connection and fluidity between United's midfield in their win over Brighton on Saturday.
"A lot has been said about the midfield over the last year and how they get their support and help.
"You can't expect two players against a good team to deal with three or four players, but they have found a solution to that.
"The forwards are dropping in to support Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro and Luke Shaw is doing the same to almost make it three in midfield.
"The formation was quite fluid [against Brighton] and they were all willing to track back. It was such a big shift from them all."
No limits for Mbeumopublished at 12:01 GMT 26 October
12:01 GMT 26 October
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United new-boy Bryan Mbeumo is aiming high.
Mbeumo took his tally for the season to five with his double in the 4-2 win against Brighton at Old Trafford.
It keeps him on track to match the 20 goals he scored in his final season for Brentford before his £65m summer move north, even though he will miss two months of the campaign when he links up with Cameroon for Africa Cup of Nations duty.
But Mbeumo is not setting himself targets.
"I always try to aim big in everything I do," he said.
"I try to not set limits on myself, on what I can reach. I'm just going to work and try to do as the best I possibly can."
United's policy of signing Premier League ready attacking players and bringing them in before the club embarked on their pre-season tour of the United States is having a positive impact.
Mbeumo and fellow new arrival Matheus Cunha have brought purpose and direction to United's attack as well as a greater goal threat.
Cunha has taken longer to get his first goal, although his campaign was disrupted slightly by the hamstring injury he sustained in the victory over Burnley in August that ruled him out of the September internationals and the Manchester derby last month.
Head coach Ruben Amorim admitted after the Brighton game he felt it was bothering Cunha that he had not scored since his arrival from Wolves and Mbeumo noticed it as well.
"Of course," he said. "I think he took some pressure off his shoulders with that goal. He was waiting for it. We were waiting for it for him as well."
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 10:45 GMT 26 October
10:45 GMT 26 October
Pundits Michael Carrick and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.