Really wish Rashford would have scored that. Would have been a great goal to start this second career at United (assuming you believe the reconciliation is real of course).

This Bruno guy is good

Hatty!

Bruno did the whole 20+ assists thing last season so going to try for the 20+ goals thing this season instead.

Bruno is feeling it. Almost a worldie from 55 yards.

Bruno gets his assist.

Bar almost hated Mbeumo again lol

Crazy spin off the bar

Like that they are still pushing for more goals even though they are up 3 and now 4 goals.

What the hell was Licha thinking?

Such a bad goal to give up

Oof Lisandro. Better be glad we were up 4 when you decided to do that.

That was 100% retaliation by Mbeumo. Maybe Pawson should call the first foul.

The best way to break down a low block is to get ahead. Today is a perfect example of that adage.

Ipswich's formation was a complete disaster after Bruno's penalty so I'm not sure what to take away from that 2nd half. But United did look better/more capable even before the 2nd and 3rd goals came in quick succession. I guess we'll learn more next week at Everton.

Welp here we are. Transfer day deadline.

I can't believe we are rolling with Luke Shaw as our only senior left back. But here we are.

What can possibly go wrong?

And just to clarify, some people are acting like this is the worst thing ever, and I'm not in that camp. I doubt the difference between winning a big trophy and not is a squad left back. And it's worse to make a bad transfer that you can't get rid of. But… we had all window to find one we liked enough to use in the squad. If Carrick had used Dorgu even a little at left back I could justify it as him being the safety valve. But that hasn't been the case, so it's fairly perplexing.

Seems like Mazraoui is the safety valve at LB. Mazraoui/Yoro at RB. Heaven, Yoro, and the Ghost of De Ligt's back are the safety valve for CB. Yoro being part of the depth chart at RB scares me. IMO, we're relying on 3 players to provide all the minutes at 2 full back positions. I think it will blow up, but what do I know.

That said, they got 3 CMs. I would've been more annoyed if they got 2 CMs and a LB.

We just need Luke Shaw to play every game all season, what could possibly go wrong?!?!?

Yeah but now we don't have a squad right back if Mazraoui covers left. Like at least with Dorgu we have 3 nominal left wing players. We don't have 3 right backs with one not having anything to do.

BTW, we are trying to get the Leicester midfielder (Louis Page) who is kind of between academy and first team that has promise if you are into that; interesting, but probably doesn't affect this season (and I couldn't find anything indicating he could play left back lol).

Another CM. Could be great for future 1st team depth but not doing anything to address LB is absolutely wild

4 CMs would be overkill IMO. Mainoo, Tielemans, Santos, Baleba. The Fletchers on the edge of the first team. Anything more than that and you likely create PT issues.

As a thought experiment, do you think that the team would be better if you remove Baleba and add Lewis Hall at LB (similar price)? Or keep Baleba but remove Tielemans for say, one of those young Spanish based LBs that we were linked with (slightly lower than what we paid for Tielemans)?

I mean I think/wish they would have spent more to bring in another first team player but if you told me they could only bring in 3 players this summer (I'm not counting Darlow), then I can't really argue with 3 CMs being where they spent their money.

Ok, here's some logic (admittedly tortured):

If we get all our center backs healthy, we have 5, so Yoro could help cover right and Maz at left. But that's a lot of "ifs" just saying (how many matches over the past few seasons have we had 5 healthy at center backs? Feels like a pretty low number).

Yeah I'd trade Baleba for Hall if I could. (And I really like Baleba). But Luke Shaw, despite being healthy for an extended period, is in decline. I mean, he's a long way off what he was even the year before the end of ten Hag when he was injured a ton. Like… it's a real problem.

(Edit: I pulled his stats… it's been longer than I thought. The Luke Shaw in my mind was in existence that first year of ten Hag, which was a very good version of Luke Shaw; big part of Rashford being so good that year. Then the FA Cup year and the 15 place year he was hurt a lot. But that season was a while back; Father Time is undefeated.)

Showstopper said:

---

And just to clarify, some people are acting like this is the worst thing ever, and I'm not in that camp. I doubt the difference between winning a big trophy and not is a squad left back. And it's worse to make a bad transfer that you can't get rid of. But… we had all window to find one we liked enough to use in the squad. If Carrick had used Dorgu even a little at left back I could justify it as him being the safety valve. But that hasn't been the case, so it's fairly perplexing.

---

I didn't think a couple of signings this window would make us PL or CL contenders. But we needed to continue to improve in order to maintain our position and improve trajectory. I don't believe we have done that. Even if we were to snag a proper LB at the deadline, I don't believe they have done enough. Is it the end of the world? No. I think this team can still finish top 5. But they are playing with fire with depth.

Apparently the move for the 18yo CM is off. Pretty boring transfer deadline day

Man people on Twitter are hot on not getting this kid I don't really care about. Maybe everyone is just primed to be upset.

Irrational people on Twitter! What?!?

Maybe Zirkzee to Everton?

🚨🔵 Everton have called Manchester United for Joshua Zirkzee in case Folarin Balogun deal collapses.

Decision up to United as they rejected approaches from Italy in last 48h.

Everton are in contact also with his camp, as @alanmyersmedia reported. pic.twitter.com/CfH8rdF1hG

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2026

Never mind. Close it down.

Told Joshua Zirkzee will stay @ManUtd

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) September 1, 2026

Record transfer market. United weren't even a player. Either they never planned to spend or they underestimated the market just as I said early on.

This a C window.

B for me. Needed left back; think not signing one means we probably extend Luke Shaw, which I think is a mistake. I mean, are we really going to sign two next year? But I digress…

Rashford is like half a recruit because we did open the door for him to come back; if he were told he would get no minutes, he would have moved. He's better than the options available around 50M.

I would have liked a backup striker, but there is a striker shortage. At the beginning of the window I thought maybe a failed one like Ramos from PSG could be had for 30M…. Then he sold for 70M. Even 1 goal Liam Delap went for good money. So I made my peace with not getting a striker a long time ago.

I really like what we have signed in the midfield. I think at least 2 of 3 and potentially all 3 will be successful.

Darlow… just be better than Bayindir and Onana and we'lll get along ok. Counts as Homegrown, backup GK, got on a free, so fine, whatever.

I don't think any will be like Antony or Sancho and be an all-time flop. Baleba is the biggest flop risk out of the signings and the midfielders, but he's so athletic that I think he works out. Very confident overall in Tielemans and Santos.

Also, just to clarify a little: when I say extending Luke Shaw is a mistake, what I mean is this: Let's say you only do two more years. That's until 2029. I don't think the Luke Shaw that's basically 34 will be very good. So I guess, yeah, I'm crapping on him a little, but it's future him.