Man Utd risk-takers are the Premier League’s true entertainers | OneFootball

The intensity and interchanging of Cunha, Mbeumo, Bruno and Amad has opened new doors and new ideas for Man Utd. They are brilliant.

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Man Utd playing like Wenger’s Arsenal

Been waiting on some die-hard Utd fan to write in about style of play under Carrick. I’ve read conclusions, mailboxes, and Lewis Oldham’s recent piece – all rightly praising Carrick placing round pegs in round holes, but it’s much more impressive that just that. On top of deserved wins, they’ve been a quality watch too!

The difference in on-the-ball style of play has been sensational. I was raised on early Wenger-era Arsenal, so I know well what entertaining football looks like, and this is it. I watch entire Utd matches a lot as most of my friends are fans. Recently I’ve enjoyed watching the calamity, but a strong and entertaining United is good for the league. Only crap part is now having to listen to your Nevilles and Ferdinands spout shite about it being Fergie’s blueprint (let the man go, lads).

I mean, these fellas couldn’t knit three passes together under Amorim and were risk-averse and boring under Ten Hag. Even Ole’s counter-attacking group didn’t have the fluidity we’ve seen in the last three weeks, and relied heavily on a firing, motivated Rashford.

The intensity and interchanging of Cunha, Mbeumo, Bruno and Amad has opened new doors and new ideas. The incisive passing from the spine of this Utd team is clearly an instruction that brings a welcome risk-taking element that is now almost entirely absent from the City/Liverpool/Arsenal contingent who only appear to encourage creativity in the last 20 yards of the pitch. Seeing Maguire, Dalot, Casemiro (!) and Martinez play 1-2s out of the back and flick touches into the path of penetrating teammates has been brilliant.

There’s an unpredictability about this group when they have the ball. Look at some of the chances they’ve created and one-touch football that’s been on show in the entire opposition half (and even their own half at times!). It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s effective. It also gets the fans on your side. Best about it though is that the players who looked so shite under previous managers are now seemingly having more fun playing with less “structure”. If this continues, don’t be surprised if the players go to the top dogs and ask for him permanently. The thought of a Nagelsmann or otherwise being appointed to input their system on a group of players absolutely flying under a trusting manager might be met with a little derision.

Would love to hear from some United fans what they feel like Carrick’s 3-4 key principles of play have been since he has been interim. Not formation or system. Principles! Rocastle7 (Prayers for Paddy G this weekend – the thought of him having to watch Zubimendi and Szoboszlai rattle a couple beauts in off the post must have made him sick!)

Did Liverpool do football a favour?

Before even the game started, a realisation dawned upon me; In the 20 years of supporting Liverpool FC, Sunday the 8th of February 2026 was, and will be the the only day in my life where I was okay if my club lost a game;

I debated this feeling; it is not very sportsmanship like feeling; Nobody would encourage it; ok with LOSING? No sir, not in the DNA of a winner; they will all say it.

Petty. Would be another word hurled because the thought of Arsenal and their deluded fanbase actually winning a major trophy made the collective football fanbase throw-up. Imagine the lot who are intolerable without a major trophy for God knows how long, get their hands on a title. As good as Trump winning the Nobel Peace prize.

Own Goals are one of their top scoring metrics this season FFS. Footballing Gods have mercy.

Also need someone to question out recruitment strategy because we were okay with paying 55-60 mill for an unproven CB who will join us in the summer & has just picked up a serious injury.

But we were not okay with coughing up 20 mill for Guehi who would walk straight into that comical backline this season. Mihir Nair. Mumbai. LFC. (I woke up today all grumpy and irritated because my team lost, so normal services resume)

Stress not, Arsenal fans

Okay, so it is not a stroll in for the Gunners but surely on the horizon they can have a few draws and still win the title .

Brentford and Spurs away look troublesome but this current Spurs side ought to get shellacked. Later City play Chelsea away before hosting Arsenal who are actually well capable of winning at the Etihad. I can understand how the neutral wishes a title race but I reckon it’s done.

All of Gakpo, Wirtz, Ekitike and Salah were miserably poor on Sunday. Mac Allister and Gravenberch were sloppy, Curtis off the bench was at fault for the Nunes run and pen’ . Van Dyke , the captain, continues to be neutral to poor and now even Allison is costing them! Only players to make even a 6.5 out of 10 were Dom, Konate and Kerkez.

Nevertheless changing the coach won’t right all those wrongs.

Finally there’s a good shout for the Brentford coach to win manager of the season. Peter, Andalucia

Did VAR and the referee get it wrong?

I’ve never written in before, but I keep reading that VAR got the correct decision in the Liverpool/City game. But two things baffle me here, and this is purely on a nerdy basis. Firstly, the order of events: Szoboszlai fouls Haaland, the ref plays advantage and then Haaland fouls Szoboslai, so the goal is disallowed. Why did City then get the resulting free kick? Surely you don’t get a free hit on an opponent just because the ref has given you advantage? The second foul must be penalised, the game has continued.

Also, it seems nuts, but don’t the laws of the game say Szoboszlai should have been cautioned, not sent off, because of the advantage:

Purely on a technical basis, it looks like the ref was wrong to allow the goal initially, VAR could only disallow the goal, and should have reviewed and prevented Szobo’s sending off, too. Then Liverpool should have had a free in the last 15 seconds, where they could’ve lumped it up-field to 10 men in the box, and dramatically cocked up a final chance to draw level. Dave (this is what football analysis should be), Wigan

Let Pep decide…

I have a different view of the VAR-denied goal from yesterday’s game. While I do think I would enjoy a more physical game where referees let play continue and award ‘penalty-goals’ like Damian suggests, I think there is a simpler solution.

Football should learn from the NFL, and every single decision should be relayed to the managers on the sideline via headset – the managers would get to decide if they accept the foul & free-kick/penalty/yellow card, or if they want to decline it and take the outcome of the play having continued (in this case, Guardiola would have taken a goal and Szoboszlai would have been spared a red card).

Make an exception for physical endangerment fouls (referee’s judgment) and I think we avoid yesterday’s situation while appeasing manager’s more – no more complaining about the referee not playing advantage. Girish, AFC (Ghana would still have gotten knocked out though – sorry), Chennai

Non-biased Liverpool fan says referee had a shocker

I’m never slow to criticise officials and in particular the clowns when on VAR duty, but yesterdays Liverpool/City game highlighted some of the difficulties the actual laws of the game can hamper them. This is not sour grapes (it is partially) but my god that was one of the worst officiated games I’ve ever seen.

Firstly, Silva’s tug on Salah’s shoulder, when is a foul not a foul? Neville says that Silva is “clever” as he doesn’t pull Salah for “too long”, or put another way, he fouls him but grets away with it. Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool players are just as guilty as any other team when it comes to this type of offence, Konate on Marmoush is less obvious but is in the realm, so just give them!, It’s the only way to (try and) cut them out. Trippiers pull on Potter was worse and yet the VAR, despite the shirt clearly being pulled, deems it “insignificant contact”!!!! To repeat my comment from a couple of weeks ago, show me the rule where it says a shirt pull is allowed and I’ll shut up about it.

Guehi’s foul on Salah, correctly given outside the box but will Dias stop Salah getting a shot off, i.e. a goal scoring opportunity, he won’t, last season’s Salah scores, this season’s hits it with the outside of his foot and it goes closer to the corner flag than the goal, but it is still an opportunity.

The penalty, it’s a penalty, some are claiming “but the ball is out of play”, again show me a rule that says you can wipe a player out after the ball has gone and I’ll agree, don’t give “a coming together” either, Alisson is late.

Bernardo Silva, a wonderful player but is is there a more odious little shit in the game? Clearly Rodri’s cloak of invisibility has been passed to him. I was convinced he’d already been booked so was amazed to see him not sent off. His challenge on Kerkez sums up another massive flaw in the application or context of “the laws”.

It’s as cynical a challenge as you will ever see, it’s not “endangering an opponent”, it’s not “reckless”, as such, a red card cannot be issued, but what it actually does is give City more than one advantage. It has broke up an attack. it wastes valuable seconds as the time to take the free kick will not be added on and it allows City to organise and set themselves for the free kick. red cards for this would again go some way to stopping them.

Finally we have the biggest clusterf**k, the Cherki “goal”, how on earth is denying a goal scoring opportunity relevant when the ball goes in the net anyway, unfortunately for everyone, the laws of the game are applied correctly, almost, but the referee gives the goal, what happened to sticking with the on field decision? I’m pretty sure, but not certain, that “goals” have bee overruled and a penalty awarded, allowing the defending team an opportunity to stop a goal being scored, madness.

I say almost as there was one element which was totally ignored! Haaland’s rugby tackle is a yellow card every time, Alisson is yellow carded for his challenge for the penalty yet Haaland is not, he’s not even late, he jumps on Szboszlai with no attempt to get to the ball (well he might be, but still).

One commentor (btl really is filled with numpties) said that adding “the best part of quarter of an hour on”, was to give Liverpool more time, as they have conceded more “added on time” goals than anyone else, it’s hard to see how this was to their advantage.

On the game itself, a draw felt like a fairer result, other than Haaland’s chance early on, Liverpool missed the “easier” chances with Ekitike’s header and Wirtz’s weak effort. I remember Semenyo blasting one high and wide and a decent shot from outside the box, but can’t recall Alissons other “saves” whereas Donnarumma’s is recalled by everyone, I know, “it’s his job” and that’s what the best keepers pull out.

All in all a game in which Liverpool once again shot themselves in the foot, but well done City, a vital win but I don’t see them catching Arsenal. Howard (Maguire should have had a penalty also) Jones

An overlooked referee shocker

Surprised to see nothing here or anywhere else in regarding the foul from Reinildo on Gyokeres as he scored his second goal. Flying challenge above the knee with absolutely no hope of getting the ball. These only seem to be punished with a red if there is a big injury (like Isak’s leg break). A truly awful decision.

But for luck it could have been another Abou Diaby moment 20 years on; the needless tackle right at the end of the match, when a team is clearly beaten and also against Sunderland.

Nice one, James

The Tottenham plot is absolutely lost

My word, the last 15 minutes of LFC – City was fun. It’s given me the kick up the backside to write this…

When you write on Spurs, you’re nearly there. It’s banter and brain farts and nonsense football club, and an air of Spurs shooting themselves in the foot at the 11th hour to the hilarity of everyone else. The reality isn’t as entertaining – it’s more slow and subtle…like the demise of Blockbuster and Nokia who didn’t see it coming.

Whilst Spurs were never top of the tree in the same way those two were, they were doing ok. Go back 10 years, they’re toe to toe with Leicester in a crazy year. The year after they’re owning Liverpool, the year after that going unbeaten at The Lane. But this is where the lack of investment starts to creep in. The cloak of fiscal responsibility means they don’t sign a player in a calendar year. When they do take their hand off the cheque book, they absolutely soil themselves – they have no idea how to spend the money they’ve hoarded – Lo Celso and Ndombele were meant to be Mane and Firmino. The rot is setting in. The painful rebuild is never faced up too.

Once Poch has gone, they get into a weird few years of never committing, fluctuating between big bastard names who demand money, and patsies. The ultimate of which is the current manager. At the time of writing Brentford are 500/1 to go down, Spurs are 11/1. They’re 45 times more likely than Frank’s old club to go down. Get your head round that for a second.

Kane and Son have been swapped for Tel and Randall Muani. Who weren’t bought because they were the right signings. They were bought because they were cheaper and available. In the same way George Kevin Nkoudou was available. The club has been lowballing itself despite the opportunity being there for the taking, for the last 10 years. The rot is here. Not in a David Ridsdale all fur coat and no knickers way – in a horrible, slow way that’s disenfranchised everyone. From Romero through to all of us who sell their season ticket on 15 times.

Good luck with the relegation fight. Spurs look like a posh bird in Wetherspoons who doesn’t know how the drinks game works. The tables empty. I think they’re cooked. Andrew, Woodford Green

Marsch for Newcastle? Absolutely not

Chris C, Toon Army DC (Imagine Jason Tindall as interim manager. I dare you.) – I really need to give him some advice,

Find that thought about Jesse Marsch being a good manager for Canada and a multi club set up, scrunch it up in your head, then suppress it, hide it, and forget you ever even thought about it, and if it ever does come back up in your head, just compress and suppress it even more.

Horrendous, one dimensional penis-ball tactics, yeehaw coaching, celebrating moments, the goal-is-in-the-middle-of-the-pitch abomination of a football manager. Should have gone even after we somehow beat Liverpool 2-1 with a very late Summerville winner. The sliding doors moment of Villa picking up Emery after sacking an underperforming manager and us sticking with Marsch still haunts my dreams. That and Jesse Marsch putting Ballon D’or contender Raphinha on long throws. Mat, Leeds