Manchester United Fans’ Toxic Nature A Difficult Beast for New Signings | OneFootball

By Dylan Mc Bennett · July 7, 2026

You would be forgiven for thinking that Ederson had publicly disrespected Manchester United Football Club and its fans if you searched his name on Twitter. The sheer hatred with which his acquisition is currently being lambasted by mass sections of the online fanbase is baffling, but unfortunately it’s nothing new with the E-Reds, as some call them.

The Brazilian is far from some random midfielder pulled off the street to play for United. He’s been consistently impressive in Serie A for a European Cup-winning side over the past four seasons. Ederson has tenacity and an impressive physical profile that will no doubt improve a midfield which clearly lacks it. He has been praised and tipped to perform by the likes of Andrea Pirlo, to name just one, but RelentlessRooney67 on Twitter is apparently certain the deal is a joke and anyone associated with it should be fired. It’s an intriguing scenario.

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – OCTOBER 02: Ederson of Atalanta in action during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta BC at Arena AufSchalke on October 02, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

The online United ego trip

Common sense doesn’t seem to matter to many within the online fanbase. It’s become an ego trip. Fans who clearly haven’t taken the time to develop a true understanding of a player are jumping on a bandwagon, launching repeated spears in an attempt to drive through the heart of the INEOS regime because they need a wall to roar at.

It creates toxic tendencies that don’t need to exist. It makes it difficult for a new signing to succeed. His every touch is watched, with the masses baying for the blood of that one small minuscule error they can crop into a video, post on social media and reshare to their followers to further peddle their narrative.

Ederson’s signing has been deemed a failure by uneducated children before he’s even done a medical. The US-versus-them mentality that was once so rife within the Manchester United camps is now extinct. It seems to be them against us, and us against ourselves.

Again, if those who watched Ederson in Serie A firmly believed he was not a good signing for Manchester United, that would be fair. It’s acceptable to suggest a player won’t work due to your research, but admit you would be willing to wait to see your hypothesis proven to give the player a chance. But to rehash your opinion as if it’s fact and try and drag the player’s name down to boost your own ego before a player has even kicked a football, that’s not what you would associate with being a football fan.

toxic for new signings

New signings have felt this pressure before. A player whose name will not be used to protect sources was left feeling incredibly down in recent seasons due to the online vitriol he faced before and after joining the club. The player’s family found it hard, day to day, to deal with how much the player was being criticised and his name being dragged online, which also meant the player struggled to adapt to life in Manchester.

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A run of good form from the player ran into arguably the worst period of form in his career. Fans do not see what goes on behind the scenes. That adaptation period of walking around a city knowing you’re not loved by the fanbase around you makes it that bit more difficult to adjust to life at a new football club.

That’s not to suggest you can’t have an opinion. Football is a game of opinions, but your opinion isn’t a fact. You also need evidence to build an opinion. Many don’t bother to gather the relevant evidence, instead jumping on the bandwagon of other opinions they’ve found online and then reshaping them as if they’re their own.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Andrey Santos of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on May 19, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The same could be said about the potential signing of Andrey Santos. A 22-year-old midfielder fighting for a place in Chelsea’s first team with Moises Caicedo, the best defensive midfielder on the entire planet. Santos is a player United have had interest in for a long time. That’s not peddling a narrative for INEOS to protect the recruitment team; it’s the truth. They met with Bertolucci Sports in March.

Santos was discussed in recruitment meetings between Chelsea and United during the negotiations for Alejandro Garnacho. He’s been on the list internally for some time.

Missing out on Matheus Fernandes was a blow. The recruitment team overestimated the pull the club may have had in the deal, and Tottenham’s wage package pushed it over the line. Fernandes did seem to be a major target, and it’s fair to criticise INEOS for failing to get that deal done. If the club, however, do manage to sign Alex Scott, will that scratch the dopamine itch the fans are craving and make them reassess the window as a whole?

The point overall is that INEOS are not immune to criticism. They have made errors and will no doubt make errors as the months and years go by. That’s the manner of the game they’re in. Failures are going to happen, as will transfer window successes like the signings made last year. Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo, Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha. Ayden Heaven in January, and Patrick Dorgu along with him.

They are all good signings who have improved the team immensely. The club will be hoping to build on that in the coming weeks, but should absolutely be asked serious questions if they fail to strengthen between now and then.