United In Focus

Manchester United had a helping hand to beat Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend thanks to an early red card for the visitors.

There was no disputing that Cristian Romero deserved his red card for his tackle on Casemiro.

Romero slid in late and aggressively and Casemiro was fortunate to escape an injury. There was no hesitation from the referee.

The Argentine has come in for heavy criticism in the media as he now faces a four-game ban, at a time when Tottenham are low on players. It was his second red card of the season.

He made the tackle when the game was scoreless, with Manchester United going on to win 2-0.

Despite Romero’s low moment, he has a high-profile admirer…

Paul Scholes would ‘love’ Cristian Romero at Manchester United…

What do you make of this?!

Paul Scholes on Cristian Romero

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes spoke about Cristian Romero on his latest podcast.

More United News

Scholes did not argue that Romero deserved the red card, but spoke as a player who has seen his fair share of dismissals for bad tackles.

“We’ve all been there. It always looks worse in slow-motion”, he told The Good, The Bad & The Football.

Scholes then added: “I love watching him. I think his head’s checked out at Spurs. I’d love him at United.”

Elaborating further, Scholes added: “I just love the character of him.”

Romero is currently contracted to Tottenham until 2029 after signing a contract extension last summer. He joined the club in 2022.

Prove us wrong… Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes are the best midfield trio in the Premier League

There is not another trio we would swap them for!

The Lisandro Martinez factor

Manchester United’s priority in the transfer window is to sign two midfielders, and everything else will follow after that.

Whether United need a new centre-back depends on whether an extension is given to Harry Maguire, who is set to become a free agent this summer without a new deal.

Whether Romero enters United’s thinking could be a long-shot, but he is Premier League proven and might be keen to leave Spurs. It is unlikely they will have Champions League football next season, or any European football at all.

Romero is close friends with Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and is his centre-back partner for Argentina.

United could get a look at how they fare together at the upcoming World Cup.

Thomas Frank has spotlighted a major difference between Manchester United and Tottenham ahead of Spurs’ visit to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

The 52-year-old Tottenham head coach, who was once linked with Manchester United, is under enormous pressure going into the Premier League match this weekend.

Who is Manchester United’s best ever signing from Tottenham?

Thomas Frank left Brentford at the end of the 2024-25 campaign and succeeded former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou at the Premier League club last summer.

However, Spurs have been woeful in the Premier League under Frank this season and Tottenham languish in 14th place ahead of the Man Utd match on Saturday.

Tottenham were able to rescue an important Premier League point at home last Sunday, with Spurs securing a 2-2 comeback draw against Manchester City.

What Thomas Frank thinks stands out about Man Utd’s season compared with Tottenham’s campaign

Manchester United, unlike Tottenham, have seen a major turnaround in their Premier League campaign after the arrival of Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.

More United News

Michael Carrick was installed as Red Devils interim boss last month and will remain in the role at the Premier League club until the end of the 2025-26 season.

How worried are you about Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount’s injury battles?

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Frank insisted that United have benefited from not competing in European football in the current campaign.

“I also think it’s maybe a nice little context to say that Man United don’t play European football,” he said, as per Tottenham’s official website.

“I think we can all acknowledge there’s a little bit… It’s an extra challenge. It’s something we embrace and we’re happy with.”

Thomas Frank on Tottenham’s ‘challenges’ compared with Man Utd in the 2025-26 campaign

Spurs secured European football in the 2024-25 campaign after Tottenham defeated United in the 2025 Europa League final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

United were reduced to a 40-match season after the club made early exits from the League Cup and the FA Cup under Ruben Amorim and Darren Fletcher respectively.

Should Ruben Amorim have been FIRED right after the Europa League Final defeat?

Frank insisted that his main focus remains on picking up three Premier League points against United when Spurs visit Old Trafford for their huge clash.

“So, I think let’s judge us when we are on the same, how can I say, challenges,” he added.

“The ambition is that we want to do very well and carry on with the good performances and beat Man United in two days’ time.”

Manchester United’s preparations to face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend are taking shape, and two players may not be involved.

Michael Carrick and his staff are preparing the Manchester United team for battle against Tottenham this weekend. Two first team stars could be missing.

United’s players were pictured in training at Carrington, with 17-year-old Yuel Helafu and JJ Gabriel, 15, among those present.

Two key stars were absent, and it is becoming a trend. Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount were both missing from the session as their injury troubles continue.

How worried are you about Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount’s injury battles?

Matthijs de Ligt’s long road back

Matthijs de Ligt has not played for Manchester United since the 2-1 away win over Crystal Palace on November 30.

His injury was originally expected to be a short-term problem, with De Ligt reported to have a back issue.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of the Arsenal game, Michael Carrick tried his best to explain De Ligt’s situation and offer a timeline for a return.

More United News

“He had a bit of a setback before I arrived, only small, but he was a little bit slower than we had liked. He’s getting closer, and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, he will be back and around it.”

At present De Ligt is still not fit enough to train. Fortunately he is the only centre-back out with injury at present, with Harry Maguire recovering from his problem.

De Ligt scored United’s equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham in the last meeting and he had been the club’s best defender in the opening months of the season.

That makes his ongoing injury problems more frustrating. It is his second major spell out with injury since arriving at the club in 2024.

De Ligt’s injury at the end of last season saw him miss out on the Europa League Final, a potentially costly absence.

Man Utd HAVE to turn this record around vs Spurs this time…

Are you confident Michael Carrick will get a win?

Mason Mount’s on-off problems

Mason Mount did feature in the opening game under Michael Carrick, coming off the bench to score a goal that was disallowed in stoppage time.

Carrick says he is a big fan of Mason Mount, however, the club’s number seven is out with another injury.

Mount was an unused substitute against Arsenal, but failed to make the squad for the Fulham fixture.

Speaking ahead of the Fulham game, Carrick said: “He took a bit of a knock in training, but it’s nothing serious.

“We’re disappointed he is not with us today but he’ll be back very soon.”

Mount is yet to return, and while he could pop up in training before the weekend, United fans are well used to his absences at this point.

This is Mount’s third spell out with injury this season, although fortunately both previous times have only been brief spells on the sidelines.

The previous one was frustrating as it came at a point United were relying on him, with Bruno Fernandes suffering a rare injury in late December. Mount then compounded the issue.

This season he has actually played more than previously, making 10 Premier League starts, compared to 13 combined across his first two seasons at the club.

It would be helpful to Mount’s cause if he could finish the season strongly, with United set for another squad makeover in midfield this summer.

Manchester United’s managerial situation is not an easy one to solve. And we are not the only ones having trouble.

There is constant pressure as a Premier League manager, with Ruben Amorim always just one loss away from an ongoing debate over his future.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has urged patience and is seeking a long-term evaluation, with it clear that Ineos have no desire to rip up this current project and start again.

Ratcliffe’s stance is driven by a desire not to have to admit to an error, but also because there is no obvious alternative to Amorim.

The 7 managers contacted by Ineos about the Man United job before Ruben Amorim’s appointment

One manager who was twice linked was former Brentford boss Thomas Frank, before he was later hired by Tottenham.

Ratcliffe held face-to-face talks with Frank following the 2024 FA Cup Final, and he was once again considered once Erik ten Hag was sacked – before United opted for Amorim.

Amorim’s time at United has been challenging, and Frank represented an alternative who was another up and coming manager – but one with Premier League experience.

More United News

He is now getting the chance to show what he can do with Tottenham Hotspur, and the results have been underwhelming.

Tottenham fans point out Frank problems

One of the biggest problems Manchester United fans had with Erik ten Hag, was the lack of a cohesive playing style with his teams.

Ruben Amorim has committed to a style of play, but there is ongoing debate over how effective his tactics are.

Tottenham lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, slipping to 11th in the table. They have now lost three of their last five matches.

The honeymoon period for Frank at Tottenham is long gone, and fans on social media have been lamenting a disconnect with the club, and his tactics.

One fan wrote: “The next manager MUST bring a clear identity and style. Even if it doesn’t always work, at least there’s something to hold onto. Right now, we have nothing.”

A second responded: “Frank is an embarrassment of a football manager and I know 100% that this IS the worst I’ve ever felt as a Spurs fan!”

A third wrote: “I don’t think Thomas Frank understands what sort of Club he’s at. We aren’t Prime Barcelona but we still have standards.”

Another added: “It’s tough/draining and pointless getting behind a project when we have no faith in the manager.”

And a fifth wrote: “It is truly a numbing experience. Losing to Sean Dyche of all people when in bad form overall should be an automatic sacking.”

“I’m feeling greater apathy than ever before,” added another.

Are you confident Ruben Amorim is the right head coach for Man Utd?

Tottenham hoped to avoid United error

Manchester United’s poor 2023/24 season was covered up by the FA Cup Final win over City. And amid the emotion of winning the cup, United decided to keep Erik ten Hag. He was fired months later after a poor start to 2024/25.

Tottenham found themselves at a similar dilemma after Ange Postecoglou won the Europa League, offsetting a terrible league campaign.

Spurs fired Postecoglou right away, and hired Thomas Frank as his replacement.

It was a decision Ineos considered at the time, and chose not to take.

Whether Frank would be doing better than Amorim is like splitting hairs. He might even have been a downgrade.

What we are seeing from his Tottenham stint so far is that there is no reason for Ineos to regret their decision not to hire him.

Ruben Amorim must think twice before he rolls the dice with one Manchester United star to help fill the void left behind by Benjamin Sesko’s injury setback.

The 40-year-old Manchester United manager suffered a real headache during the Tottenham match ahead of the start of the November international break.

Benjamin Sesko was forced off the pitch in the second half of United’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham after he initially came off the bench after the break.

Amorim provided an update about Sesko after the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the picture was not clear on the extent of the injury to the striker.

Who should start as striker for Man Utd with Benjamin Sesko injured?

It has since been revealed that the 22-year-old Slovenian forward has suffered a knee injury and Sesko will be out of action for United for around a month.

More United News

Ruben Amorim cannot turn to Matheus Cunha as a makeshift Man Utd replacement for Benjamin Sesko

Benjamin Sesko has struggled to deliver consistent goalscoring numbers in a Manchester United shirt since his move from German side RB Leipzig in August.

The ex-RB Leipzig ace has only netted twice in 12 matches across all competitions for United, despite impressing at times with other parts of his playing style.

Ruben Amorim could now be left to experiment with his lone striker option, with the United head coach facing another dilemma on who to play in Sesko’s place.

The obvious candidate would be the in-form Bryan Mbeumo, but United are likely to lose their summer signing next month for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Joshua Zirkzee has been tipped to leave United in January and the out-of-favour Red Devils striker has struggled for minutes under Amorim in the 2025-26 campaign.

Amorim could use either Mason Mount or Matheus Cunha in a false nine type of role, but the United boss should consider the former over the latter in Sesko’s absence.

Gary O’Neil’s approach with Matheus Cunha at Wolves paints the full picture for Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim

Matheus Cunha has played behind the striker for the Brazil national team, but the United summer signing’s biggest strength is drifting in from the left of attack.

Gary O’Neil coached the 26-year-old Brazilian forward at Wolves and even tried to convert Cunha into a striker role during his first season in charge at the Molineux.

However, the 42-year-old former Wolves manager insisted that Cunha’s attacking flair from the left-hand side would be lost at the expense of the player being a poacher.

“He obviously has some fantastic individual attributes that can unlock things and get you up the pitch, but every time the ball is crossed, I need my No 9 to be a threat. You have to be,” Gary O’Neil said, as per Sky Sports in June.

“If you use [Erling] Haaland as the best example, he can go minutes without touching the ball, but he is constantly making runs threatening the backline, making space for others, and you know that as soon as the ball comes across he is going to be sliding in.”

Wayne Rooney has agreed that a decision made by Ruben Amorim was somewhat questionable as Manchester United drew to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on the weekend.

The Red Devils took the lead through Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian’s first-half header putting United in the ascendancy.

But after a dispirited second half, Tottenham fought back to lead through goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison.

Matthijs de Ligt saved United’s blushes with a last-gasp header, but it was a rather disappointing result considering how long Amorim’s side held the lead.

Wayne Rooney on Casemiro sub in Man United vs Tottenham

This is something Wayne Rooney reflected on, and agreed with his BBC co-host that part of the reason the performance went downhill was due to Casemiro’s departure.

The co-host said, “I think sometimes Amorim’s substitutions baffle me. And I thought yesterday [Saturday], he should have let Casemiro see the game out and give him a rest next week if need be.

Rooney responded: “Well, he hasn’t got a game next week, has he? It’s the international break.

“So yeah, unless he was physically really tired or had a knock, we don’t know. But, yeah, he probably should have kept him on.

More United News

“And as a manager, when you’re making changes, you hope they pay off – because obviously when they do, it’s great, and everyone turns around saying, “Oh, that was a great decision.”

“But sometimes they don’t, and so it’s a big thing.”

Casemiro leaves United with an injury concern after the Spurs game, with the 33-year-old’s departure from the pitch an unplanned one. So if this is the case, Amorim can’t be given too much stick.

Casemiro has turned his form around at United, and it was undeniable that when the Brazilian left the frame at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there were gaps in the Red Devils midfield.

Manuel Ugarte ineffective against Tottenham

The man who vacated Casemiro’s position was the Uruguayan midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, who has struggled since he arrived at United.

This was no different against Tottenham, with Ugarte proving ineffective and actually detrimental to Amorim’s side. There were definitely better players on the pitch.

Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?

The be-all and end-all is that United need a new six. Casemiro is fine for now, but hasn’t got long left, which means the next point of call in the transfer market is the deep-lying playmaker role.

Matthijs de Ligt continued his impressive run of form for Manchester United against Tottenham but he still has room for improvement.

Manchester United drew 2-2 with Tottenham to extend the unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches.

Matthijs de Ligt scored a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a point, but Ruben Amorim left disappointed that his side threw away another lead.

After the full-time whistle, De Ligt was frustrated to draw, but the Dutch defender can be extremely proud of his individual performance.

United fans raved about De Ligt following his display in North London, but Amorim is confident that he can elevate to an even higher level.

How Matthijs de Ligt can level up at Man United

Defensively, De Ligt was flawless for United against Tottenham and, frankly, he has been the club’s best defender all season.

But at 26 years old, he still has plenty of years ahead of him to keep improving, and Amorim has already said how.

Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?

More United News

After full-time against Tottenham, Amorim praised De Ligt but also dropped a hint about what he wants from his defenders.

“I think he has more quality on the ball than he’s showing because he’s still at a point where he doesn’t want to make a mistake with the ball. When we reach a point, a very good point, our three centre-backs will control the tempo and the quality of the game.”

Amorim clearly wants Matthijs de Ligt to be more composed in possession, which will help United to dictate possession and the tempo of matches.

Matthijs de Ligt must cut out clearance habit

The statistics back up what Amorim is saying about De Ligt.

De Ligt has played every minute of United’s Premier League campaign, and there has been a noticeable trend in his performances.

As per the Premier League figures, De Ligt has made 59 clearances this season. That is twice as many as any other United player, with Leny Yoro ranking second with 27.

While that appears as a positive on paper, De Ligt’s tendency to clear his lines does cost United possession and a chance to build up from deep.

Amorim has adopted a more direct approach, but ideally he wants United to become a possession-based team. For that to happen, De Ligt will have to adapt.

Manchester United suffered a bittersweet draw against Spurs in a performance that was a repeat of their draw against Nottingham Forest, but they have a new undisputed first-choice starter now.

The game against Nottingham Forest was the first time Ruben Amorim named an unchanged side, and he made three changes for the visit to Spurs.

It hints that the Man Utd manager is finally getting close to his ideal team, although a triple injury blow vs Spurs will test that theory.

What’s extremely encouraging, however, is the emergence of a new undisputed first-choice player in the team who was an absolute monster vs Spurs.

Ruben Amorim must take note of Patrick Dorgu

Patrick Dorgu was always seen as a project player thrust into the brightest spotlight straightaway at Old Trafford, so some growing pains were expected.

In an ideal world, he would have been backup to a first-choice player, but when the first-choice player is Diogo Dalot, Dorgu deserves more chances.

Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?

He lent strength to that argument with a monstrous display vs Spurs, where he threw himself into duels with abandon, and was a foul magnet throughout.

More United News

Dorgu was the most fouled player during the game, and he won a game-high nine duels to keep United in control of the game when Spurs pushed for an equaliser (Stats courtesy of FotMob).

It’s not a coincidence that the team conceded twice after he came off in the 80th minute, as his natural left-footedness and physicality thwarted Spurs on every occasion until his departure.

Amorim was choosing not to fix what wasn’t broken by continuing to select Dalot because he was a part of a winning team.

Now that Dorgu has come in and made the most of his opportunity against a big team, the left wing-back spot should be his to lose again.

Dorgu is a long-term investment unlike Diogo Dalot

It can be argued that even if Dorgu was struggling and left his spot open for Dalot to take it, Amorim should have taken the long-term view.

That is because Dorgu’s age and potential make him a long-term investment worth persisting with through growing pains.

The light at the end of the tunnel is bright in Dorgu’s case, while Dalot is what he is, and it’s extremely unlikely he improves another level.

The Portuguese is a perfectly serviceable role player who is a model professional off the pitch, so his contribution should be appreciated.

What shouldn’t happen is dropping Dorgu for him, who has the potential to lock down that left wing-back position for the next decade.

Just like Senne Lammens in goal, Dorgu is the long-term play here who can provide an immediate upgrade as well.

It’s a no-brainer who the left wing-back position should go to, even more so after his game against Spurs.

Bryan Mbeumo has now opened up on the crucial message that he sent to every Manchester United player during the 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Saturday.

The Red Devils summer signing broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute of the clash after Bryan Mbeumo scored a stunning header from an Amad Diallo cross.

Manchester United were leading Tottenham going into half-time and maintained their advantage for the majority of the match before a late Spurs comeback.

Mathys Tel beat Senne Lammens in the 84th minute after a deflection from Matthijs de Ligt allowed Tottenham to cancel out United’s first-half opener in the match.

Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?

Ruben Amorim and Co would be stunned only seven minutes later after Richarlison curled a stunning effort into the bottom right corner of Senne Lammens’ net.

More United News

Bryan Mbeumo explains where he stood with Man Utd players after Tottenham’s Premier League fightback

Manchester United were able to avoid a major setback on Saturday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the dying stages of the 2-2 Premier League draw.

The Red Devils received a late corner and United summer signing Senne Lammens was even called up to the Tottenham box for the injury-time set-piece.

Bruno Fernandes crossed the ball into the far post of the Tottenham net and Matthijs de Ligt escaped his marker and smashed home a header past Guglielmo Vicario.

Speaking after United’s result against Tottenham, Bryan Mbeumo admitted that he attempted to rally his side back after Richarlison put Spurs in the lead in injury time.

The 26-year-old Cameroon forward claimed that he told his teammates to “stay” in the contest and they all showed how “very strong mentally” they are “right now.”

“Yeah, I tried to talk to the guys and tell them to ‘stay in the game’ because it’s still five minutes to go and we know in a football game anything can happen,” Mbeumo told TNT Sports.

“And I think we are all very strong mentally right now to come back and that’s what we’ve done.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s verdict on Man Utd’s performance in the draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Mbeumo impressed United fans with his overall display on Saturday afternoon and he insisted that the Red Devils were involved in “big drama” at the end of the tie.

“Yeah, that was a big drama, but yeah, at the end, we managed to come back into the game and yeah, as I said, if we can’t win, don’t lose,” he explained.

When asked about Spurs’ tactical changes in the match, the United summer signing responded: “Yeah, we knew that it’s going to be harder in the second half.

“Obviously, they were going to push, but before the first goal we conceded, I think we played a very, very good game.

“Very solid. So, I think we still have to work a bit on the goals we conceded.”

Mbeumo has netted six times and picked up one assist in his first 12 United matches in the 2025-26 campaign after his stunning summer arrival from Brentford.

Bryan Mbeumo believes Manchester United will continue to grow in confidence after drawing with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Manchester United drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur to make it five matches unbeaten in the Premier League.

The Red Devils took the lead through Bryan Mbeumo after 32 minutes and appeared to be in control of the game at half-time.

However, in a similar fashion to last week, United collapsed in the second half by conceding two goals. They also kept the faith and showed their newfound belief by scoring late on to secure a point.

Matthijs de Ligt felt United deserved more after his headed goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but there was relief as they came away from London after avoiding defeat.

Bryan Mbeumo takes confidence boost from Tottenham draw

United’s goalscorer Mbeumo was the main attacking threat in the first half.

Mbeumo took advantage of Tottenham’s poor defending when he converted Amad’s brilliant cross for the opening goal. The Cameroon international stood – rather than jumped – with no Spurs defender in proximity.

It was Mbeumo’s sixth goal of the season, and he took a positive approach to his post-match interview, despite many United fans feeling that it was two points dropped.

More United News

Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?

In an interview with TNT Sports, Mbeumo was asked about the overriding feeling in the dressing room after drawing 2-2 with Tottenham.

“That was a big drama, but at the end we managed to come back into the game,” Mbeumo said.

With United now five matches unbeaten, Mbeumo believes United can take more confidence from their draw at Tottenham.

“It builds confidence when we don’t lose,” he added.

“It’s always easier on the pitch and training ground, so everyone is enjoying a lot. We are going to try to build this [unbeaten run] as long as possible.”

Bryan Mbeumo ranks among Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah

It has been a brilliant year for Mbeumo on the pitch.

Not only was he Brentford’s talisman throughout the 2025/26 season, but Mbeumo also completed a move to United and was voted Premier League Player of the Month in October.

Mbeumo also ranks among the top attacking players in the Premier League for goal contributions in 2025.

Five of those goals were scored in a United shirt, with more to follow before the end of the year.