Manchester is RED | Cunha checks in | United now need a striker
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Hello and welcome along to the latest episode of the Manchester is Red podcast from the Manchester Evening News. My name is George Smith and alongside me for this one is Stephen Railson. Stephen, it's been a while since me and you did one of these together. How are things? Yeah, very good. I've moved flats. I've got a slightly different background along to Media City. I've got the worst room in the flat, so I'm not very happy about that. But flip a coin, you've got to accept the result. And I was on the wrong side of the coin flip.

unfortunate that is very unfortunate mate but apart from that you're well yeah I'm all right I'm all right um how are you

I'm not bad, mate. Thank you. Not bad at all. But before we dive into today's podcast, we want to offer a shout out to our new podcast sponsor, Saley, which is a brand owned by NordVPN. That is a new eSIM service app that you can use abroad if you are in desperate need of an internet connection. You can download Saley in your app store and use code Manchester at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase.

For more information, please go to our description box. So with the formalities out of the way, Stephen will dive into the football and there's only one place to start as far as Manchester United are concerned this Monday morning. And that is with the addition of Mateus Cunha, the deal going through on the opening day of the transfer window on Sunday, subject to a visa and registration being granted, which shouldn't be a problem. He signed a five-year deal with the option of a sixth. Nothing quite like making a statement on day one, is there?

It's always a Sunday morning shift. I was joking with Sean. Whenever me and Sean are on a Sunday morning, see, we've been out on a Saturday night, a big story always breaks. It's inevitable. So I'm off next weekend, George, so something won't break. You'll be okay. So, yeah, I mean, Kuna was spotted at the Lowry Hotel, pictured leaving, and

around 10 a.m with his family which suggested a deal was probably close uh christopher favel had met with his representatives in the ivy and down in spinning field on saturday night probably just to finalize the move uh

Kuno was actually supposed to be dining, allegedly, but he wasn't spotted. So whoever has been stuck into the ivy through the back door, I'm not so sure, but he wasn't pitching anyways. But yeah, the club obviously confirmed it. I think it was around two o'clock, half two. Anyways, it was in the afternoon. This one's been bubbling under the surface for a while. We all knew it was coming. Obviously, finally, some confirmation, as you said, a five-year deal.

With the option for another year, 62.5 million, which will be paid in installments. Obviously, in the PSR world, that's important to spread the cost. I guess the deal ticks a lot of boxes. It should be, on paper, a brilliant addition. Kuhn has a wonderful player, 17 goals in all competitions that season, and a really poor Wolves side. He obviously could have left in the January transfer window, but wanted to stay to help them stay in the Premier League, which kind of shows you what kind of person he is.

he shaved his aim Wolves stayed up um enjoyed a bit of a good spell with Vito Pereira obviously won at Old Trafford didn't a few weeks ago you know I'd report that day but yeah Coon has an excellent player isn't he we've all seen it he's a proven Premier League um talent he could play I guess on either of the number 10 rules so be interested to see how he's used on the left or on the right he can obviously play down the middle as well I prefer to see him in the the left side role I think that's where he will be used in that left-hand position

And he's just got a lot of good qualities, doesn't he? In tight spaces, he's great with the ball. He can cut inside, he can finish. And he's a goal scorer. And this team needs goal scorers. He's not going to play up front, as I said, probably not. But he can contribute goals. I'm sure we'll get a little bit into Bruno Fernandes later. If he does leave, if there is a decision communicated this week, an indication that...

that he could join Al-Halal. Other players are going to have to step up and contribute goals. And Kouner is a goal scorer. He knows where the back of the net is. I think he equaled the most goals by a Brazilian player in the Premier League this season, didn't he? I think it was 15. I think Firmino scored. I can't remember the third player. So he'll probably be a bit disappointed that he didn't get another, just to set that out of our record. But he had a tremendous season. The move's finally been confirmed, as you said, obviously. So

subject to registration and visa. So Kuna travelled to South America for international duty when he left the Lowry Hotel. But it'll be fantastic to get him in nice and early for pre-season. And as you said as well, no better than getting the deal confirmed on day one.

It's the perfect start, isn't it? Obviously, like you said, Stephen, it's been bubbling away for a while. It was inevitable it was going to happen at some point. But I just think getting it done on day one, it just gets the supporters on the side a little bit after obviously a really disappointing season. It gives them something a little bit to raise the excitement levels, lift the spirits. And it does feel like a natural fit. And obviously last summer we saw five players come in all from overseas.

But this time going for a proven Premier League player who's proven as recently as this season that he can do the business and score goals, that feels like it needs to be a key trait of what United are going to try and do with some signing players who are proven and ready to go. Yeah, it's crucial, isn't it? Like I said, we've all watched them. And if you pick out a player from...

a Premier League team who's been performing brilliantly. You surely just expect them to kind of, it's not that simple, it's not an exact science, but to reproduce those performances. He's not going to need that period of adaptation, is he, in settling in. And you can actually think it's five languages, so Portuguese, English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish.

He can speak all those languages fluently. So that's so impressive. When you read interviews with Kuna from the last couple of years, I mean, his career path has been really interesting. I remember writing about him when he was at Hertha Berlin. Sounds like a very hipster thing to say, but it was when I think football had just started after COVID. And obviously there was a lot of eyes on the Bundesliga. I was watching a lot of that. And he was kind of a rising star in that team. He was a bit young. He obviously went to Leipzig.

was at Atletico Madrid as well. So he's been at some big clubs. He kind of found his groove again at Wolves because he was struggling a little bit at Atletico Madrid. He kind of wasn't playing as much as he hoped. He missed out on the Brazil squad for the Qatar World Cup in 2022. So Wolves, that move really

invigorated him and he really found his form again and over the last 18 months I mean he's just exceptional isn't he I mean when we were down me and Sammy were down at Molyneux on Boxing Day just gone after Christmas and yeah I don't even know how you describe the skill move that he did he trapped the ball dead under his foot and kind of swiveled and turned

And the whole stadium just kind of gasped. It was almost as if he was trying to impress you by saying, "Come on, come sign us." But it was a fantastic piece of skill. And look, this formation in Amram's system, it doesn't accommodate wingers, does it?

Kuna is an exciting player, though. I mean, when I think of wingers, traditional United wingers, they get you off the seat. They make things happen. There's obviously not wingers in this formation, but Kuna should still manage to do that in one of the number 10 roles. He should still excite fans. And yeah, really exciting saying, and I think a really strong addition. A very good place to start. Yeah, it is. It's the first piece in the jigsaw, ultimately, isn't it? It's going to add a little bit of that Brazilian flair, a little bit of creativity there.

And obviously he's a natural fit for that left-sided number 10 role. We would presume that's the role he's going to play. Obviously he's played with a formation that features a back three at Wolves, so it should be quite a seamless transition. But of course, the big difference at United is the expectation levels compared to what he's been used to at Wolves are going to be off the scale.

Well, that's what I mean when I say it ticks every box, really. It was a very simple transfer. Kun has played in the system before he wanted to join United. There was a release clause there. United were happy to meet that release clause. Personal terms weren't an issue. It was very straightforward. Transfers, a lot of the time, are not like this. If we talk about Victor Oshman, I think he would be my ideal striker target. I think his wages...

they were the stumbling block with Chelsea and that's why that move fell through last year and it could prove to be a stumbling block again but yeah Kuna just ticked every box and again I just reiterate it should be a great addition but we'll have to say at the start of the season imagine he will be in the starting team on the first day and when you spend 62.5 million on a play sign him to start

Yeah, you've got to, haven't you? He's got to be a player that almost could be the statement signing of the summer, depending what else is obviously achievable and outgoings and things like that are going to dictate what else is possible. But obviously, in terms of what United need to do next, it is signing that elusive number nine. Obviously, they've had a setback with Liam de Lappe. Obviously, it's generated debate whether it was such a massive blow missing out on him, given that he's only had one season as a regular Premier League starter. Did well in a really, really poor Ipswich side. It shouldn't be ignored, that fact.

But United, as me and Samuel discussed last week, they need somebody more established, more proven. Somebody, for example, of Victor Rossum's ilk. But obviously the two big elephants in the room, if you like, are one, the price, and two, there's no European football to offer.

Yeah, definitely. I'll start with De Lappe. I mean, 12 goals in his first Premier League season. Very respectable, very good first season. A powerful young player, clearly got a lot of potential. But I was banging my head against the wall when I'm seeing fans demanding De Lappe or heavily in the De Lappe camp. I could definitely see merit in the move. And as I said, he's obviously had a fantastic first year. But yeah,

United need a proven goal scorer. We all know that. We've seen that over the last two years. The field assigned that player in the last two summer windows. Rasmus Hoyland's not good enough. Joshua Xerxe, not good enough to find the back of the net and to score 20 goals a season. So is the lap going to score 20 goals a season in this United team next season? I don't think so. They need someone who is the closest guarantee to goals as they can get on the transfer market.

That, for me, is Victor Osherman. But as you've said, wages, no European football, it's a lot more complicated when you think of how much sense and how straightforward the Kuna deal was. Signing a striker who fits the billing and is attainable and can do the job is definitely way more complicated than the Kuna deal. But United's attention now has to turn to that because we all know that

they need that player they need that player desperately even the the postseason games that you watch you just don't have a goal score it's ground hard day every every time you watch them um it was almost comical wasn't it on the final day of the season against aston villa they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net obviously one two nil in the end um one was a penalty but for a large part of that game you thought this goal isn't going to come and considering how many chances they created that was that was pretty staggering so um

A natural centre forward, someone who can score 20 goals a season. I mean, who is that player? I think everyone's looking for that player at the moment. Arsenal are looking for a striker. Looking at Cesco, he's quite raw as well, isn't he? But yeah, for me, I've been banging an Arsenal mid-jump for

for a few months now, almost, yeah, probably. Yeah, and I think he needs to be the saying, and if they can try, put all their eggs in one basket and go for him, that'll be brilliant. Eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Ebbglis.

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Feels like the obvious selection, doesn't he? Obviously, he's been consistent. I think I was working out the other day, I think he's scored 84 goals in the last three seasons, which just proves what a prolific goal scorer he is. Victor Iocaris is another name that keeps going round.

Of course, obviously, his connections with Ruben Amarin, but again, it's the finances and the lack of European football. But whoever United do settle on at the moment, we don't seem to have a concrete name or a concrete steer in which direction they're going to head in for this De Lappe alternative. But I think the key is to try and get it done as quickly as possible, because you think back to last summer, Joshua Xerxe was obviously the attacking signing, was away at the Euros, so didn't go on the tour of the US for pre-season.

Rasmus Hoyland obviously got injured in the first game of that tour. He signed too late for the tour the year before. So United really, they need to try and get a striker in as quickly as possible to give them that bedding in period before the proper stuff starts in August. It's just easier said than done, isn't it? I mean, they're just sitting there on the 2nd of June and I completely agree. Like, ideally they'd have a striker in by the end of this month and they should be targeting for that. And I mean,

i don't want to defend them too much because they've had months to plan for this they know that they need the striker it's not been a secret so they should have contingency plans and they'll obviously plan for um not having european football and having european football but that's really affect the striker target too much you'd think because they need a quality player in that position a marquee player in that position

regardless of who they were going to play in the new campaign. So, yeah, I mean, Gokarez is obviously an interesting one. He's scored over 60 goals, hasn't he, this season for sport and his goal scoring record is phenomenal this year. I just think Oshiman's done it for a longer period of time. He's proven that he can do it over a longer period. Gokarez is obviously incredibly talented. He doesn't score that many goals without

without having such talent and he obviously has experience in England having played for Coventry in the Championship I think his career trajectory has been really interesting to see him kind of take that path from Coventry in the Championship and then become one of Europe's most prolific centre forwards and

maybe it's because I'm scarred because managers saying in four players you just think back to Eric ten hard don't you and saying in his former players and you think God not again um surely a red flag but maybe it's a bit different maybe if Avram does land on cocares um we'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt because uh most of the players who tend to know exciting to be worked with before might have worked out no it is a very fair point I must have met a very fair point indeed but

As I've already mentioned, Stephen, it's going to be a lot is going to be dependent on who goes out of the club this summer, how much money can be raised and all the other bits and bobs that come with that. Obviously, one of the biggest talking points the last few days has been Bruno Fernandes' future. We still don't know which way that's going to go. As I said at the beginning of this, myself and you, we've not done a podcast for a while, so we've not had a chance to talk about this. There's talk of £100 million potentially on its way from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for a player that turns 31 in September.

It's a really difficult judgment call, I think, to make on do you get £100 million of the bank or do you keep hold of a player as talented and as gifted and as important as Bruno Fernandes? Where do you sit on it? What do you think United have got to consider on this one? Well, you can make arguments for and against, can't you? Yeah. But I would say, for me, the against column outweighs the arguments to sell him. £100 million, as you've said, for a player of his age is incredible. Yeah.

if that is the money on the table around that. And he would be given obscene wages. So an attractive move in that sense. From Fernandes' perspective, it's...

I think it's a waste for him to go to Saudi Arabia at that age. You look at players who have gone across there and they're a little bit older, maybe mid-30s. He's still arguably in the prime of his career. You could say players are in the primes a little bit later now. Maybe he's just leaving it, but he's still obviously a fantastic, fantastic player. I think United have got to do everything they can to keep him because he's the driving force in the dressing room.

He is their tone setter. He has been the most consistent player in that dressing room since signing from Sporting in 2020. He's just won the Player of the Year award for a fourth time. Only De Gea and Ronaldo have done that previously at United. And as well, who he is away from the pitch and what he does away from the pitch. He's an all-encompassing captain, really. And it's funny when you...

You think back to when he got the armband and there was some uproar about him getting it because occasionally he's petulant on the pitch. But he is the leader at that football club. Offering to pay for staff tickets to go to the Europa League final, for example. Keeping in touch with staff who have been made redundant. Having strong relationships with staff who are still at Carrington. Paying for drinks on the post-season tour in a bar when staff came down and were drinking with the players just last week.

he kind of he understands he understands the club and not only that he's more importantly he's just a fantastic football player um he's given his best yes the club that's the thing hasn't he and he might think well look it's time for a change i've done all i can and i think you look quite crestfallen to be honest after the european league final i think you could kind of if you looked at his face it was interesting his body language and how he actually looked i think he might have thought in his head this might be it um

i think if united win that game and they're in the champions league i think there's no chance he entertains a move but let's just finish 15th there's no european football next year um so he might think you know what okay i've done all i can and it's time to put my bags it would be such a shame wouldn't it it would be a massive shame for him to leave on the flip side you're right look the bank 100 million but you can't trust this football club to to reinvest that wisely if there was insurances that they were going to spend that money very well

And I think you'd probably have to sign two plans with me. You wouldn't look for a direct replacement. You'd look to replace him in a different way, but maybe two attacking players. Then that would give you a bit more encouragement that the move should go ahead. But you just can't trust these clubs. You just can't trust United's recruitment record. It's been crap.

And for that reason, I think they've got a direction to kind of keep them. But by the sounds of things, I think a decision will be kind of indicated in some way, shape or form this week. And it's going to be fascinating, really. It's such a big story. And I think Fernandes will want it sorted sooner than later. Yeah, it sounds like Al-Hilal are going to push for it this week, aren't they? They want him signing time ultimately for the Club World Cup, which is obviously not too far away. But

I echo your thoughts about his importance, this, that and the other. And I personally think it would be a shame to lose him. And you are bang on the money when you say you don't tend to trust United to reinvest it as wisely they should. Myself and one of our editors, Alex, we had the exact same conversation on Saturday when we were discussing it. When you think about it, obviously Anthony came in for big money. We all know how that worked out. But,

That's the thing, isn't it? Would you trust them to reinvest it wisely? If they did, for example, speaking hypothetically, if they got 100 million, you'd go for someone like an Osserman who's probably available 50, 60 million pounds in this current market and then a really good midfielder. But on the flip side of that, it could be a way for Koimane to sort of raise his game in this United team, albeit a very different player. But we've not seen as much as him this season. Would it be sort of his route back into the team with Kunja playing as the 10 to pull the strings and create it?

Yeah, I see what you mean. I just think what Fernandes offers in terms of goals and assists is just unrivaled, isn't it? You just can't find a player who does that. There is only so few players in the world who consistently offers that rate of goal contributions. He's just been...

he's just been fantastic in a struggling team as well I mean it's been up and down hasn't it even this season he's continued to perform I think Ahmad was the only kind of contender for the clear of the air award that wasn't Fernandez I might have won it actually if he hadn't picked up an ankle injury in February that really disrupts his momentum and then Fernandez searched to favoritism for that award while he was sidelined and had a storm in few months on an individual basis

It boils down to the player. I think if Al-Halal make a bid this week, they would have been told by Fernandes' camp that he is willing to make the move because they won't bid without that kind of indication. So United fans will be heartbroken to see him go, especially after such an awful nightmare season. To see your club captain go, your best player leave after that, it's just so demoralising.

So, although the money would be good and it could be reinvested and it could open doors for other players like Cobby Mayne to come into the midfield, it shouldn't happen in my opinion. And the DSA are a new midfielder, as you just said. And if you're going to try to spread around that money, what are you going to spend? Maybe spend 50 million on a player? A similar fee got you Ugarte last summer. And Ugarte is not in the same parish as Bruno Fernandes. I know very different players, but he's not in the same league, is he?

That's the thing, isn't it? It's big goals to replace. Big player that steps up in big moments. It's how do you replace somebody of that ilk? And we often say, don't we, people often say in football, nobody is irreplaceable. But we all know, obviously, the Pep Guardiola video of when Sergio Aguero left. Would it be similar on par with United if Fernandes was to leave? Because he is that important of a loss. He suggested, I'm just going to be like, we cannot replace him. We cannot replace him. Crying.

we didn't see that after the europa league final dude um so what's the question is it irreplaceable yeah he's obviously not a replacement every player's been a spoiler and look united will no player is bigger than the club as well i must stress so um the club isn't gonna end they will move on if fernandez leaves this summer and they will sign new players but um just for who he is and what he's done since since 2020 i just think it would be i mean this season's been so dark

And then to end the season when you lose Fernandes before, that's a really tough pill to swallow that. Yeah, it is. But on the flip side of the coin, if we find ourselves in a position where Bruno Fernandes does stay at United this summer, you've obviously added Mateus Cunha to one of the two number 10 positions, adding goals and assists to that. Presumably Bruno Fernandes will drop deeper and operate as a number eight next season.

Do you think if that happens, the priority in terms of a midfielder has to be finding an upgrade on Manuel Agarte to sort of complement Bruno Fernandes' qualities? Because obviously he's going to want to go forward. Agarte, we've seen bits of him this season not being brilliant.

But do you think the primary aim, if Fernandes stays, has to be finding an improved defensive midfielder on Ugarte? Yeah, I mean, Fernandes is predominantly played in the deeper role, hasn't he? Under Ambrun, I'd say he obviously has played in different positions. And that's why another feature about Fernandes, I mean, he performs regardless of which role he plays. He can play him probably at centre-half, and he has played at centre-half, actually, when they've been chasing games. And he still performs, which is incredible.

um but yeah in the midfield I think it's such a slight on your guy and it says a lot about him and his first season at the club that I think we all agree that they need to sign your midfielder to go out and spend close to 50 million on a defensive midfielder like you got here and then a summer later already be talking about the need for another player of that ilk says a lot about your guy and not in a good sense it doesn't cover him in Glory

I think he's been all right. He made a slow start. He looked to struggle with the intensity of the league and the pace of the play. He improved in the winter. He had a fantastic game against Manchester City at the Etihad when United turned it around late on. I think that was probably his best game for the club. He played well against Liverpool at Anfield. He started alongside Man Utd at the pivot.

um in that draw so he has had a few good games but i think he's had a poor second half of the season and he's not a very good passer of the ball is he he's very wasteful in possession we see that a lot where he loses the ball quite a bit and and for someone who

I'd worked with Amberham before to be benched in the Europa League final and to kind of not be heavily involved in the kind of closing stages of the season. It wasn't a start, was it? So, yeah, it's not been great from Ugarte. And I agree that United need a player in that position. It's just funny, though, because you look at the team and you could go for every position and say they need a new player. And it's which position is the priority this summer? I mean, you could even say they need a new goalkeeper. But as I keep saying, they can't for...

for an honest probably be kicked down the road and other positions are probably going to be addressed instead um so yeah i think a midfielder set up forward in a right wing back for me george because diego tallow is obviously a very good squad player but he's not a natural right wing back and then i think those positions in the enamorim system so the specialist roles you need specialist players

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Yeah, you sort of led me into my next point there with raising about Ugarte and how he didn't start the Europa League final, having played such a key part in that run to the final next to Casemiro. It felt quite telling, I thought, that he wasn't on the bench for the final. Obviously, Mason Mount preferred in the ten, pushing Fernandes back. I think Mason Mount could have a big say in how this midfield could look and where we're making these summaries on the second day of the transfer window. We don't know what's going to happen. There's a long way to go, of course, but...

Mason Mount, obviously, we know Ruben Amarim idolises him. He idolises Ahmad as well, who both will be challenging for that sort of second number 10 spot, presuming Kunya starts.

So Mason Mount could have a big say in the overall make-up of Amarim's first-choice midfield, because for me, he has to play as a 10 Mount, not as a number eight. He loves him, doesn't he? He does. I love Mason Mount. I love this kid. He wants it so much. Yeah, look, we've seen more from Mount. It's obviously his two goals in the semi-finals of the Europa League. It felt like that could be the turning point, but then he disappointed in the final.

he just needs to stay fit that's his priority I don't really think we can talk too much about could Mount change his midfield could he do this I just want him to stay fit for

three months and then we could maybe get into him after that because it's time to close being so stop start I still think and I still believe that he is a really good fit for the system and he's working under a manager that rates him that should get the best out of him and we've definitely saw more from him but he needs to prove it at the start of next season doesn't he um that that needs to be the conversation not about whether he can stay fit we just need to talk about his performances

So he needs to do that himself. But hopefully his injury problems are behind him because in his defence, it was a few niggly muscle injuries. And I think the staff at the club and the medical team really need to take some responsibility for that as well. Yeah, I think obviously it's not been the easiest to transition as it's two seasons in.

Then obviously no real sense of consistency, no real running the team. So hopefully it will be third time lucky for Mason Mount because I know obviously United are prepared to let anybody go this summer, but there's highly unlikely going to be acceptable, attractive offers coming in for him based on his injury record of the last two seasons. So you'd expect him to stay. But away from the theme of transfers, Stephen, away from the theme of what could be, what the team could look like next season. Obviously, we had the post-season tour last week, concluded with a win over Hong Kong.

not the most riveting of a couple of games. Most exciting, too friendly, so. Yeah, but myself and Samuel reviewed the first one on Friday and again, it probably got about two minutes worth of airtime talking about that game. The second game against Hong Kong, slightly better. Lid up though in the second half by Chido Obi scoring his first first team goals, albeit unofficial first team goals, but

Great to see him on the score sheet. A couple of goals, two really good finishes, particularly the first one. And this could be a sign of what's to come from him. He looked really sharp in that second half against Hong Kong, didn't he?

You don't want to overhype young players too much. And when we're talking about Obi in the last, I don't know, six months, you're kind of trying to balance and walk the line carefully because he's obviously got incredible talent and potential, but he's not ready for the first team. So both things can be true. And obviously there's some people on social media and stuff who say he should be starting every game and that he's going to be world-class and stuff. He doesn't need that expectation. But you're right. It was great to see him score the two goals and they were brilliantly taken, actually. I mean,

Rasmus Haaland started the match, a few heavy touches in the box, looking the same as always, a bit blunt. And I don't want to be too harsh on Haaland because the friendlies do not matter and nobody really cares. But when Obi came out for the second half, he just looked like a completely different proposition. And his movement's the big difference. His natural striker instincts are completely contrasting to Haaland. So when you watch Haaland, his movement can be poor and it doesn't really create space for him.

And Obi does that very, very intelligently. And his goal, first goal was brilliant. And then his header as well, he did really well to take that. So I think it was Mason Mount after the game, we spoke to MBTV and he actually praised Obi's movement. I don't think I've ever heard the players come out in interviews and actually praise Highland's movement because sometimes it's pretty non-existent.

So yeah, Obi's kind of second-half performance I don't think made Highland look too good. And I think that's really interesting going into next season. Will Highland stay? The chances are yes.

could he be sold and obviously a new striker coming out that's obviously come in that's obviously possible but I think Hoyland will stay or be there's no plans at the moment to send him out on loan so he'll be kept in the building it's obviously there's no European football so there's few fixtures next season but I think just keep him around the first team um

have him in third in line in the pecking order and give him minutes off the bench. He's still only 17, of course. He celebrated his birthday in November. So he's a huge prospect for the future, but he just needs to be handled carefully, doesn't he? And I think Adam's the right man to do that. He'll keep kind of giving them minutes here and there, maybe an occasional start in the cup competition. And he's a real prospect to look forward to. Yeah, I completely agree.

Yeah, this is the thing, isn't it, with young players? Obviously, we're all guilty of getting excited when young players come through. We see glimpses of them, we think, oh, there's something here that could be quite impressive. But like you've said, he's 17, he's still a young kid, he's still learning, he's still got to adapt. So next season, probably potentially third in the striker pecking order, perhaps. It's probably the right position for him to be at this age, to develop and slowly improve. United don't want to rush this, they've got to play it right. Yeah, and some people will say send them out on loan, but

the club's long record, United's long record in the last, God knows how long, but it hasn't been very good. And I was talking to someone

a few months ago who kind of admitted that at the club and were like probably best to start keeping players in the building obviously their profile has to be right and they have to have a chance of being in the first team or getting thirsty minutes to keep them in the building because there's no point in keeping them around if they're not going to play competitive games you can't just restrict them to under 21 football but look we still got a long way to go I was having a

at villa park for the fe youth cup semi-final um march or april maybe the start of april at the end of march it was the start of april i mean he was he was really poor you don't like you like to say that as a young player don't be too harsh but yeah he was he wasn't very good he

But that just shows you there's always going to be peaks and troughs in a young player's career. You're going to have these games where you haven't offed it and you're going to have games where you come into the first team and you look fantastic. But if he was to start a game, it might be completely different. He obviously looked a bit like that against Brentford as well, didn't he? A bit overrode by the occasion. He's got the frame. He just needs to fill into it and he needs to kind of mature and develop into that because for all he's so tall, I think he's actually the tallest man in the squad because when I was at Open Training, I

before the final on the Wednesday morning, sorry, the Tuesday morning was, I was kind of trying to look and compare. And he was standing next to kind of Harry Maguire and Rasmus Highland and

um Aidan Heaven's a big lad as well but I think Obi's definitely maybe if he's not the tallest he's the second tallest or something like that so he's a big lad and he'll put himself about but he just needs to mature a little bit and understand the game a little bit more as well I think Amram's used the word naive hasn't he a couple of times and he obviously is not meaning to sound harsh with that he's just kind of giving his thoughts on where Obi is and it's probably a fair word to use um

with the context of not killing them and not being...

And we saw, didn't we, in that 4-3 defeat at Brentford a few weeks ago when he did get his first league start. He was a little bit anonymous up front. And it's not a criticism of the lad. It was his first Premier League start, completely different environment to what he's been used to. But that was sort of an indication of, yeah, we've got to manage this kid carefully. There's a long way to go. But that will come with time. It will come with age. But I think his movement alone for the second goal against Hong Kong, albeit in a friendly that didn't matter much,

It was a sign of the type of striker that he is. He knows where to be. And Rasmus Hoyland, as you've said already, his movement is one of his biggest flaws. But for Obi, he seems to have a really good positional awareness of where to be and he timed his run to perfection to get onto Mounts Cross. Well, I tweeted, I said, look, you can work with strikers on the trading pitch and

You can do finishing drills every day. You can do analysis in the video room and kind of look at that movement. But sometimes it just boils to having those natural instincts. And I think Obi clearly has them. And I think Hyland struggles in that sense. So he's got that kind of knack of knowing where to be and

Kind of reminds us, his first goal the other day in Hong Kong reminded us of kind of like a Gary Lineker kind of finish, a bit of a bang, bang, bang, get out of his feet, finish really naturally. And obviously Lineker built an incredibly successful career off those kind of Portugal. So yeah, Obi could definitely do the same.

Yeah, it'd be great to see him do that. But obviously another young player on the score sheet against Hong Kong was Aidan Heaven, who obviously has been sort of fast-tracked into the first team a hell of a lot quicker. And I think he's made six competitive appearances now, and then the two friendly. So eight games in all for the first team. I'm yet to see him put a foot wrong. This lad looks like they've found a real gem in Aidan Heaven. He looks superb from where I'm sitting. Future Ballantyne winner?

um it's a bargain isn't it it's it's to be fair it has looked like a really good deal um I was told that when he when he arrived in January obviously we asked about the signing and it was coming in and it was kind of sold as a first team signing and it made you raise your eyebrows a little bit of that because you look at this profile I think he'd only played one game but he made his debut for Arsenal the Carabao Cup

And then when he comes in, he just looks so composed and looks so kind of capable at that level already. Even Amram said himself, if we can have more Saigans like this, that'll be a good place to start. So yeah, Heaven's made a really, really good start to his time at the club. And he kind of fits that. I think he's a real Ineos kind of Saigan. He's savvy, he's

or what they're supposed to be what they'd like to think their sanguins are a kind of a savvy sangin for not a huge fee and someone who's actually got a lot of potential a lot of upside so yeah um encouraging to see from from heaven and obviously i'd say a good finish but the keeper probably should have saved it to be honest it wasn't in the top left corner against hong kong it was kind of just in the center left but yeah he'll be happy with that nonetheless and he looked like he enjoyed himself once i don't know if you saw the clip of them kind of saying that their names

I think it was in Malaysia. I don't think it was in Hong Kong, but they were speaking the language and having a brilliant time. So he enjoyed the tackle. Someone did. Probably the only one. Yeah, I think so. But to be fair to him, like I've said, he just looks so composed on the ball. He's got real strength. He can read the game really well for his tackling and things like that.

Obviously, again, it's kind of running the risk of hyping up a young player too soon. But like I've said, I've not seen him put a foot wrong. He looks really accomplished. Left-footed centre-halves are a rarity nowadays, certainly good ones on the ball. Do you think he could challenge Lissandra Martinez once he's back fit without a starting spot on the left of the back three next season? Well, it's funny you say challenge Lissandra Martinez, but who's been starting in the last three, four months?

Lenny Oro.

But yeah, Jorah's been fantastic in that left-sided position. His best games have been in that role. So I would say you keep Jorah there. You have Maguire in the centre and De Ligt on the right. I think that would be your starting back three as it stands if they're not going to sign another centre-half. And then you're right, you've got Heaven and Martinez to kind of challenge for that left-sided position. I mean, obviously, Jorah can move across and one of those two could come in. But it's a good headache to have for Amram. Yeah, it definitely is. It's really good options across the board. And it's quite interesting, isn't it, that

Even though I would say United's improvement in the recruitment front has improved in the last 12 months, there's been more successes than we've seen in previous years. It's probably at centre-back where they've done the best business in signing two young players that fit the INEOS vision. Obviously, Jorgo a hell of a lot more expensive than Aidan Hebbitt was, but both of them young players with enormous potential. Well, January was a very, I think, an INEOS window, wasn't it? Having Dorgi and Hebbitt coming in, two young players with...

supposed upside last summer though wasn't because they committed the hilarious decision to the back 10 and then you look at those kind of players who came in was Yoro maybe the only kind of Ineos feeling signing and using these kind of Ineos signings kind of very loosely and put my fingers up here on camera um so yeah I mean 10 was still given quite free rain wasn't he in the market and

for example, the late Masrari Xerxes. So he still had his fingerprints all over those signings. But we might see more of that going forward where, I mean, even look at Seke Korné, for example, he is another cliche in the Hoss signing, you'd think. And some of these lads that come in, I imagine,

Is it Diego Lopez? Diego Leon, is it? There you go, Diego Leon, the fullback who should be signing this summer. Obviously, the deal was completed a few months ago, but he'll be arriving this summer. These kind of players, it'll be interesting because some of them won't even play for United. They will be flipped and kind of sold. You see Chelsea do it. It's this new PSR world where clubs are signing players, maybe send them out on loan and sell them for profit. So, yeah, we'll definitely see more of that, I imagine, in the next few years.

Well, you are our resident academy expert, Stephen. Was there anybody else in those two friendlies that caught your eye among the young players? I thought Jack Morehouse looked quite bright in the game against the ASEAN All-Stars last week in Malaysia.

He's definitely been close to the first team. And you look at kind of the players who are almost there or pushing to be there. And Jack Morehouse is definitely there. Fantastic ball carrier. Really unique dribbler, actually. It sounds a bit cringey saying that, but when you watch him, he just, the way he can move the ball forward at speed and fly past his opponents is just unique, I've got to say.

you rarely see it especially in these days when football's kind of very robotic and it's pass pass pass and you you're waiting to find the right window to have a shot his ability to kind of drive his team up the pitch or drive into the box is fantastic so yeah he definitely emerged with credit i think a few players as well i'm not in many names but maybe a few reality checks maybe

where they are right now and that's why the postseason tour is also good because if you come and you play at first team level again difficult circumstances end of the season in a mishmash team so it's obviously harder to show the best version of yourself but it's good for those young players to see where they are in comparison to where they might think they are so some of them will think they're further ahead than they actually are in reality and that'll tell them what they need to work on this summer fantastic to see Shailesi

on the tour. I wasn't actually expecting him to be involved. He's had a bit of a stop-start campaign as well. He's wrapped up in cotton wool towards the back end of the season. So there's been a lot of excitement earlier, seeing that he's just got a huge profile. I think it's amazing sometimes these young lads in United's academy who build these

these kind of followings and almost cult followings of academy football. So hopefully, look, Lacey can fulfil his potential because he's got bags of talent. I've got no doubt about that.

And there were a few good moments. I think he did a nutmeg in the first game against Ising All-Stars and obviously he started the second. So good to see the youngsters involved. I think Ambrim's been giving them more chances the second half of the season. Obviously, some of that was enforced due to injuries, but good nonetheless and fantastic experience for them out in Asia.

Yeah, and probably a good chance of a few of them going on the tour of the US come July as well in friendlies that are a little bit more meaningful, obviously, in the preparation for the new campaign. So it'll be interesting to see. Lacey probably will go on that, you would think. Jack Morehouse as well. Sekou Kone as well looks like a player that could have a sharp rise over the coming years as well. Something there, isn't there? Yeah, I mean, the USA tour, you'd imagine maybe five or six youngsters. So you get a better indication of who Amir really likes.

when he names is the USA to pre-season squad because I imagine when they travel to Sweden to play Leeds it'll be half and half so the first half will be the first team and the second half will be in the academy side essentially for that game and then when he names his pre-season to a squad fewer youngsters will be involved and we'll have a clearer idea of kind of who's there I'd imagine Morehouse will be involved quite likely Dan Gose almost a forgotten one you think his contract expires next summer

He's had rotten luck. And it just shows you that in football, to kind of make it to the first team and establish yourself at United or Old Trafford, you need to have, obviously, fantastic talent and you need to be a hard worker, but you need luck as well. You need the cards to fall right at the right time. And they just haven't for Dan Gore. So it'll be interesting to see whether this kind of contract runs down, what they think about doing. I've not heard anything as of yet, because that will be a decision soon.

His next move will have that in mind, because if you're going to loan him out, then you're potentially going to miss out on a fee or they're going to sell him this summer. Is anyone going to buy him? He's obviously went to Rochdale, had an ankle injury just after arriving, which was really unfortunate. And there were some questionable claims from Steve Evans, wasn't it?

and the club weren't happy with them, very understandably so. But he went back and he played the final two games. He was actually requested to play in the last game of the season. So he was going to play for the under-21s, but he played the final loan appearance, so that was good to see. So just one to follow, really, because I think people have kind of forgotten about Dan Goh, but he was rated alongside Cobby Maynew and kind of Ganacho, maybe not quite on that level, but almost just as high as that when they won the Youth Cup in 2022.

yeah and it's obviously it's not far off two years since he made that debut against crystal palace in the league cup and eric ten hard gave him that but as you've said there he's he's had rotten look the port of ale loan was i think it was on his debut he got injured in that one last year and obviously the uh the stint at rotherham didn't go well either yeah and he had he had a shoulder injury in between that so he's went along he did picked up an injury then in the summer he's trained on his own and he's he's busted his shoulder he's popped out of his shoulder then he comes back he's fit for the under 21s and but

goes out on the run again, as we've just discussed, and picks up another angle injury. So, I mean, poor lad, he must be thinking bloody hell.

It's going to be, isn't it? I remember I was speaking to a Fulham United player a few months ago and he said luck is a lot to do with it. It does dictate your pathway when you're trying to climb the rungs of that ladder into the first team at Old Trafford. So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what they do with Dan Gawless. So a big decision to be made there. But that does bring an end to this episode of the Manchester Is Red podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts from. Also make sure to leave a like and maybe a comment as well.

myself and Tyrone Marshall will be back again on Friday to record another episode so make sure you subscribe when that drops and we'll catch you again soon for another episode of the Manchester is Red podcast