🎙️ Football Social Daily •August 20, 2026 •⏱️ 25 min

Manchester United set to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton

1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations

The latest episode of Football Social Daily provides a revealing window into the complex, often chaotic reality of Manchester United’s operational reboot under Ineos and head coach Michael Carrick. Analyzed through an investigative lens, the dialogue between host Namakorn and resident Manchester United analyst Joel Tudor moves beyond surface-level transfer gossip to expose the underlying structural mechanics, strategic vulnerabilities, and media dynamics defining Old Trafford’s current era. The conversation centers on the imminent £60 million acquisition—plus £5 million in performance-related add-ons—of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, framing this move not merely as a personnel addition, but as an emergency architectural realignment forced by structural deficits and sudden squad attrition.

From an exhaustive breakdown of the transcript, five core analytical theses emerge that define the current state of Manchester United and the broader Premier League landscape:

  • The Profile Pivot: Carlos Baleba offers a fundamental physical and tactical departure from Manchester United's existing midfield options. As an athletic, deep-lying number six capable of winning defensive duels and driving the team vertically from defense to attack, Baleba addresses a multi-year void in transition resistance. However, his acquisition is complicated by an ongoing injury that delays his availability until at least mid-September.
  • The Ineos Narrative vs. Operational Reality: While external media framing portrays the lowered £60m price tag as a masterclass in strategic patience by Ineos, internal analysis exposes a reactive scramble. Triggered by a severe pre-season injury to Manuel Ugarte and preceded by failed inquiries for alternative targets such as Mathias Fernandez, the deal was struck two days before the Premier League season opener—invalidating claims of a seamless, long-term recruitment plan.
  • The Defensive Bottleneck: Manchester United’s recurring failure to limit opposition scoring renders any title talk mathematically absurd. Averaging roughly 50 conceded goals per league season over recent years, United remain far outside the championship-caliber threshold of sub-30 goals allowed. Until the central defensive pairing and full-back structure are completely overhauled, offensive and midfield upgrades will yield only incremental progress.
  • Media Decentralization as a Tactical Shield: Unprecedented structural chaos across rival Premier League clubs—including Pep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City alongside their impending 115 financial charges verdict, Arne Slot’s departure from Liverpool, ongoing managerial volatility at Chelsea, and massive expenditure at Tottenham—has temporarily diverted tabloid scrutiny away from Old Trafford. This low-noise environment has enabled United to conduct transfer negotiations with rare operational discretion.
  • The Voyeuristic Psychological Demands of Elite Management: The arrival of fly-on-the-wall Amazon documentary cameras inside Carrington on the exact day of the Baleba transfer breakthrough mirrors a wider industry trend. As showcased in rival footage of Pep Guardiola’s raw emotional disclosures regarding his personal life and single-minded footballing obsession, modern managerial success demands an uncompromising, near-monastic psychological devotion that blurs the boundary between private leadership and public spectacle.

This feature essay deconstructs these themes in detail, evaluating how Michael Carrick’s squad construction balances tactical adaptability against persistent defensive frailties in an increasingly unpredictable Premier League ecosystem.

2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation

To fully grasp the significance of the discussion on Football Social Daily, one must examine the turbulent historical backdrop that preceded this juncture. For over a decade following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s recruitment model was defined by high-profile, reactive splurges, public contract sagas that dragged across entire transfer windows, and a persistent inability to establish a coherent tactical identity in central midfield. The succession of managerial regimes—from Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho to Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim—left behind a fragmented squad built from mismatched tactical philosophies.

The recent departure of Ruben Amorim marked a decisive break from rigid tactical dogmatism. Amorim’s insistence on a strict 3-4-2-1 formation and a fixed central midfield pivot of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte severely limited squad flexibility. When results stagnated and opponents mapped out United’s predictable build-up patterns, Amorim’s eventual attempts at tactical adjustments proved too late to prevent his dismissal. The appointment of Michael Carrick signaled an intentional return to positional fluidness and tactical adaptability, requiring a squad capable of shifting seamlessly between control-oriented possession and rapid transition play.

Concurrently, the recruitment landscape has been shaped by the business model of Brighton & Hove Albion. Under the analytical leadership of Tony Bloom, Brighton have established themselves as European football’s premier asset-monetization engine. Their willingness to sell key figures once market valuations peak—demonstrated by the high-value departures of Moisés Caicedo (£115m to Chelsea), Marc Cucurella (£62m to Chelsea), Yves Bissouma (£25m to Tottenham Hotspur), and Alexis Mac Allister (£35m to Liverpool)—set the stage for Baleba’s negotiation. Having rebuffed United’s initial £100 million inquiry a year prior when Baleba was deemed non-transferable following his move from Lille, Brighton’s willingness to accept a structured £60m+£5m package reflects both their internal valuation algorithms and Baleba’s fluctuating usage under manager Fabian Hürzeler, who benched the Cameroonian midfielder eight times last season.

Furthermore, the structural integration of Ineos into Manchester United’s executive architecture brought a strict mandate for operational confidentiality. Historically, United’s transfer interest was broadcast weeks in advance, igniting media frenzy and inflating seller leverage. Under the new hierarchy, transfer movements have been kept strictly behind closed doors until medical examinations are scheduled. This operational quietness created the public perception of an organized, methodical strategy—even when the underlying timing was dictated by sudden injury crises and secondary market pivots.

3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown

3.1 The Carlos Baleba Acquisition: Tactical Profile, Squad Integration, & Ineos Recruitment Realities

The imminent arrival of Carlos Baleba from Brighton represents a decisive attempt to solve Manchester United’s long-standing central midfield deficiency. At just 21 years of age, Baleba possesses a rare physical and technical archetype: an explosive, press-resistant deep-lying number six who combines elite ground coverage with the capability to carry the ball vertically out of high-pressure zones. In contrast to traditional static anchors, Baleba’s primary strength lies in his dynamic transition coverage—his ability to execute defensive duel wins in the defensive third and immediately transition into a progressive carrier who bridges defense to attack.

To understand Baleba’s potential impact under Michael Carrick, his skill set must be juxtaposed against Manchester United’s current midfield roster:

  • Yuri Tielemans: Exceptional line-breaking passer and spatial distributor, but structurally limited in lateral recovery speed and dynamic duel winning when exposed in wide transition spaces.
  • Andrei Santos: High-energy box-to-box presence with strong penalty-box arrival timing, yet lacks the positional discipline and tactical awareness required to function as a sole anchor.
  • Bruno Fernandes: Elite high-risk creative catalyst whose aggressive final-third passing demands a disciplined defensive shield operating behind him.
  • Kobbie Mainoo: Highly technical, press-resistant rhythm regulator whose development requires an athletic, ball-winning partner to absorb physical pressure during phase transitions.

Despite these complementary attributes, the analytical reality of the transfer challenges the narrative of Ineos executive perfection. Joel Tudor’s skepticism regarding the deal’s timing highlights critical operational oversights. A severe pre-season injury to Manuel Ugarte left United stripped of senior defensive midfield depth, forcing the recruitment team into the market days before the season opener. Baleba himself arrives with an injury that will keep him sidelined until mid-September, meaning United must navigate their opening league fixtures without the very player brought in to stabilize their engine room.

Moreover, United’s pursuit of Baleba materialized only after primary and alternative market avenues closed. Inquiries for high-profile targets like Mathias Fernandez ended when the player opted for Tottenham Hotspur, while pursuits of other rumored targets—including Ederson, Aurelien Tchouaméni, Sander Berge, Alex Scott, and Tyler Adams—failed to progress due to valuation impasses or lack of player interest. Striking a £65 million total package for an injured player forty-eight hours before kickoff is not the hallmark of a pre-planned masterclass; it is a pragmatic, high-stakes market pivot executed under severe time constraints.

3.2 Managerial Architecture: Michael Carrick's Fluidity vs. Ruben Amorim's Rigidity

The contrast between Ruben Amorim’s tactical dogma and Michael Carrick’s pragmatic adaptability forms a central pillar of Manchester United’s tactical evolution. Amorim’s tenure collapsed primarily because his rigid 3-4-2-1 structure became easily predictable for Premier League opposition. By locking the team into a fixed system regardless of opponent strengths or player form, Amorim neutralized the individual talents of key creators and over-exposed his central midfield duo during defensive transitions.

In contrast, Michael Carrick has instituted a flexible tactical framework built on situational adaptability—a "horses for courses" philosophy that tailors midfield selections to specific match contexts. The inclusion of diverse midfield profiles grants Carrick an extensive tactical palette:

Tactical Scenario Midfield Combination Strategic Objective & Operational Dynamics
Low-Block & Possession Control Yuri Tielemans & Andrei Santos Maximizes ball retention, line-breaking distribution, and controlled spatial progression against compact defensive structures.
High-Intensity Transition Battles Carlos Baleba, Kobbie Mainoo, & Andrei Santos Establishes a dynamic athletic press, superior ground coverage, and high-frequency duel winning to disrupt opponent build-up phase.
Asymmetric Press Resistance Carlos Baleba & Kobbie Mainoo Baleba drops between central defenders to form a 3-man build-up line, allowing Mainoo to operate between opponent lines and escape pressure.

This tactical breadth prevents United from becoming single-dimensional. It eliminates the existential threat of squad depletion: where an injury to a single player previously collapsed the team’s entire structural integrity, Carrick can now reconfigure his midfield matrix without relying prematurely on academy prospects such as the Fletcher twins during heavy fixture congestion across four domestic and European competitions.

3.3 The Defensive Anomaly: Why Title Ambitions Remain Premature

While the addition of Baleba enhances Manchester United’s central engine, any discourse suggesting an immediate Premier League title challenge flies in the face of underlying defensive metrics. Over recent domestic campaigns, Manchester United have conceded an average of approximately 50 goals per league season. Historically, no modern Premier League champion has achieved title victory while leaking goals at such a rate.

A rigorous examination of championship-winning baselines reveals an unyielding statistical standard: title-winning teams consistently maintain their defensive concessions between 22 and 32 goals per 38-game season. The correlation between elite backline performance and league titles is illustrated across modern Premier League eras:

  • Arsenal (Current Era): Built upon the formidable defensive triangle of David Raya, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhães, restricting opposition expected goals (xG) through elite physical dominance and box defense.
  • Manchester City (Treble & Title Era): Anchored by Ederson, Rúben Dias, and John Stones, utilizing positional control and rest defense to suppress opponent counter-attacks.
  • Chelsea (2004–2006): The Jose Mourinho-led pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho set the gold standard, conceding just 15 goals in a single 38-game season.
  • Manchester United (Historical Baselines): Sir Alex Ferguson’s championship squads were anchored by legendary central defensive pairings—Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister, followed by the iconic partnership of Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand.
  • Leicester City (2015–2016 Anomaly): Even Leicester’s miracle title campaign relied on the uncompromising central pairing of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan shutting down penalty-box access during the run-in.

Manchester United currently possess no central defensive pairing that approaches these elite standards. While individual attacking talent can win isolated fixtures, relying on high-scoring shootouts to compensate for backline errors is inherently unsustainable across a 38-game marathon. Until United establish a watertight defensive unit matching the quality of their attacking line, title talk remains entirely premature.

3.4 Media Decentralization & The "Distraction Season" Macro-Environment

One of the most perceptive analytical insights raised by host Namakorn concerns the dramatic realignment of the Premier League media ecosystem. For decades, Manchester United have occupied the center of sports media coverage in the United Kingdom, where every tactical misstep, executive decision, or transfer delay was amplified into a national crisis. However, the 2026 pre-season has witnessed an unprecedented shift: for the first time in recent memory, press scrutiny has migrated away from Old Trafford toward widespread turmoil across rival elite clubs.

This macro-level media decentralization is driven by parallel crises across the Premier League's top tier:

  • Manchester City: The seismic departure of Pep Guardiola and the appointment of Enzo Maresca coincided with the long-awaited legal resolution of the club's 115 Financial Fair Play charges, alongside an unexpected fire sale of senior squad assets.
  • Liverpool: The sacking of Arne Slot after a single season, the arrival of Marcelino/Iraola, the high-profile departure of Mohamed Salah, and looming contract expirations for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker created severe operational instability.
  • Chelsea: Continuous managerial instability with the arrivals and departures of figures like Liam Rosenior and Xabi Alonso, paired with ongoing regulatory scrutiny over multi-year transfer amortization structures.
  • Tottenham Hotspur: Aggressive, high-risk capital expenditure in the transfer market, attempting to absorb elite targets like Mathias Fernandez amid squad restructuring.

This surrounding environment of multi-club upheaval has created an operational sanctuary for Manchester United. Unburdened by daily media outrage, Ineos and Michael Carrick have been able to execute squad adjustments, complete stealth negotiations, and absorb pre-season setbacks with minimal public pressure—a structural advantage that could prove vital during the opening months of the campaign.

3.5 Psychological Exposure & Modern Football Media: Amazon Cameras & Pep's Obsession

The intersection of modern elite football management and media voyeurism represents another compelling thematic thread explored in the podcast. The revelation that Amazon fly-on-the-wall documentary cameras began filming inside Carrington on the exact day Manchester United achieved recruitment progress for Carlos Baleba underscores the total collapse of operational privacy in modern sports administration. Executive suites and recruitment offices are now exposed to global broadcast audiences, transforming confidential transfer negotiations into commercial entertainment.

This dynamic is further illuminated by the analytical discussion surrounding Pep Guardiola’s featured documentary, titled Obsession. The footage captures Guardiola in an unvarnished state of psychological intensity—addressing squad slumps, individually confronting senior figures like Kyle Walker, and even referencing his personal divorce during team talks to provoke an emotional response from his players. Tudor’s analysis categorizes Guardiola as operating in a continuous "flow state," demonstrating a singular, near-obsessive devotion to tactical perfection that transcends personal relationships.

This psychological profile underscores the extreme demands placed on modern elite managers. To achieve sustained success at the absolute peak of world football requires an uncompromising, single-minded obsession that often extracts a severe personal toll. For observers and aspiring coaches, such documentary disclosures demystify the romanticism of management, revealing that elite performance is forged through intense emotional friction, relentless pressure, and absolute psychological exposure.

4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast

The dialogue between host Namakorn and analyst Joel Tudor provides a fascinating contrast in perspective, balancing broadcast optimism against unvarnished tactical realism. Namakorn approaches the discussion from a macro-editorial view, focusing on narrative shifts, structural fixture opportunities, and managerial adaptability. Tudor, speaking from the perspective of an emotionally invested yet rigorous analyst, interrogates operational execution, exposes PR narratives, and highlights systemic defensive flaws.

The analytical viewpoints of both speakers are structured and contrasted below across core operational themes:

Operational Domain Namakorn (Host / Macro Perspective) Joel Tudor (Analyst / Realist Perspective)
Carlos Baleba Transfer Views the acquisition as an exciting, profile-transforming move that provides Carrick with strategic depth and versatility. Skeptical of Ineos timing; labels the £60m+£5m deal a reactive panic move caused by Ugarte's injury and failed prior targets.
Managerial Flexibility Praises Carrick for avoiding Ruben Amorim’s rigid dogmatism, favoring a "horses for courses" midfield rotation policy. Agrees with tactical adaptability but stresses that midfield variety cannot mask underlying individual defensive errors.
Defensive & Title Outlook Highlights early fixture ease (Hull, Ipswich, Everton) as a launchpad for top-four or potential outside title contention. Dismisses title talk as "very premature"; cites United's 50-goal annual deficit as a fatal barrier to league success.
Media & External Noise Emphasizes how chaos at Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea has shielded United from traditional tabloid pressure. Acknowledges stealth benefits, but notes that internal camera presence (Amazon) reintroduces operational exposure.
Managerial Psychology Focuses on the broadcast value and compelling narratives within sports fly-on-the-wall documentaries. Marvels at Pep Guardiola's extreme, flow-state obsession while questioning the personal cost of elite sports leadership.

This balance between Namakorn’s narrative synthesis and Tudor’s grounded skepticism elevates the podcast from simple fandom into high-level sports journalism, offering a complete picture of the club's current operational state.

5. Strategic & Industry Implications

The insights extracted from this episode extend far beyond the immediate interests of Manchester United, reflecting broader structural shifts within global football economics, recruitment analytics, and sports media production.

First, Brighton & Hove Albion’s handling of the Carlos Baleba transaction solidifies their position as football’s most sophisticated asset trader. By acquiring raw talent at low cost (Lille), maximizing player development, demanding premium market fees (£100m) when non-essential to sell, and subsequently monetizing at peak financial leverage (£65m total package) when squad restructuring requires capital reallocation, Brighton demonstrate how mid-tier clubs can maintain competitive sustainability while consistently extracting maximum value from traditional elite super-clubs.

Second, the evolution of Ineos’ media strategy marks a permanent operational shift in how elite Premier League clubs manage transfer communications. By eliminating public leaks and keeping negotiations strictly confidential until medical procedures are imminent, United have successfully reduced media-driven price inflation and fan agitation. However, as demonstrated by the late-window scramble for Baleba, stealth operations do not automatically guarantee proactive planning; executive secrecy can obscure reactive decision-making just as effectively as it protects strategic negotiations.

Third, the financial dynamics of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) continue to dictate Premier League transfer timing. United’s willingness to commit £65 million to an injured player on the eve of the season underlines how squad attrition forces clubs to absorb high amortization risks to safeguard short-term competitive objectives. As regulatory enforcement tightens across the league, clubs must balance long-term financial compliance against immediate tactical demands.

Finally, the omnipresence of fly-on-the-wall camera crews—such as Amazon’s intrusion into Carrington—signals the complete integration of elite sports administration into global content entertainment. While these projects generate substantial commercial revenue and global brand reach, they simultaneously impose psychological burdens on executives and players, exposing internal strategic negotiations to public scrutiny in real time.

6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones

As Manchester United prepare to open their Premier League campaign, several critical operational and tactical metrics will determine whether Michael Carrick’s reboot can achieve sustainable progress or succumb to familiar structural vulnerabilities.

The immediate focus turns to the early-season fixture schedule. Opening against newly promoted Hull City in a Saturday 12:30 PM kickoff away from home presents a classic psychological test. While United historically maintain a solid record against promoted sides, opening-day fixtures at energized away grounds frequently produce erratic results. Following Hull with an home fixture against Ipswich Town and a trip to Everton provides a theoretical platform to secure maximum points, build squad confidence, and establish early tactical rhythm before facing Manchester City on September 13th.

Key operational metrics and unresolved questions to track over the opening quarter of the season include:

  • Baleba’s Post-Injury Integration: Can Carlos Baleba successfully return from his physical impairment by mid-September and immediately adapt to Carrick’s high-intensity defensive demands without undergoing a full pre-season conditioning program?
  • Defensive Goal Concession Rate: Can Carrick’s backline structure reduce opposition expected goals (xG) and lower the team's annual goal concession trajectory from 50 down toward the target threshold of 30 goals?
  • Midfield Rotation Efficiency: How effectively will Carrick manage the tactical rotation between Tielemans, Santos, Mainoo, Fernandes, and Baleba across domestic league, cup, and European commitments without creating squad friction?
  • Central Defensive Overhaul: Will Ineos address the central defensive pairing in upcoming transfer windows, recognizing that midfield reinforcement alone cannot fix structural backline deficiencies?

The ultimate test for Manchester United lies in bridging the gap between tactical flexibility and elite defensive execution. While the signing of Carlos Baleba provides a vital piece of the midfield puzzle, true competitive rebirth will require an uncompromising overhaul of the team's defensive foundation.

💬 Key Quotes & Speaker Breakdown

Manchester United title race

"Any kind of title talk this season is very, very, very premature because your defense needs to be ready to win your games. And I still think there's errors in every single part of it."

— Joel Tudor

Manchester United transfer targets

"Carlos Baleba gives a totally different profile to anyone that we've got at the club. He is a deep-lying number six, he's athletic, and he's someone who is going to drive your team forward from defense to attack."

— Joel Tudor

Manchester United defensive issues

"Manchester United have conceded on average around 50 goals a season in the league. That is not good enough to win the title. It's not even good enough to challenge for the title."

— Joel Tudor

Manchester United Amazon documentary

"Apparently they just started rolling the cameras for Amazon on the day that Baleba got announced as having progress. I've never seen anything inside my club before like that."

— Joel Tudor

Manchester United transfer strategy

"I don't buy for a second that this was always in the plan. No chance was it in the plan to go for one of your main midfield targets two days before the season starts. It just doesn't make sense."

— Joel Tudor

Manchester United transfer policy

"I've been impressed with what's coming in and out of Manchester United. This time round, you only hear of a player when he's about to sign and have a medical, which I've never experienced in my life as a Man United fan."

— Joel Tudor

Pep Guardiola documentary

"When you watch Pep Guardiola in the documentary, he is almost in a flow state. The love of his life was never his wife; the love of his life has always been the sport of football, which is why he is at the top of the game."

— Joel Tudor

Premier League media landscape

"Manchester United are always going to be the biggest story in the press, but all of the other big clubs in the Premier League have had their own slice of chaos. It feels a little bit like all of the attention from media has been away from Manchester United for once."

— Namakorn

Premier League season opener

"Manchester United's first game is against Hull City, newly promoted Hull City away from home, 12:30 kickoff on Saturday. If they are going to be in the Champions League at the end of the season, they have to win those first two games."

— Namakorn
📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript 28,532 characters
This is Football Social Daily, Premier League Podcast. This is Football Social Daily, the podcast which used to be daily but isn't daily anymore but we're stuck with a name and there's nothing we can do about it. My name's Namakorn. Joining me is our resident Manchester United fan Joel Tudor and on today's podcast. It feels like every single summer Manchester United fans are crying out for a brand new midfielder. They've signed a couple, Yuri Tulumon's Remastered in Villa and Andrei Santos from Chelsea but will there be another third midfielder incoming at Old Trafford and will that player be Brighton's Carlos Belabor? That's what we'll talk about on today's Football Social Daily as Manchester United still needs to make some moves in the transfer market. Welcome along to the podcast Joel. The stage is yours my friend and don't worry I'm not going to bring back any old skeletons in the closet or raise any PTSD for you about the dreadful signings that Manchester United have made. Why not look forward and be positive? Carlos Belabor is the latest name being bandied about. There is interest. Hasn't been confirmed yet. Is this the kind of player that Manchester United need to complete what could be a new look midfield? I was going to say I was going to give you a nickname with Mystic Macomb because the other day you had more confidence in my own team season and all of a sudden we've got in the market and gone and got Belieber which initially okay I have a lot of thoughts about this. Initially when I first saw the news I was a little bit annoyed and the reason for it is purely because I wondered why the way it's so long for a guy that they've known about and been in talks with for over a year. He's injured and it's two days until the season started. Now it's kind of manifested its way into actually this could be a really good sign in but yeah you know what it eases my blood pressure a little bit now. My blood pressure has gone down very so slightly. It will go down to the troughs if we be whole of the weekend but if we don't strike me up to one of those arm monitors and keep monitoring me overnight. He's worth signing just for the charm alone. I refuse to rob a team chat. You know you're going to be singing that in about two weeks time. No chance. No choice. No doubt. No doubt. I'm not a good singer. I'm going to stop there. But why him? Is it an age thing? Is it a price thing? 60 million plus an additional 5 million pounds in add-ons. That's what many of the reporters are suggesting but I think Brighton wanted a little bit more than that. However, I think they're quite keen to sell assets because it's profit for Brighton. We've seen them do it over the years, Moise's Kyosato, Basuma to Tottenham is another one, Kukuraya to Chelsea. I mean, there are loads and loads of examples of Brighton doing this. I think that they are willing to sell to United. At least that's what everyone is saying. But why him, Joe? What makes him stand out from the likes of Shua Mani, who was linked from Real Madrid. Alex Scott from Bourmouth was linked. Sander Berger is a name that's been raised, Tyler Adams from Bourmouth. There are names that have been thrown around when it comes to this third Manchester United midfielder. Y Carlos Belabor, what sort of player is he in terms of the profile that he has and why Manchester United need him, do you think? He just gives a totally different profile to anyone that we've got at the club pretty much. If you look at the midfielders at the United, they've got now. You've got Celiumon's very technical, you know, line breaker, André Santos again. You wouldn't classify him as someone who's a transition killer, someone who's a, you know, a month they're going to do 15 kilometers a game, saying we're Bruno Fernandez, very different. And then you look at Belabor and he is just a guy that you feel the profile of him is been missing from this whole midfielder, someone who is a deep line number six is athletic. There's a lot of, you know, winning jewels, which this man United team has been really poor out in the last couple of years, it's just someone who is going to drive your team forward from defense to attack, almost that bridge in a sense. And I think when you looked at last year, when man United were going in for him and Brighton asked for 100 million, which I don't believe for one second was his value. It was more a case of he's not for sale. After that season, you almost thought if United came in with 80, 90 million, it might be actually a good deal because he came off an amazing season after coming from Leo. And then last season, I don't know whether it was the fact that that transfer broke down. I don't know if it was just pure difference in managers, preference after that, but he just really seemed to lose his ability for a majority of the season, got a bench, I think eight times by Herzler. And then they've come down quite a lot in terms of the price tag for him. So it is a risk. Let's not forget it. This is a sure thing. It still is a risk. But I'm hoping that it's just a young player who didn't get his dream move. And the seasons haven't gone well for him. But I'm hoping that because he is the profile that this United team need. I'm just looking at the Manchester United squad list. And of course, there was quite a severe injury to Manuel Ugarte, which means he's not going to be available. So United, unless they wanted to promote one of their academy graduates, which they often do during preseason and they do give them a chance to impress, it was likely that they were going to go into the market and buy a new midfielder. When you think about all of the different types of midfielders that United have, Maynu, Mount, Bruno Fernandez, Telemanns, Santos and now potentially Belabor. That tells to me that maybe Michael Carrick isn't going to be locked into a rigid style of play. We saw what that did for Ruben Ammer and Manchester United, where he was unflexible. And then eventually he did become flexible, but it was too little too late and he got the sack. I don't see that with Michael Carrick. I think he'll have a framework and a type of play that he wants to execute at Manchester United as the head coach there, but it doesn't feel to me like he's going to be locked into a certain style of play. I guess what I'm saying is with all of the different types of midfielders that United would have, if they bring Belabor in, it feels like there's a little bit more variety there and flexibility when it comes to the options in the field that he can pick, a little bit more horses for courses, if you will, rather than this is how he play. And these are the players that are going to start. I would call it complete being able to be adaptable. You're not fixed in one. You're drumming with Ammer and it was that it was the midfield two of Casemiro and Guarati or Maynu. I know he ended up not fancying him or even Bruno in that position. But now think about it this way. If he wants a game where he sees Telia Mons and Santos as the correct two in a pivot, then he can go for it. If he sees one where he needs to break out transitions and go for a three, he's got Belabor Maynu and Santos. There's so many different variations depending on the opponent which I think he likes because going into this season, I was worried that we were going to be very predictable with how they played in midfield. It was going to be a Maynu, Telia Mons and Santos. That's it. And if one of them gets injured, it's going to be one of the Fletcher twins that come in. And that's not good enough for a team like many United to be in four competitions. You need quality, quality people to come off the bench. And I think this just adds a different flavor to the Maynu and the field. He's got options now. He's got runners, he's got technical players, he's got great passes, he's got plays that can break the final third, he's got players that can come from the first third and then come into the last. There's a lot of variety which I like. I know it's not going to be a quick fix because he's injured right now as well. I don't think it's going to be back to mid September which isn't great. And this is why I say now, I know a lot of people are going to be painting out this very clever business from Ineos, you know, they brought the price down to 60, 65 million. I don't buy it for a second. This guy was gettable from May because they've been talking to Brighton for the last year. They've known what the situation is. They know the personal terms. They know how much they probably wanted for him. I think the situation in the summer has gone for many United is they've targeted Fernandez, Matthias Fernandez who's gone to Spurs because it didn't feel like the feeling was reciprocated. They've gone for Anderson who got priced out. Wheaton Ali was way too much. They've gone for maybe waiting for Schumann. I don't know. I'm just speculating. And then in the end, they thought, okay, the only real options now are to go for someone that we've scouted and he's the right guy for now. No chance was it in the plan to go for when you may midfield targets two days before the season starts. It just doesn't make sense. And do you know what? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this because this is an opinion I have and maybe it's just dawned on me from the outside looking in. Manchester United are always going to be the biggest story in the press, especially when it comes to signing players because they're the ones who get the most clicks. They are the biggest club in England and one of the biggest in the world. There's no question about that. And I think everyone knows that what I think might have helped Manchester United this summer. All of the other big clubs in the Premier League have had their own slice of chaos. Liverpool have sacked on a slot, brought in Eriola. Mo Salah leaves another big story there Van Dyke and Alison in the last years of their contracts. Manchester City Pep Guardiola leaves Enzo Morescar comes in the one one five charges. We're expecting the outcome of that to come big stories there Chelsea. There's always stories following them around when it comes to players in players out transfer bands, new managers Lee and Rossini a Jabil on so Tottenham spend in massive money in the transfer market and they might even bring in more players in the next couple of days. It just feels a little bit like all of the stories and the attention from media has been away from Manchester United for once. And that's because Manchester United and them being poor, which they have been for a long time, is no longer the main topic of conversation in and amongst the big clubs in the Premier League. Because like I said, everyone else has got their own fair share of mayhem. I think personally that might have suited Manchester United. It doesn't feel like any of the transfer dealings they've had this summer have been drawn out. And even if this belabor thing has been drawn out, it doesn't feel like I've heard about it in every second news article over the last two months. I don't know whether you agree with that or not. I think it's very obvious there's been a big change in what comes in and out of the club because if you remember, as far as since I can remember as a kid, money in I'd say that as soon as this and any kind of interest or speculation or talks with a player, it drags on in the media for weeks and then it ends up getting to a point where fans get agitated because they start believing that the player is going to sign it doesn't happen. This time round, you only hear of a play when he's about to sign and have a medical, which I've never experienced in my life as a man United fan since I can remember. And I can only think that the club are now not wanting to become the toy of the media in the summer because let's not forget like you've just mentioned apart from the sign that Man United have made. Have you seen any kinds of drawn out media speculation that's got any kind of substance? It's mainly just a very subjective one of, I believe that Man United will go and get this play. I think that you might get five. I thought you were going to say, I believe that we will win, you know, that year's chance. I know we've got a good American listenership, but you'll never get a chance in that as long as I believe. Well, thankfully our good American listeners are football social daily. I am confident that they are so in love with English football now that they would never go to an MLS game and chant that. And if you are a listener from America and you've done that, then shame on you. I remember seeing in the World Cup some Argentinians and some English teaching them some new chance and they actually worked for them to start to grow in terms of their chance adaptability. But yeah, I've been impressed with what's coming in and what's coming out of Man United. Maybe they've got rid of figureheads at the club that are strong links with the media, sources that were constantly leaking information. I don't know, some things become very watertight to the point where we don't hear of anything until something happens, which I'm fine with, to be honest, because I can't stand these lawn drawn out sagas in the media. So in all, I'm cautiously optimistic because I don't buy for a fact that this was always in the plan. Because if it was, I believe it would have been in the preseason squad in June and everything would have been dandy and it would probably have never got that injury because he had it on preseason with Brighton and Carrick would have loved to have it in the preseason to bed him in. So I don't think things have technically gone to plan. But in terms of what we need for right now, I can't complain. It is a profile that this Man United team have been missing. So unfortunately, we're not going to see him until probably mid September and he's not going to be match fit either. So we might be waiting a while for us to speak about Carlos Belieber again. But so far, I think the midfield is pretty much there, I would say. Back in the day, about 15, 20 years ago, there was a player in the Premier League called Jamie O'Hara. Now I love Jamie O'Hara because he was a bit of a legend for us and the lone spell that he had down at Fratton Park. But he's not exactly known for his punditry wisdom. And I hope that doesn't sound too disrespectful. I think him and Jason Cundee have a excellent relationship and they're a good laugh on talk sport. But he was on Sky Sports the other day and actually said something I think that was quite interesting. He was talking about the Manchester United defence. And he said that actually it's the same back four that United have had for three or four seasons now, barring San Alomans, the new goalkeeper who obviously stepped into O'Hara's shoes, clown boots at the start of last season in Sledgehammers. But it's still Harry Maguire. It's still Luke Shaw. It's still Diogo Dallo. The big question I think amongst those because Maguire signed a new contract and I think Dallo is consistent enough, maybe not the quality that some Manchester United fans would like. But I don't think he's as bad as some people say he is. Luke Shaw I think is the big standout conversation when we're talking about Manchester United defenders. A lot of conversation has gone on. We need another midfielder. How about left back? How do you feel about Luke Shaw, his fitness, his availability? He's a stalwart at the club. He's been there over a decade now. What do you think the solution is long term in that left back role? Is it a case of promoting someone from the academy and hoping they can't good? Do they need to dip into the market again? Manchester United and buy a new left back? What do you think? It's urgent. It's a matter of urgency. It's like when you get an email in your inbox and it's got one of those big red exclamation marks, same priority, respond now. Like is that genuine? Normally there's that. It's scam. Usually it's one of your managers met a no you knew during the day. Think about it. This way, Manchester United for the last of those four years where Dallo, Maguire, Martinez and Shaw have been together. Give or take a play coming in or a play coming out. United have conceded on average around 50 goals a season in the league. That is not good enough to win the title. It's not even good enough to challenge for the title. You're going to look at teams that have gone and won the league in that period. They're not conceding. Give or take more than 30. You have to be so watertight and I know it's a very cliché of attack, win-g-games, defense, win-git titles, but it has a lot of truth in it because look at Arsenal without the amazing, formidable triangle of Raya, Celeba and Gabrielle, they're not winning the league last season. Or you go to City and how amazing, you know, Edison was during that period. John Stones was or Ruben Diaz, without these guys, they're not winning the leagues. Tony and I did have still not solved that issue, which is we've not got a partnership pairing, which we can be looking at and thinking that is a reliable, not just good, but insensational partnership within the, I mean, the keeper, let you say, is a great start, amazing start. But your whole back for needs to match your attack in terms of the quality. The attacks great right now is looking like that could be the one that takes us to the next level. The defenders, the one that might regress us because if we're going to have to keep out scoring teams, it's just purely not sustainable. It cannot keep going. And that's why I think any kind of title talk this season is very, very, very premature because your defence needs to be ready to win your games. And I still think there's errors, there's errors in there in every single part of it. I know Rome, I know Rome wasn't built in a day and you can't go and completely revamp the whole team. So it seems like it's been going in phases, attack class season, get all the new players midfield this season. Maybe next season it'll be, right, we're focusing on the defence now, I'm going to revamp the whole thing and we're going to get top quality players in. But you know, you know, when you've seen it now in the Premier League years, we always talk about the attacks, but the defence is the other ones where if you've got your backs against it, you need them to win your games. And I don't believe for one second this defence can do that. Just think of all of the great title win in teams over the years. They've always had one, if not two, solid centre backs in particular that have been the foundation of their success. You know, you think of Chelsea with Terry and Carvalio, you think of Manchester United with Bruce and Palestine and then Vidditch and Ferdinand and a combination of many different central defenders alongside probably one of those four through the years, Arsenal had Adams and Campbell, the Liverpool team, Virgil Van Dyke, you know, alongside Mattip or Huwether, who maybe wasn't quite as good. In the only one you can look at, it's probably Leicester's, what, Robert Hooth and Wes Morgan. That class. Class. Iconic, mate. Absolutely. Iconic. They're the ones that were the biggest names, but they worked. But yeah, I mean, you're not going to find a team that doesn't have a formidable duo. Yeah, look at Arsenal now, Celebra and Gabrielle, I mean, how important have they been and they'll probably will prove to be super important for Arsenal, moving forward. Let's look at the weekend then because Arsenal do play Coventry first on Friday night, which we will talk about later on this week on Football Social Daily. But Manchester United's first game is against Hull City, newly promoted Hull City away from home, 1230 kickoff on Saturday, which means it will be the second game of the Premier League season. Now, if we expect Arsenal to beat Coventry on Friday night, which we should do, the winners of the Premier League against the winners of the championship from last season, then this is such a good opportunity for Manchester United, whose first two Premier League games are Hull away and Ipswich at home. If, like me, Manchester United fans are expecting them to finish in the Champions League spots, some even think they'll have a tilt at the title this season. They have to win those first two games. Do they not? Those first two games, Hull and Ipswich, United have to win them. Now Manchester United have to win every game, and I know it's not the same at the start of the season because teams are still settling into their rhythm and finding themselves and the windows still open and players haven't been confirmed and stuff. But what a start United could make. If they are going to be in the Champions League at the end of the season, if they are potentially, as some people are saying, going to make a search for the title, those two games, win those first two, give yourself a platform, build some confidence and who knows what could happen from there. Now, I cannot express to you how nervous playing a newly promoted team on the opening day their ground makes me feel and a 1230 kickoff at that. You know how dodgy those 1230 kickoffs are. They just seem to throw a really weird resource. I know you say that, but I haven't done a few Manchester United games over the last few years and quite a few against newly promoted teams. United's record against freshly promoted teams is very sound. Very sound. Very rare that United would lose, but then again, you know, things that have not happened ever before have started happening to Manchester United in the last couple of seasons. So it's not out of the question, but when you've got a holiday switch in your first two, then ever turn away, United should probably win that as well. You've then got the Manchester Derby on the 13th of September, then it's full of them, then it's spurs, then it's leads, then it's born with... So, you know, there's opportunity in the first 10 games for Manchester United to set a marker. You have to go into the season, staking your mark, don't you, but United notoriously started slowing seasons. I always remember under Ferguson, it was always a very slow turgid start of the first five games and let you say it starts to kick in when the players get the match rhythm and the chemistry starts to build. So I'm not putting a huge amount of emphasis on these games as we have to win these games to be looking like we're going to be a team this season because, you know, the seasons are a very long season, but let you say, could you get two better fixtures to begin your campaign? You know, last season we started the campaign against Arsenal on the very first day of the season at Old Trafford and we got beat 1-0 thanks to popping on my hands by India, which ended up flapping a corner kick into the back of his neck. But I was watching that in Bolivia actually with a guy who's a really good friend of mine now and asked the fun and I said to him, you guys, we're done this season, you know, you just see the side straight away, whereas at this time round, it'd be great. Just I want to see a good performance first and foremost. I want to see this new new look coming to field and the players should be excited to try and stake a claim on it, but equally so should whole city. How long has it been since it's open in the Premier League, like 20, 2011, 2010, maybe even earlier now is when Harry Maguire was there. Yeah, I feel like they came up for one season and went straight back down and that was the first time they've done that, but they had a time where they were reaching FA Cup finals and stuff. I remember they took the lead against Arsenal, didn't they? Yeah. In the FA Cup about 12 years ago and ended up losing it in the end, but all I've got some heritage in the Premier League, they've had a good going in the past, speaking of heritage, eh? Football heritage, the merino documentary, I haven't seen it yet, but I've seen some clips and it looks good. I've seen loads of clips of the Pep one as well and I have to binge those. You need to watch them, you need to watch them, I don't know if we're going to do a separate segment on those, but God, it, the best way I can describe it is when I was watching the Pep one last night, and I'm sure a number of people have seen clips of him talking about, you know, his divorce in a team talk or going at Kyle Walker, like individually in the dressing room, and you know, he starts crying almost while he's doing a team talk and talking about his divorce and how he lost the passion with his wife, I don't want to give too many spoilers for people who have not seen it, but the thing I got about it is purely the title that it says, obsession. I've not seen someone in their profession who is not at the top who doesn't see it as their number one in their life. When you watch him, he is just, he's almost on flow state the way he moves in that dressing room and how he communicates and from what he was saying to them about his divorce, the love of his life was never his wife, the love of his life has always been the sport of football, which is why he is so good, like so, he's the top of the game, I mean, questionable to bring up your divorce during a team talk, I wouldn't do it, I mean, I'm not divorced, but I wouldn't if I ever got divorced. But it just shows just how much he was willing to show himself to get 1% more out of his team. And for me, it is really admirable and I know people, name me a genius in any tear of anything where they don't, you don't look at me, God, he's a bit odd. Yeah, she's a bit odd. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I know, I agree with you. Floor team. They have some kind of quirk about them where they're different, they've got a different way of thinking, a different way of working and that's what sets them apart. So I really, I loved the fact that he showed them losing, what was it, seven games in a row, including the Manchester Derby, which was great to watch again, totally forgot how bad it went for them during that season, but it was, it was, it was intriguing to watch almost like a master at work, really. Well, Manchester United, we've got a documentary coming out in the next couple of years where cameras are following the club around. So you can wallow in the misery of Pep Guardiola for a little bit longer before things get embarrassing for you probably because you know that's always the way. That's always the way. Did you hear that apparently they just started rolling the cameras for Amazon on the day that Belieber got announced as having progress. So apparently the first few scenes might be in the recruitment office where they say, Oh, we got progress on Belieber. I mean, that I've never seen anything inside my club before like that. No, it's so anti-menchist United to do that sort of thing. So I'm pretty surprised. I'm pretty surprised. It was four knocks, wasn't it prior to all this Amazon stuff coming out. So be interesting. I can't wait to see something like that. Well, I still need to watch the marino documentary. Definitely still need to watch the Pep one as well. And we will be talking about Manchester City on the next episode of Football Social Daily because I don't want to use the words fire sale, but a couple of high-profile departures on the cards to another big Premier League club and not the first players they've sold this summer either. We will talk about the latest transfer news to do with Manchester City on the next episode of Football Social Daily, which by the way is now available for sponsorship. To be honest, it was always available for sponsorship. We just never crowed about it. But now we are. So if you are interested in becoming a part of the journey, if you like FSD, maybe you've got your own business and you're thinking about sponsoring the pod, get in touch with us all of the links are in the description. For today's show, that is it and we will speak to you next time on FSD. Catch you there.