{"id":409673,"date":"2025-09-09T05:48:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T05:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/409673\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T05:48:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T05:48:10","slug":"with-a-new-goalkeeper-and-the-bomb-squad-gone-are-manchester-united-ready-to-kick-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/409673\/","title":{"rendered":"With a new goalkeeper and the \u201cBomb Squad\u201d gone, are Manchester United ready to kick on?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/manchester-united\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manchester United<\/a><\/b> headed into this campaign with cautious optimism, but also plenty of unanswered questions.<\/p>\n<p>After enduring the worst <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/premier-league\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Premier League<\/a><\/b> season in their history last season \u2014 finishing a club-record low 15th and losing the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/29\/manchester-united\/1231983-alejandro-garnacho-moved-on-from-manchester-united.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Europa League<\/a><\/strong> final to <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/tottenham-hotspur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tottenham Hotspur<\/a><\/b> \u2014 the summer was always going to be pivotal.<\/p>\n<p>Fans looked to the transfer window for a lift, and while there were big arrivals and major departures, the early weeks suggest <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/09\/06\/manchester-united\/1232854-how-a-midfield-crisis-could-cost-manchester-united-under-ruben-amorim.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">R\u00faben Amorim<\/a><\/strong> still has a lot to prove.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\tA Busy Summer of Signings\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/09\/05\/manchester-united\/1232823-is-sheffield-wednesday-the-right-loan-destination-for-harry-amass.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United<\/a><\/strong> made an encouraging start to the window, moving early to secure <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/31\/manchester-united\/1232273-cunha-and-mount-injuries-cast-shadow-over-fernandes-late-winner.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matheus Cunha<\/a><\/strong> from Wolves. The Brazilian scored 15 <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/premier-league\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Premier League<\/a><\/b> goals last season and was viewed as a vital upgrade in attack.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after came the blockbuster addition of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/09\/02\/manchester-united\/1232522-man-united-202526-summer-transfer-window-review.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bryan Mbeumo,<\/a><\/strong> who bagged 20 league goals for Brentford and attracted interest from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/13\/manchester-united\/1230270-sancho-rejects-roma-whats-next-for-man-united-winger.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Newcastle<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/04\/manchester-united\/1229472-man-united-202526-season-preview-rubens-reds-ready-for-redemption.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spurs<\/a><\/strong>. Mbeumo only wanted Old Trafford, and after a long negotiation United agreed a \u00a371m package.<\/p>\n<p>To further strengthen the frontline, United landed <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/21\/manchester-united\/1231117-andy-cole-says-donnarumma-would-be-a-huge-signing-hails-mbeumos-paceurges-patience-for-sesko.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benjamin \u0160e\u0161ko,<\/a><\/strong> one of Europe\u2019s most exciting young strikers. After last season\u2019s record-low 44 <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/premier-league\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Premier League<\/a><\/b> goals, United had little choice but to rebuild their attack, and these three additions promise to inject pace, power, and goals.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\tOutgoings: The \u201cBomb Squad\u201d Cleared\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Just as important as the signings was the clear-out. A number of players deemed surplus to requirements were finally moved on.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona on loan. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/28\/manchester-united\/1231879-the-weight-of-victory-how-man-united-expectations-break-players-and-managers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Jadon Sancho<\/a><\/strong> signed for <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/aston-villa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aston Villa<\/a><\/b> on loan. Antony returned to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/09\/01\/manchester-united\/1232385-antony-seals-25million-switch-from-man-united-to-real-betis.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Real Betis<\/a><\/strong> in a permanent move, while <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/06\/12\/manchester-united\/1225463-man-united-transfer-window-preview-a-summer-of-radical-rebuild-lies-ahead.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alejandro Garnacho<\/a><\/strong> went to Chelsea in a \u00a340m deal.<\/p>\n<p>For United, these departures marked a fresh start \u2014 players who had either underperformed or struggled for consistency moved on, while the wage bill was reduced. For the players themselves, it offered new opportunities elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>The goalkeeper position has been a persistent problem. Both Bayindir and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/09\/07\/manchester-united\/1233069-andre-onanas-manchester-united-exit-what-went-wrong.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andr\u00e9 Onana<\/a><\/strong> made costly mistakes last season, forcing United back into the market.<\/p>\n<p>Onana has now left on loan in search of a reset, while newcomer Lamenns could be handed the No. 1 shirt. His composure, flexibility, and reliability will be critical in steadying a back line that has often looked fragile.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the changes, United\u2019s start has been mixed.<\/p>\n<p>They crashed out of the cup in humiliating fashion to <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/data\/grimsby-town\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grimsby Town,<\/a> <\/b>lost narrowly on the opening day to Arsenal and dropped points at Fulham despite leading. The Red Devils managed a scrappy but vital 3\u20132 home win over Burnley, sealed only by a last-minute <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vavel.com\/en\/football\/2025\/08\/30\/manchester-united\/1232191-man-united-3-2-burnley-post-match-man-united-player-ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bruno Fernandes<\/a><\/strong> penalty.<\/p>\n<p>Performances have raised more questions than answers, and Amorim already faces pressure. With a Manchester derby against City followed by a clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford, the coming fixtures could define not only United\u2019s season but Amorim\u2019s long-term future.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\tHope for the Season Ahead\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are still reasons for optimism. United beat City away last season and held Chelsea to a draw \u2014 results that show they can rise to big occasions. If Amorim can strike a balance in midfield and unlock a consistent partnership between Cunha, Mbeumo, and \u0160e\u0161ko, United may yet find the goals that eluded them last year.<\/p>\n<p>The goalkeeper situation could also be a turning point. If Lamenns proves reliable where Onana faltered, it will ease pressure on the defence and give Amorim a platform to build from.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, United\u2019s season may come down to whether their summer rebuild brings stability and goals \u2014 or whether early stumbles snowball into another year of frustration.<\/p>\n<p>United have cleared out the deadwood, added firepower, and signed a new goalkeeper. But unless results improve quickly, the question remains: are they truly ready to kick on, or are the same old problems destined to hold them back?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Manchester United headed into this campaign with cautious optimism, but also plenty of unanswered questions. After enduring the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":409674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,2465,98,101,99,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-409673","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-manchester","12":"tag-manchester-united","13":"tag-premier-league","14":"tag-ruben-amorim","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115172770318800755","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}