What a night in the Champions League 🙌 — but not for United 😢.
Actually, it hasn’t been for us all season. Not a single European night in any of the three competitions we could’ve played in.
That’s frustrating enough. But the bigger issue? The club seems to treat January like it’s optional — again. And if nothing changes, we could be back here next season, watching everyone else while we’re stuck at home twiddling our thumbs.
I want UCL nights at Old Trafford again 😩!
The Current Situation
It ain’t good, brev.
We all know that, though sometimes I’m not sure the club does.
Yes, beating City and Arsenal put massive smiles on our faces. I’m still smiling now and my voice still hurts after screaming at those bangers from Dorgu and Cunha. Totally worth it 😭.
But when you look past the surface, the problems still outweigh the solutions.
What Michael Carrick has done is restore belief. And he’s done it in spite of the board, not because of them.
United have stayed competitive enough to be sitting 4th and on track for Champions League qualification. That sounds good — but let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t a dominant side. We had 38% possession in both wins, which, regardless of opposition, is well below where United should be.
And the margins? They’re razor thin. One point ahead of 5th. Two ahead of 6th. Five clear of 11th. That’s how tight it is.
So yes, the goals still matter — interim manager or not. United aren’t chasing perfection right now. They’re managing a margin.
Protection
January is meant to be simple. It’s a chance to plug gaps and protect whatever you’re building for the rest of the season.
United, though, never treat it like that.
Instead, we’re always told the same thing: we’ll go big in the summer. Big names, big plans. And more often than not, it ends with us missing our first choices, settling for alternatives, and pretending it was the plan all along. We bite off more than we can chew — and pay for it later.
January is different. It shows you exactly where the squad is thin and how those weaknesses could cost you when it really matters.
Right now, things are in a decent place. Performances are better. The mood is improved. We’re in the Champions League spots. But the squad was already threadbare with everyone fit. Take a couple of players out and suddenly you’re staring at a problem.
If United want to keep things steady over the next few months, they have to back Carrick in some way. Not to chase perfection but just to give this group a fighting chance of staying where it is.
Doing nothing now is a risk we don’t need to take. January isn’t where seasons are won — it’s where they’re protected from falling apart.
The Pattern
We’ve seen this before. Many times.
United clearly prefer to do their business in the summer rather than do anything meaningful in January. And I’m not sure the club fully realises that January doesn’t require signing the biggest names on the market, it just requires signing some players of the right quality.
If a big name is available, great. Bruno Fernandes signed in January and that worked out alright 🤷♂️. So it can be done.
But more often than not over the last decade, United’s January business has either been minimal or underwhelming. Players that don’t excite, don’t really solve a problem, and don’t leave you confident they’ll help achieve the season’s objectives.
Last January, Amorim’s first window brought Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu. Decent prospects, and they’ve shown promise — but hardly the kind of moves that strengthen a squad chasing Champions League football.
In other years it’s been youngsters, short-term fixes, or stopgaps. Marcel Sabitzer was useful. Wout Weghorst and Jack Butland filled gaps. Amad arrived at 18. Odion Ighalo was a backup while Juan Mata was the last truly significant January signing before Bruno.
That tells its own story.
The club sells the idea that the summer will fix everything. Then summer comes, the top targets prove unrealistic, and we’re left scrambling — paying big wages and fees for players who aren’t quite good enough.
And that’s where the real damage is done. They’re hard to move on, expensive to keep, and end up hurting the squad more than helping it.
That’s the pattern. And January is where it keeps repeating.
The Knock-On Effects
Right now, United have momentum. People are even talking about a title charge — I’m not one of them 👀 — but that belief tells you everything about the mood shift.
Beating City and Arsenal changed the feeling around the club. Carrick has brought good vibes back and, more importantly, he’s done things fans have been asking for. He himself has also gotten momentum.
Those wins have also put us in the top four, where we want to be. One game a week helps with recovery, sharpness, and keeping players fresh. Everything feels settled. That’s not something United have had much of in recent years.
But this is where the bigger picture comes in.
European football matters. Financially, competitively, and culturally. It brings in money, attracts better players, and keeps the club relevant. Top players want Champions League football and when you’re competing with clubs like City, that matters more than ever.
It also snowballs. Better players make you better. Better teams attract more players. Momentum builds.
And then there’s the football itself. United are on course to play their fewest games in over a century. No Europe. Out of the cups early. Long stretches with nothing to do but watch everyone else play midweek.
That lack of exposure hurts. Fewer big nights, less buzz, less relevance. Less revenue.
Watching others play meaningful midweek football while United sit at home isn’t just boring — it’s the outcome of decisions made months earlier.
Injuries
They happen. Always. And they happen unexpectedly.
The squad wasn’t exactly overflowing with depth. Take one or two injuries, and suddenly United are in a sticky situation.
Patrick Dorgu scored a belter against Arsenal, then promptly got ruled out for 10 weeks 😔. Just as the lad was hitting form.
Why it matters isn’t just losing a player — it’s losing one in a spot where we were already thin. Left-wing was never a summer priority, and Dorgu was doing a job out of position that patched a bigger problem. Now he’s out, and the options aren’t perfect.
Cunha can slot in, but he’s not a winger. Amad or Mbeumo could fill the flank, but they’re better coming in off the right. You can shuffle the team, but it risks disrupting the rhythm Carrick has built.
This isn’t just about Dorgu or LW. Midfield and other areas are vulnerable too.
This is exactly what January was meant for: patching holes before they become crises.
Injuries don’t derail seasons. Lack of preparation does.
Carrick’s Role
I’m not judging Carrick here. He’s an interim, basically cleaning up the club's mess from a manager they didn’t fully back and then sacked halfway through the season.
He’ll do what he can with whatever he’s given. But we all know that there's probably a strong chance that Carrick wants that permanent job. To get there, finishing in the top four is a must — which may not happen if he isn’t backed in January.
He’s already earned a lot of goodwill with how the team’s performed and the improved culture around the club. More smiles than a month ago, that’s real.
However, United shouldn’t see his interim status or recent results as a reason not to back him. If anything, they should lean in harder. If he can get this much from a squad lacking quality and depth, imagine what he could do with players he can trust.
Objectives belong to the club, not the manager. Backing an interim in January isn’t an endorsement — it’s acknowledging the opportunity the club currently has.
Final Thoughts
It’s not the end of the world if the club doesn’t do business this month. We play once a week, there are only 15 games left, and most of the squad is available.
The problem is the unnecessary risk they’re taking by doing nothing. That looks more like a choice than bad luck.
Top four is achievable with what’s here. It’d be a lot easier with better players, which would bring all the momentum, relevance, and excitement we’ve talked about.
Choosing not to act in January may feel cautious. But when the margins are this fine, caution and risk are often the same thing.
Man Utd Director of Football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada | Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images via United In Focus