๐จ Rooney on Joshua Zirkzeeโs performance against Sabah:
๐ฃ๏ธ Rooney: โwatching Zirkzee in the second half and I thought, if this was an audition rather than a Manchester United game, every scout in the stadium would be on the phone.
โYeah, forget what I told you before. Sign him at all cost.โ
Thatโs the strange thing with Zirkzee. There are moments where you watch him and think, โHow are we even discussing whether this lad is good enough?โ
The touch, the little combinations, the way he receives with somebody behind him and somehow comes out facing the other direction. Some of the things he does are ridiculous for somebody that size.
It reminded me a little bit of when Chicharito came to United. Completely different players, obviously, but Sir Alex was brilliant at identifying the one thing a young striker already had and then building around it.
He didnโt ask Chicharito to become Rooney or Berbatov. He looked at what Chicha did naturally and thought, โRight, how do I make this useful for Manchester United?โ
I look at Zirkzee and wonder what Sir Alex wouldโve done with him.
Because the difficult part is already there. You canโt teach some of that imagination. You canโt teach a striker to suddenly become that comfortable with the football.
His finishing? You can work on that. His movement in the box? Work on it. Get him scoring the ugly goals as well as doing the beautiful stuff outside the box.
Thatโs why Iโd be very careful before selling him.
Iโve seen this story before. A talented player leaves Manchester United because everybody agrees something is missing. Two years later youโre watching him somewhere else and asking, โWhere did this version come from?โ
Well, that version was probably already there. Somebody else just finished the work.
Zirkzee frustrates people because you can see what he could become. If everything clicks, youโre not looking for another striker like him. Youโre wondering why you ever considered letting this one leave.โ
๐จ David de Gea on comparisons with Senne Lammens:
๐ฃ๏ธ De Gea: โPeople remember the big saves because they look good, but honestly, many of them were just positioning. You watch the striker, his body, the angle. Sometimes before he shoots you already have an idea where the ball can go.
I wasnโt thinking, โNow I will make an impossible save.โ I was just trying to be in the right place.โ
๐ฃ๏ธ Reporter: โThatโs exactly what some United fans now expect from Lammens. Maybe they see a goal and say, โDe Gea wouldโve saved that.โโ
๐ฃ๏ธ De Gea: โAnd how old is Lammens? Do you know?โ
๐ฃ๏ธ Reporter: โTwenty four.โ
๐ฃ๏ธ De Gea: โAt 24 I was still learning things every week.
This is the problem with comparisons. People take the best version of me after years at Manchester United and put him next to a young goalkeeper who is still becoming himself.
Maybe I save some of those shots. Maybe I donโt. Goalkeepers also remember the ones supporters have forgotten.
Lammens is very good. He has the physical qualities, he makes difficult saves and, for his age, his ceiling is very high.
United fans shouldnโt ask him to become David de Gea.
Give him enough time and maybe one day the next goalkeeper at United will concede a goal and everybody will say, โLammens wouldโve saved that.โโ
๐จ๐๏ธInterviewer: Whoโs do you think is the biggest club in the Premier league?
Mbappe: โBy far Manchester united, massive club, incredible.โ ๐
The way Man United legends still embrace each other whenever they meet after retirement tells you everything.
Sir Alex Ferguson didnโt just build a team that won trophies. He built a brotherhood Sir Alex built an everlasting family.โค๏ธ๐ฅน
๐จ Mason Mount on the conversation that changed everything for him:
โThe manager called me into his office after training. Iโll be honestโฆ..I thought we were going to have another conversation about managing my minutes.
Instead he smiled & said, โCongratulations.โ I asked, โFor what?โ He said:: โFrom today, I stop seeing an injured player.โ I just looked at him.
He continued, โIf I take you off now, itโll be because of tactics. If you donโt start, itโll be because someone else deserves to. Not because Iโm worried about your body anymore.โ
Iโll never forget hearing that. It felt like Iโd finallly left the hardest chapter behind. Then came Atletico. 90 minutes. The captainโs armband. No pain.
After the game he shook my hand and said,
โWelcome back. Now go and earn your place like everyone else.โ Thatโs all Iโd wanted. Not sympathy. Just another chance to earn the shirt.โ
๐จ๐ฃZlatan Ibrahim Ibrahimovic on Lisandro Martinez assist to Lionel Messi:
๐ฃ I never doubted Lionel Messi, look at the first touch and the finishing but, I will have to give some credit to Martinez, what an unbelievable pass"
๐ฃ Manchester united have a player that not only defend but can create chances like this, that's the best assist I have seen so far this world cup"
"He [Lisandro Martinez] is one of the best ball playing CB in the world currently"
Having watched the Casemiro documentary it just reminded me how scandalous it was that David De Gea never got a proper send off.
Donโt get my wrong Casemiro deserved one too but for De Gea to not even get to say goodbye after being at the club for 13 years will never sit right with me.
๐จ(๐ด) ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐๐ผ๐: Wayne Rooney will join the Manchester United coaching staff ahead of the 2026/27 season.
[@LaurenWhitwell]
๐จ๐ฃ๏ธ Declan Rice on Bruno Fernandes winning the Premier League Player of the Year award:
โHonestly, Iโm not surprised anymore. Bruno Fernandes has been carrying Manchester United for years now, and people are finally starting to appreciate what he actually does on the pitch every single week.
I remember when people used to compare him with other midfielders and say he loses the ball too much or that he only puts up numbers because of penalties. But football isnโt played on Twitter or TikTok clips. Football is about influence, mentality, leadership, consistency, and showing up when your team needs you the most. Bruno does that better than almost anyone in the world right now.
You look at Manchester United over the last few seasons โ through difficult moments, injuries, pressure from the media, changes in managers โ and somehow Bruno is always the one fighting, creating chances, scoring goals, pressing nonstop, demanding more from his teammates, and refusing to hide. A lot of players disappear when things get tough. Bruno becomes even louder and even better.
People donโt realize how hard it is to consistently produce numbers in midfield in the Premier League. To create chances every game, score goals, deliver assists, control the tempo, and still run harder than almost everyone else on the pitchโฆ thatโs elite. Absolutely elite. Getting over 20 assists in a season while also scoring important goals is ridiculous.
For me, he deserves every award this season. The Premier League Player of the Year, the PFA award, everything. There is no midfielder in the league right now impacting games the way Bruno Fernandes is. He can win a game with one pass, one shot, one moment of brilliance, but what impresses me the most is his mentality. He never stops demanding more.
People always talk about flashy football and aesthetics, but if you actually understand football, you know Bruno is one of the most complete midfielders in the world. He creates, he leads, he sacrifices for the team, he presses, he takes responsibility, and he performs under pressure constantly.
In my opinion, right now Bruno Fernandes is the best player in the Premier League, and honestly, I donโt even think itโs close.โ