RedMsg Daily Brief
The Lead
Team newsofficially confirmedcompleted
The goal that beat United should have gone to the screen, English football’s refereeing body says
Pro Ref, English football's refereeing body led by Howard Webb, published a statement on the goal that beat United 1-0 at home to Manchester City on Sunday. It says Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball, which makes the offside offence subjective, but that VAR should have recommended an on-field review regardless. Contact was made with United to acknowledge what Pro Ref calls an error of judgement, and a review will follow. Sky Sports notes Pro Ref was rebranded from PGMOL over the summer. The statement acknowledges the error; it does not apologise, and the result stands. United have published no response.
Our read
An admitted officiating error doesn't touch the ledger. First-team sentiment sits at -31 on a sample of 12, down three on the week, and Sunday's defeat moved it, not the apology that never came.
The Briefing
Bruno Fernandes remains in talks over a new United contract with no breakthrough reached; United hold an option to extend his deal a further year, David Ornstein reported on Sky Sports, relayed by five accounts.
Transferreported
@UtdDistrict · paywalled, link only
Carrick said Shaw is not quite ready but very close, per Ben Dinnery, with an assessment due before Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Brighton.
Injuryreported
@BenDinnery · paywalled, link only
United's four points from four games matches their worst start to a Premier League season since 1992-93, the BBC reports, and Carrick told the Guardian he remains convinced United would turn it around.
Team newscorroborated
Brighton visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for United's Carabao Cup opener, kicking off at 20:00 BST, per the club's own preview, with Fulham away following on Sunday.
Match previewofficially confirmed
Creator Spotlight
David Ornstein
David Ornstein, tier 1, credibility 95 on our own scale.
David Ornstein reports rather than speculates, which is why his line on Bruno Fernandes's contract talks carries weight beyond the usual relay chain of screenshots. The Athletic's transfer authority surfaces here situationally, not daily, keeping his signal-to-noise ratio in his favour. Tier one, credibility 95: when he says impasse, take the word, not the deadline nobody has actually given you.
Club Pulse
Ownership: quiet (thin sample)
Manager: quiet (thin sample)
First Team: -31, -3 on a sample of 12
Academy: quiet (thin sample)
Women: quiet (thin sample)
First team sentiment sits at -31, down three since Sat 12 Sep on a sample of twelve, still carrying Sunday's defeat. Ownership, manager, academy and women's layers stay quiet on thin samples.
Fan Voice
Two takes on the pattern behind Sunday's defeat, and on how welcome Pro Ref's statement felt arriving hours late, from the timeline United fans keep after every derby:
3 losses against ten men in under a year. And we weren't losing in any when the man was sent off...
@markgoldbridge, sentiment negative
Fantastic, that solves everything! 😄
@StretfordPaddck, sentiment negative
Player in Focus
Diogo Dalot
3 mentions on the day's count, sentiment negative, trend falling.
Diogo Dalot made his 250th appearance for United in Sunday's derby, and neither the BBC nor the Manchester Evening News rated the afternoon that came with it: the BBC's lowest mark for a United player, 4 out of 10. Three mentions is a real base, and negative sentiment tracks a falling week for him.
Two desks recorded the derby as his 250th appearance for United, and neither rated the afternoon he had: the BBC gave him four, its lowest mark of the United side.
Loan Watch
United's summer exodus has settled. Toby Collyer and Jack Moorhouse are done deals at West Bromwich Albion and Dundee, Chido Obi and Dan Gore departed to Willem II and Luton Town, and Gabriele Biancheri to FC Wacker Innsbruck. All five sit at departed on the ledger.
Departed Toby Collyer. Toby Collyer, CM, West Bromwich Albion.
Departed Jack Moorhouse. Jack Moorhouse, MF, Dundee.
Departed Chido Obi. Chido Obi, ST, Willem II.
Departed Dan Gore. Dan Gore, CM, Luton Town.
Departed Gabriele Biancheri. Gabriele Biancheri, ST, FC Wacker Innsbruck.
Rivals Radar
Enzo Maresca thought Bruno Fernandes deserved red too, and via the fourth official believed Haaland was onside, before Pro Ref's own review of Sunday's derby landed.
Man City. Maresca thought Fernandes should have been sent off too, and that Haaland was onside
Both moments came in the 1-0 win at Old Trafford that left United 13th on four points.
From the Archive
09-15 · 2012
4-0 v Wigan Athletic
United beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 at home in the Premier League. Scholes, Hernández, Büttner and Powell scored. Attendance 75,142.
On this date in 2012, United put four past Wigan Athletic at home: Scholes, Hernandez, Buttner and Powell scored in front of 75,142.
Hot Topics
Michael Carrick after four league games (149, rising) · Manchester United 0 Manchester City 1 (113, rising) · The VAR decision on Haaland's goal (51, rising)
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Brighton visit Old Trafford Wednesday. We'll be reading the same nine club pages after that one too.
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