Man Utd Round-Up, Tuesday 3rd November: Incredible Comeback Stuns Roma as Carrick's Job Is Saved
What a night at Old Trafford. Manchester United fell 2-0 down against Roma in the Champions League but produced a remarkable turnaround to win 3-2, with Matheus Cunha and Shea Lacey both earning top marks in the player ratings (Manchester Evening News). There was controversy along the way too, with a unanimous penalty verdict going against United during a nightmare start and some of the display branded 'embarrassing' before the recovery kicked in (Manchester Evening News). The win appears to have saved Michael Carrick's job after a night that had begun with huge pressure on the head coach (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News). It wasn't all good news on the pitch though, as Carlos Baleba was left in obvious distress after being forced off with an injury early in the second half (Manchester Evening News). Fans inside the ground also used the occasion to stage a mid-game protest against the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, showing the discontent still simmering around the club (Manchester Evening News).
Before kick-off there had been plenty of team news and selection talk. Carrick faced a conundrum over Lisandro Martinez's involvement as he picked his side to face Roma (Manchester Evening News) (ManUtd.com), while there was hope that Dorgu could help ease United's left-back problems after returning to training on Monday (Evening Standard). Kobbie Mainoo spoke ahead of the game about demanding more from his teammates amid the scrutiny on Carrick (Manchester Evening News), and separately said that one win could turn things around for the team, while also praising Roma as a dangerous side (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com). Carrick himself said United "have to give the fans something" as he prepared his players for the crucial clash (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com). Nine players were already set to miss the match following a Marcus Rashford injury update (Manchester Evening News).
Earlier in the day, United's U19s also took on Roma in the UEFA Youth League at the Unity Stadium in Leigh, with the game finishing 1-1 thanks in part to a goal from £4m Tottenham signing Tynan Thompson, who netted his first for the club (Manchester Evening News) (ManUtd.com).
Away from matters on the pitch, the managerial situation continues to rumble on. German reports claimed Julian Nagelsmann is 'ready' to replace Carrick, with a bombshell also dropping regarding Christopher Vivell, whose exit is said to be on the cards and which has thrown any move for a new manager into doubt (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News). Elsewhere, Jason Wilcox's past managerial preferences have come under scrutiny, with reports suggesting he once considered a surprising candidate to replace Erik ten Hag back in 2024, and separately that he spoke highly of Russell Martin during recruitment discussions (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News).
On the transfer front, TeamTalk reported that United's current worst-performing player has agreed personal terms with Atletico Madrid (TeamTalk), while talkSPORT reported that Al-Hilal will not revive their interest in Bruno Fernandes despite his uncertain future at Old Trafford (talkSPORT). United have also reportedly shortlisted a goal-a-game striker open to a January move (TeamTalk), and TeamTalk claimed a potential deal for a Manchester City player has cleared a major hurdle, with personal terms said not to be an issue (TeamTalk). The BBC's gossip column also mentioned City's Rayan Ait-Nouri as a surprise target (BBC Sport).
In other news, former United midfielder Nicky Butt launched an extraordinary rant branding Lisandro Martinez a 'bluffer' and called for the defender to be sold, claiming he has thrown in the towel (Manchester Evening News). Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young also had strong words for the current squad after being left shocked by an Ayden Heaven interview amid United's struggles (Manchester Evening News). On a sadder note, United joined Arsenal in paying tribute to Jesus de Miguel Alameda, the Tenerife player who died on Tuesday (ESPN) (ManUtd.com). Finally, goalkeeper Dermot Mee earned his first Northern Ireland call-up for the upcoming Nations League games against Ukraine and Hungary (BBC Sport), while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken on a new role after missing out on a United return, with reports suggesting he is keen to keep his connection to the club alive (Manchester Evening News).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
