🎧'Big risk' to let Mainoo leave over game timepublished at 13:54 GMT
13:54 GMT
The Devils' Advocate host Gaz Drinkwater believes Kobbie Mainoo will leave Manchester United due to a lack of game time.
Mainoo has featured in just seven of the 10 Premier League games this season, playing just 138 minutes with all of those appearances coming from the bench.
"Mainoo is going to be gone, he's too good," Drinkwater said on the podcast.
"I said not long ago that I'd choose Mainoo over Amorim. That was when we'd lost back-to-back league games, and now it's maybe working a little bit.
"But it's a big risk for United to say we're going to let him go because we trust this manager so much.
"Maybe further down the line, we say to Amad Diallo that he's capable of brilliance, but you're better as a right winger and we don't have right wingers in this system.
Kone closes in on Man Utd returnpublished at 11:09 GMT
11:09 GMT
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United midfielder Sekou Kone is set to return to action after this month's international break.
Kone - signed from Guidars FC in August 2024 - has not featured since he suffered concussion in a heavy collision during the National League Cup tie at Tamworth that had to be abandoned as the only available ambulance was needed to take the 19-year-old to hospital.
However, the Mali youngster has now returned to training and while Tuesday's EFL Trophy tie with Notts County is regarded as too soon, United Under-21 chief Travis Binnion has confirmed Kone is on the brink of making his comeback.
"After the international break, we think he will be ready to play, which will be good," he said.
"He has not been able to do contact, which limits the work we can do but he is back in full training now and we will get a body of training back into him, with contact."
After the Notts County game, United's next Under-21 games are at Solihull Moors in the National League Cup on 25 November and Anderlecht in the Premier League International Cup on 2 December.
Man Utd looking to increase Leon's workloadpublished at 11:03 GMT
11:03 GMT
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Diego Leon (centre) celebrates his first Manchester United goal during the Premier League 2 victory against Tottenham at Leigh on 25 October
Manchester United Under-21 chief Travis Binnion feels Paraguay defender Diego Leon needs to get a succession of 90-minute games under his belt for the next stage in his development.
Leon struggled for game time in his early weeks at United as he remained within Ruben Amorim's first-team squad without making his senior debut.
The 18-year-old struggled on his Premier League 2 bow at Liverpool on 21 September but looked much better as he played three games in the space of eight days at the end of last month, which included a superb goal against Tottenham at Leigh Sports Village on 25 October.
It remains to be seen whether he will be involved in the EFL Trophy encounter with Notts County on Tuesday but after making his senior international debut against South Korea in Paraguay's last match, he seems likely to be handed another call-up for this month's friendlies with the United States and Mexico.
On his return, United's Under-21 side has matches in the National League Cup and Premier League International Cup, which offer Leon the best opportunity to step up his work.
"It is evident for all to see he has some real qualities and some strong foundations to his game that he has to build on," said Binnion.
"He is aware, we are all aware, he has stuff to work on but to be fair to the kid, he has not played a full 90 minutes yet.
"We will be looking to tick that off pretty soon and that will be really good for him.
"If he can get a run of 90 minutes, then it is fair to look at his game and see where he is at.
"At this moment in time he has shown real glimpses of promise and has fitted in with the group really well."
Kevin: Fight, bottle, determination. Sean Dyche has unlocked everything that Ange Postecoglou failed to. A fair result in the end although I don't think it was a corner that led to the opening goal.
Malcolm: Improved cohesion, looking more likely to score and Callum Hudson-Odoi is looking sharper. We need to put our best competitors in the six-yard box to defend set-pieces and our goalkeeper needs to be much more assertive in his domain. He needs to try to dominate his space, with more punching practice and strength under pressure. Dan Ndoye is settling in and looks strong. A win will give us all a massive boost.
Gary: Despite the set-piece issue, I think Forest turned a corner in this game. There is cause for real optimism for the first time since the opener against Brentford.
Rob: Supporters are craving stability after a farcical start to the season, and I'm confident this manager together with his backroom team will give us that. You can see the impact he is having already, but we are still very much a work in progress. Players clearly knew their roles, especially in midfield where Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates were excellent and disciplined. Onwards and upwards.
Man Utd fans
Stefan: Despite leading and being pegged back, this is still a game United would've lost last season. We are still showing improvement and there is still something to build on. If you can't win, make sure you don't lose.
Mark: Almost lost this game due to not being competitive enough on too many levels. Poor defending, lacklustre midfield and attack and giving the ball away cheaply yet again. All these faults need to be addressed in order to continue to moving upwards.
Edward: This defence is really getting embarrassing - playing Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw together just doesn't work. I can see that, the fans also see it, so how on earth does the manager not?
Robert: If there is improvement, I don't see it. When you are losing and you have a very ineffective centre-forward on the field, why wouldn't you replace him? Why change out the backline when you need to get forward and score goals. United were very lucky to escape with a point.
Gossip: Man Utd monitor £70m Branthwaitepublished at 07:14 GMT
07:14 GMT
Manchester United and Tottenham are closely monitoring 23-year-old England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, who Everton do not want to sell and value at around £70m. (Caught Offside), external
How badly will Man Utd miss Amad?published at 14:19 GMT 2 November
14:19 GMT 2 November
John Bennett Final Score reporter at the City Ground
Media caption,
Late Amad volley scrapes back point for Man Utd
You know Amad Diallo has been a key player in Manchester United's recent resurgence because the fans are already talking about how much they'll miss him during the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins next month.
The Ivorian started in all of the club's three wins in a row in October against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton and he came so close on Saturday to giving United a fourth victory on the spin to make it a great start to November. His brilliant volley made it 2-2 with nine minutes to go at the City ground and then, in injury time, another excellent effort, this time from a tight angle on the left, was brilliantly cleared off the line by Murillo.
The equaliser was Amad's first club goal of the season and you wonder if it'll be a moment which opens the floodgates because he was certainly a constant threat in the wide areas against Forest.
United boss Ruben Amorim, though, wasn't getting carried away by Amad's performance after the game, pointing out that "he can be so much better and more consistent". Questions will also continue to be asked about his defensive qualities, especially when defending crosses.
But there's no doubt that the 23 year-old is a key part of this improving team and replacing his energy, dynamism and work-rate at wing-back during the Afcon will be a huge challenge for Amorim and his coaching staff.
Amad hails Man Utd improvementpublished at 12:07 GMT 2 November
12:07 GMT 2 November
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United's Amad Diallo feels his team-mates are starting to get to grips with Ruben Amorim's positional demands.
Amad secured a point against Nottingham Forest with a sensational late equaliser at the City Ground.
It was the Ivory Coast international's first goal of the season and further proof that he is providing an attacking option from the right wing-back position, as Amorim demands.
"It wasn't easy at the beginning for him and for us," said Amad. "But the beginning was a start. We are training very hard and we are getting better with every game."
Even though there was a measure of disappointment that United were not able to extend their three-match winning streak, Amorim was convinced the point gained was more than his side would have collected from a similar situation last season.
Amad agreed with his manager on that point.
After a tricky start to the season, United know victory at Tottenham next Saturday in their final game before the international break will have them within touching distance of a place in the top four, given the other matches taking place, and in line for the European place the club's ownership have set as their target for the campaign as a whole.
"When you win, you have confidence," said Amad. "That is the aim because we want to bring this club to the level where they deserve to be."
Analysis: The good and bad of Amadpublished at 19:55 GMT 1 November
19:55 GMT 1 November
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
One of Ruben Amorim's bolder decisions in his year in the job has been to trust Amad Diallo as a wing-back.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were deemed unsuitable for the role but Amorim has trusted the Ivory Coast international, believing he is willing to do the less glamorous parts of the job - namely defending and tracking back.
The move has reduced Amad's effectiveness in attack, but it has earned him a place in the team and on his preferred right side, where his partnership with Bryan Mbeumo has been one of the most notable aspects of Manchester United's recent improvement.
The good and bad aspects were noticeable in this match.
A natural defender would surely have presented more of a physical threat for Morgan Gibbs-White. The Nottingham Forest skipper is hardly a striking powerhouse, but he was far too strong in the battle to reach Ryan Yates' cross and the space he had was enough to allow him to score.
The goal was crucial as it changed the shape of the game.
But then, as it was drifting away from United, Amad struck with a superb volley that few on the pitch could have executed - certainly not Patrick Dorgu or Diogo Dalot, his rivals for the wing-back role.
It seems as though Amorim and United will have to live with the good and bad of Amad for now.
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Man Utd: What Amorim and Diallo saidpublished at 17:31 GMT 1 November
17:31 GMT 1 November
Media caption,
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his side settled for a draw at the City Ground: "If I think about game, we lost control for five minutes. I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation, going from 1-0 up to 2-1 down, we would've struggled so much more than we did today.
"My feeling is that we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we are full of energy, we are the better team. My players are giving everything but we have the potential to do better and sometimes we have these moments.
"In the end, we lost two points and we need to get three points in the next game."
On goalscorer Amad Diallo: "Amad has a lot of talent. We have a lot of players who are young and talented. He can be so much better and more consistent. You could see in first half that he had some other opportunities, so I believe he has potential to do better."
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo also spoke to Sky Sports about his late goal: "I don't know if it is the 'goal of the season'. I just know that we are really disappointed to go home with just one point.
"We have confidence now. We believe in the system. We are trying to do our best. We believe in the manager like he believes in us."
Did you know?
In his 37th Premier League match in charge of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim named an unchanged starting XI for the very first time.
Amad Diallo's equaliser was his 10th Premier League goal for Manchester United. All 10 goals have been scored in the second half of matches, which is a competition record.
Nottingham Forest v Man Utd: Team news published at 14:16 GMT 1 November
14:16 GMT 1 November
Sean Dyche resists the temptation to make changes to the side that lost at Bournemouth last Sunday, as he looks to win their first league game since the opening weekend.
Former Manchester City youngster James McAtee has still started just once since his £30m summer move.
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Douglas Luiz, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus
Ruben Amorim names an unchanged side as Manchester United chase a fourth successive win, which would move them up to second in the Premier League table.
Harry Maguire returns to the bench after missing last week's victory against Brighton with a minor injury.
Manchester United XI: Lammens, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Amad, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Burnley v Arsenal" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Chelsea", for instance.
Man Utd youngster Mills backed to learn from red card woepublished at 13:33 GMT 1 November
13:33 GMT 1 November
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United's under-21 coach Travis Binnion believes Albert Mills' red card in their surprise 4-0 home defeat by Blackburn will prove to be a useful part of his education.
The 17-year-old defender, who was sent off in the first half for two yellow-card offences, was making his Premier League 2 debut in Friday's match.
Blackburn opened the scoring early on through Aodhan Doherty before Mills' 39th-minute red card triggered a tough 10 minutes for Binnion's side, who conceded twice more before the break through Joseph Boggan and Brandon Powell.
Boggan sealed Blackburn's victory with a second goal late on, as Manchester United surrendered their unbeaten start to the competition.
"It is a learning for a young lad making his debut at this level, who finds it a bit quicker and a bit more physical playing against teams who play it forward quicker," said Binnion.
"He has to get to half-time and learn that when you are already on a booking, you cannot give the referee a chance.
"If he doesn't get the early booking and stays on the pitch, I'm pretty sure he goes on to have a really good game because he has loads of ability.
"But this is a level up, the consequences are higher and the decision-making has to be quicker. How often will he be in that situation? Probably not very often."
Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Man Utdpublished at 12:34 GMT 1 November
12:34 GMT 1 November
The Nottingham Forest fans seem to be happy with Sean Dyche as manager and I think they will be patient with him - he has that affiliation with the club after starting his playing career there.
I think they might have to wait a bit longer for his first Premier League win, though.
Manchester United have picked up a bit, and Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are proving me right after I said in the summer they would prove to be great signings.
They bring great variation when they play together - Mbeumo runs in behind, while Cunha comes deep looking for the ball to feet - and they both link the attack so well.
Defensively, there are still problems with United, however.
They have put together a three-game winning streak but they are not at the stage where I trust them to turn up every week, and I can see that run coming to an end here.
Nottingham Forest v Manchester United: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:06 GMT 31 October
19:06 GMT 31 October
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Sean Dyche takes charge of his first Premier League home game as Nottingham Forest head coach against a Manchester United side who have won three games in a row for the first time under head coach Ruben Amorim.
BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's clash at the City Ground.
United winning with confidence
Amorim puts United's upturn in fortunes down to one of football's most valuable commodities – confidence.
Following the 4-2 win against Brighton at Old Trafford last weekend, Amorim said: "I think (the players) are more confident.
"I think the best game we did this season was against Arsenal (a 1-0 defeat) but then, when you are a little bit more confident, when you have a different spirit, sometimes you have a little bit of luck in certain moments of the game that help you to win."
From matchday three onwards, only Arsenal have picked up more points than United's 15, while Amorim's side are the leading scorers in the division during this period with 14 goals.
A switch in focus to more direct attacks has helped United's cause in recent weeks – particularly utilising long balls from goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who has replaced Altay Bayindir over the last three matches.
Image caption,
United have switched tactics to play long more often in recent matches
Bryan Mbeumo's return to form has also underpinned United's rise to sixth in the Premier League table.
The £65m summer signing's brace against Brighton made it three goals in two matches following one in his opening seven league appearances since joining from Brentford.
Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have been involved in more Premier League goals in 2025 than Mbeumo's 20 and the forward's form is another example of the increasing confidence at Old Trafford.
Dyche lost his first Premier League game as Forest boss 2-0 at Bournemouth last Sunday.
While Dyche later said that Forest had been unable to live with Bournemouth physically, his side's approach at the Vitality Stadium reflected tactics typically associated with the former Everton and Burnley manager.
Forest played 16.9% of their passes long against the Cherries, far higher than their average of 8.5% under Ange Postecoglou, while goalkeeper Matz Sels played 25 long passes versus Bournemouth, the most by a Forest player in a game this season.
Since the start of 2024-25, Dyche's teams (Forest and Everton) have played more long balls than any other Premier League side and recorded the fewest sequences of 10 passes or more.
Image caption,
Forest boss Sean Dyche is known for favouring direct tactics
Such an approach may well suit a squad used to playing direct football under former boss Nuno Espirito Santo to great success, but Forest's failure to score in Dyche's opening league outing is a familiar problem for their manager.
Dyche has now seen his teams fail to score in 10 of his last 14 Premier League games, including nine with Everton.
Among managers to take charge of 150 games in Premier League history, Dyche's goals-per-game ratio of 0.97 is the lowest of them all.
Andrew: There are still many areas in the squad that need to be filled in my opinion, the obvious answer would be a central midfielder who has an engine to protect the back four and boss the midfield. I'd also like to see competition bought in the full back positions. Dorgu for me is still raw talent and I feel an upgrade on Dalot is required.
Nick: Has to be central midfield! I think we need two as Casemiro will probably leave next summer. Ideally we sign at least one Premier League proven central midfielder. Wharton is probably our number-one target but if a deal can't be done, I think bringing Ruben Neves back to the Premier League could be a smart move.
Graham: I feel Dalot is our weakest link and we need a replacement for him.
Killian: Central midfield and right back. Adam Wharton should be first in the door followed by and explosive right back (someone in the vain of Antonio Valencia would be perfect for this team) with another central midfielder to follow.
David: Fernandes and Casemiro can only be regarded as a temporary solution to United's midfield problems so there needs to be investment in more mobile, aggressive players in that area. A replacement for Dalot and cover for Sesko would be on my agenda also.
