Manchester United have had a long, distinguished history of some very great captains. After embarrassing events over in Como, the debate intensifies. Column #MUFC henrywinterfootball.substack…

Everton for sale. Famous club, huge fanbase, great stadium, some fine players & an outstanding manager. Attractive proposition. Christian Purslow and I discuss the sale in depth and whether The Friedkin Group gets the £1bn+ it wants @FootyBoardroom #EFC youtu.be/yUDBk4BeZYY

If Manchester United get rid of Michael Carrick they get rid of the individual who cares most about the Club. Carrick cares for United far more than the Glazers do (obviously), more than Ratcliffe, Wilcox & Berrarda do, more than Bruno Fernandes & the underachieving players #MUFC

People saying it’s Manchester United’s worst defeat in the Champions League since the 4-0 loss at Camp Nou in 1994. I was there for that and knew something was up when I saw Peter Schmeichel having a coffee in the press room an hour before kick-off. The 4-0 was bad but there were excuses, the 3+2 rule, Schmeichel sacrificed, and the quality of Barcelona – Romario, Stoichkov, Koeman, Guardiola. United's 4-1 loss to Como is worse. No excuses. No energy. Just a terrible performance, bordering on the spineless, summing up all the lack of leadership and responsibility-taking at the club. So much wrong about the club, from the Glazers with their debt, to the board and naïve recruitment. The team crying out for full-backs and a back-up striker and splurging money on midfielders, including a reserve from Chelsea and a player in Tielemans whose best years are behind him, who needs legs around him and whose main attraction was arguably his release clause. The dysfunctional, divided nature of the United family absolutely summed up by Bruno Fernandes during and after the game. A captain who failed to raise his own game or rally his players. A supposed leader who has now questioned his manager’s tactics. Michael Carrick's tactics and changes can certainly be questioned. He may eventually pay the price for the shambles in Como. It's cheaper than shipping out the under-performing players. But Carrick is not the real problem. He doubtless sees players who lack his passion for the shirt. He could be forgiven for looking at Wilcox and Berrada and thinking how badly he was let down in the summer transfer window. And he's on the brink. Manchester United may be ousting the one individual who cares most about the team and the club. Which sums up the total mess they are in. #MUFC

What a ball from Harry Kane

Como 4 Comatose 0. Embarrassing by Manchester United. No fight, no concentration, no tracking, no marking. This is down to the board for poor recruitment, to players for not working hard enough and to Carrick for not inspiring or organising them. Woeful. #MUFC

Manchester United unimpressive. Little pace or threat. Nico Paz very impressive. Not only the goal but almost every time he gets the ball he’s a threat to United. Trivia: father Pablo was on the bench in St-Etienne when Argentina knocked Glenn Hoddle’s England out of France 98. More trivia, Hoddle on co-comms in Como. Not trivia: United look a collection of strangers with only a kit in common. So passive. The meek may inherit the earth but they tend not to win football matches. Might as well give some of the kids a chance. #MUFC

Good to see Phil Foden back playing well after a difficult year or so. And especially encouraging to hear him tell TNT Sports that he still has more gears to go up, “still got a long way to go but I am going in the right direction”. Whether false 9, 10, off the right or left, Foden’s a special talent with his vision, ball-carrying, 1-2s, passing and finishing. Technique meets timing meets hunger for goals. His hat-trick against AEK Athens takes him to 114 goals in 377 games for City, ninth in the club’s all-time scoring list. And he’s still only 26. Yes, it was “only” AEK Athens but they are Greek champions. Yes, it was “only” Ipswich Town at the weekend when he also scored but Ipswich are a threat, 10th in table, well-organised. Having gone 35 games without scoring for City, Foden's four goals in two games have rightly propelled him back into the limelight. Given the dark clouds over the club, which are expected to darken further with sanctions for financial breaches (City appealing atm), Foden’s a beacon for City fans. He’s a fan himself. It’s not been an easy time for him. Injuries, that ban for kicking Bruno Fernandes, and competition through the middle from Rayan Cherki at 10 and Enzo Fernandez (attacking the box). Plus competition wide from Antoine Semenyo (now injured, reportedly for 8 weeks) and Illiman Ndiaye on the right and Jeremy Doku on the left. Maybe this false 9 role suits him in Europe (perhaps less so in the more physical PL?) and affords Erling Haaland the occasional rest (as last night). Foden’s hat-trick takes him to 23 Champions League goals in 70 appearances, moving alongside Frank Lampard (105 games). Of English goalscorers in the Champions League, only Paul Scholes, Raheem Sterling, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane have scored more than Foden. Talking of landmarks, Foden’s next England cap will be the half-century. But when will he get it, even if he maintains this return to form? England are so well-stocked at 10 even with Cole Palmer understandably annoying Thomas Tuchel by unwisely withdrawing. Jude Bellingham’s world class plus excellent options in the Morgans, Rogers and Gibbs-White. Tuchel likes Eberechi Eze despite his lack of sustained impact at Arsenal. Out wide? Tuchel has Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Rogers, Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford. Competition is fierce. It’s just good to see Foden back in form, getting back in contention. #ENG #MCFC

PSG - the right talent, tactics and mindset.

Ben Davies still has so much to offer the game on the field and off. When he eventually retires, Davies' experience and intelligence would be worth tapping into in the Spurs boardroom. Column #THFC henrywinterfootball.substack…

Sadly, and very much in contrast to his great rival Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy is being damaged by the embarrassing, unnecessarily lengthening but sheer inevitability of the end of his international career. Ronaldo deserves to be cherished as one of the greatest footballers in history. Five Ballons d’Or, five Champions Leagues, seven titles in three countries, a record 146 goals in 234 internationals and one European Championship. But time waits for no man, even a man who looks after himself like Ronaldo. He’s 41. Of course, it’s good for other countries – like England - if Portugal continue with Ronaldo. Jorge Jesus’ team are potential winners of Euro 2028 without Ronaldo. A team including Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes are a more dynamic team without him. Recent performances prove that. Goncalo Ramos’ performances at centre-forward prove that. Three goals in Portugal’s last three games, all won without Ronaldo, confirms that. And yet the Portuguese Football Federation clearly struggles to move on from the Ronaldo era. The FPF’s “punishment” for Ronaldo’s walk-out on the squad is meaningless as a sanction. It's not clear in the FPF statement whether the 30-day suspension is back-dated to October 1 (the date of the offence). If it is, Ronaldo will not be suspended for any games. Oh, and fining a billionaire €255 is hardly going to hurt. FPF leniency maybe stems from Ronaldo showing contrition for his walk-out. Maybe it stems from long-standing respect and admiration for Ronaldo, for all he's done for his country. Maybe it’s partly commercial. Ronaldo remains a huge draw for sponsors. But the decision about Ronaldo’s continued involvement with the national team should be made purely on sporting grounds. And he’s not an elite force any more.

One of the good guys of football, Ben Davies. Spurs’ celebrations mixed with relief at quelling the Coventry threat and release at securing a first victory of the season, climbing off the bottom. And sheer joy for such a popular team-mate in Davies. #THFC #TOTCOV

Brilliant strike from Maddison on his first start since May 2025. Good work from Kudus on only his second start of the season. Spurs have good players and a very good manager. Just needed to get some of the injured talent back in the starting XI and still more to return. #THFC

10 Brazilians played for Shakhtar Donetsk against AEK Athens, seven of them starters. In the latest Futebol & Football pod, Tim Vickery explains why Brazilians play for a club from a country under attack. Plus we discuss whether Graeme Souness could manage today’s players, Neymar's last act for Brazil and Diego Gomez’s wonder strike and the great Paraguayan TV commentary that accompanied it. youtu.be/ae1pXm-zN60

A welcome back 🙌

Havertz, Gyokeres, Merino? Champions Arsenal remain favourites for the title. So much quality and strength in depth. But No 9 issue endures. Next opponent? Harry Kane. A look at a central concern at #AFC. Column @FourFourTwo  fourfourtwo.com/team/henry-w…

Sarina Wiegman has signed a contract extension to coach the Lionesses through to the end of EURO 2029.