JANUARY HOMECOMING: BRUNO FERNANDES BACKS SHOCK JAMES GARNER RETURN TO OLD TRAFFORD NOW
Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes approves the return of James Garner from Everton as Ruben Amorim plots a January midfield overhaul.
Man United captain Bruno Fernandes is cool with going after Ruben Amorim's transfer target, since the Red Devils are thinking about snagging a former player this January. They're reportedly looking at bringing Everton midfielder James Garner back home. Another guy they might target is Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, an England guy who's been playing great this season.
But, from what the Daily Mail says, Garner is moving up the list, and Captain Fernandes has already given him the thumbs-up. Big changes are expected in United's midfield over the next transfer window. There are whispers that Asemiro, Fernandes, Toby Collyer, Manuel Ugarte, and Kobbie Mainoo might be leaving. Though they have plans for the future, United's midfield is thin right now. Even centre-back Lisandro Martinez had to fill in during the Aston Villa game.
If Fernandes and Mainoo get hurt, it'll probably push Amorim to look for some backup in the January transfer market.
Garner's contract with Everton is up this summer, so he could be a smart buy for United. He was with the club for four years, though mostly out on loan.
Everton's trying to get Garner to sign a new deal since he's been a star at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but people think United might try to grab him in January.
Again, Fernandes seems to really like James Garner and would be happy to see the player come back to Old Trafford.
Back in 2021, during a Q&&Aon United's website, Fernandes said he was a fan of the club's younger players, especially Garner.
I think we know some of them already, Fernandes said. Jimmy Garner, I think, is a really good player. I really like him and the way he kicks the ball.
He's really aggressive off the ball, too. [Anthony] Elanga was already playing with us, and this preseason, he has been brilliant.
He's a nice kid, works hard, and is really humble, and I think he's deserving of everything that's happening to him. I see a bright future for him and Jimmy, too, and also for all the other kids.
Plus, in 2022, when a fan on X (Twitter) asked which academy player he was stoked to play with, Fernandes picked Garner.
We'll see if United signs their old player next month, but either way, it sounds like it'll be a crazy window for the Red Devils.
EX-CAPTAIN NEVILLE CLAIMS SUBSTITUTIONS MADE MANCHESTER UNITED "WORSE" AGAINST WOLVES
Gary Neville slams Ruben Amorim’s "weird" substitutions and tactical shifts after Manchester United's 1-1 draw with bottom-side Wolves.
Gary Neville said that the performance of Manchester United in their match against winless Wolves was ‘the baddest of the bad.’
United would have moved fourth in the league with a win at Old Trafford last night, although Wolves, who had two points in 18 games before kickoff, ended their record of 11 straight losses with a 1-1 draw.
Amorim’s team had been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a League Two team, Grimsby, in August, but Neville was convinced that United had hit rock bottom in a game that could have been even more one-sided were it not for two important saves by Senne Lammens.
“That was the baddest of the bad," the former United captain declared on the Gary Neville podcast.
“They weren’t just booed off at the final whistle. The fans waited in the stadium to continue to boo them. They’ve gone backwards.”
United had won at Newcastle 1-0 on Boxing Day, despite being plagued by an injury list that already lacked skipper Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt, as well as three players on African Cup of Nations duty.
But they remained flat right from the first whistle, and the header by Ladislav Krejci just before the half bottled Joshua Zirkzee's deflected shot.
Amorim’s formation choice of 3-4-3 was brought into focus once more as the Portuguese opted to go back to his preferred tactic of four at the back against Newcastle.
“This isn’t right. I’ve watched enough of United over the last five or six weeks to know what looks right and what isn’t right,” Neville had declared 20 minutes into his commentary on Sky Sports.
“Because, when I see that we go back (to three at the back) after five minutes tonight, I’m thinking, no, Ruben, why have you done that?
"The manager has to look at that and think, I got that wrong. I complicated it."
However, Amorim decided to substitute Zirkzee at halftime and brought on an 18-year-old Jack Fletcher, who made his third appearance at the senior level.
Regarding substitutions made by Amorim, Neville further added, “They made Manchester United worse. Every single substitution was ridiculous.”
‘If Zirkzee was injured, and it was a tactical substitution, that was a very poor one.’ But Zirkzee isn't Eric Cantona, not by a long shot, and he had to get out there for physicality, for presence, for experience.”
SEE LISANDRO MARTINEZ’S FURIOUS REACTION AFTER MAN UTD’S SHOCK WOLVES DRAW
Lisandro Martinez demands more after Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with bottom-placed Wolves. United ended 2025 sixth in the Premier League.
Stand-in captain Lisandro Martinez was mad that Manchester United dropped points against Wolves, who are at the bottom of the league.
United came into the last game of 2025 after a good win against Newcastle on Boxing Day and were expected to easily beat Wolves.
Joshua Zirkzee scored first for United, but they didn't take their chances. Ladislav Krejci's header tied the game for Wolves, 1-1.
It was only their third point in 19 games, and it stopped their 11-game losing streak. United fans booed at the end of the game.
When Martinez was asked if it felt like a disappointing point, he said, 100 percent.
We are very disappointed. We can't keep drawing or losing points at home. We have to win.
We want to be at the top, competing with the best.
We can't drop points in games like this. We just have to accept it and be hungry for the next game.
Martinez was captain again because Bruno Fernandes is still recovering from an injury.
When United coach Ruben Amorim was asked about injured players for the game against Leeds on Sunday, he didn't give much away. Leeds are really wanting to beat United for the first time since 2010.
Martinez said to MUTV, You can either make excuses, or you can be strong and say, 'We're dropping points, so we need to go for the next one and show what we can do.'
We need to work together and do the easy things to get the three points.
United is in sixth place in the league at the end of 2025, only two points behind Liverpool for the last Champions League spot. Liverpool has a game in hand.
They could be in a better position if they had been better in both boxes. Leeds has been playing well lately, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin doing great up front.
Martinez added, It's about us. I don't like to think about other teams.
I'm thinking about what we can do to get better as a team every day, and we have to learn from this game.