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5 Things We Learnt About Man Utd in Pre-Season

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Manchester United have completed their pre-season preparations ahead of the new Premier League campaign, and Michael Carrick has picked up some serious lessons in the process.

The Red Devils played six friendly matches during the summer, claiming two wins (5-0 vs Rosenborg, 2-1 vs Atletico Madrid), two draws (1-1 vs PSG, 1-1 vs Leeds) and two losses (1-0 vs Wrexham, 4-2 vs AC Milan), as Carrick looked to start to implement his ideas and plans into the squad for the long-term, having been appointed permanently following an excellent interim spell last season.

Some things have worked, and some less so, while other things have become evident. Here are five things we learnt during the team’s pre-season, and what we can likely expect in the coming weeks of the transfer window and the rest of the campaign.

1. Mason Mount Can’t Be Relied On

Mason Mount Man Utd

Carrick is clearly a big fan of Mason Mount, and he is trying to find a place in his team for the former Chelsea star. Mount has made just 72 appearances for the club over three seasons since joining in a £60m deal, with his time at Old Trafford plagued by injuries.

But Carrick tried to give him a new, deeper role in midfield, which initially saw him playing some of his best football in a red shirt alongside Andrey Santos. It even saw reports emerge that the club were considering altering their transfer strategy away from signing a new midfielder this summer.

However, Mount was once again injured against PSG within 30 mins of the game, and subsequently missed the last two pre-season games. Man Utd say it was only a precaution, but it’s evident that Mount isn’t someone who can be relied upon going forward, and plans must be made to ensure his absence is covered for within the squad.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

2. Luke Shaw Needs Replacing

Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United is substituted on for Luke Shaw of Manchester United
Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United is substituted on for Luke Shaw of Manchester United during the Premier League match Manchester United vs Bournemouth at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom, 15th December 2025 (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images)

Luke Shaw has been at Man Utd since 2014, when he signed from Southampton in a deal worth £30m. Since then, he has had ups and downs at the club, but injuries have been a constant issue.

In 2025/26 Shaw was the only Man Utd player to start every Premier League game, but his performances regularly left plenty to be desired, and with a return to a back four and the fact that United will be playing twice a week, injury concerns are a concern once again.

His performances in pre-season have shown why the club are reportedly keen to bring in a new left-back too, and with just over two weeks remaining of the window, INEOS must step up their plans to find a new first-choice left-back immediately.

3. Heaven and Lacey Ready to Explode

shea lacey-1 via Reuters

Pre-season has been a great opportunity for young players to show if they’re ready to make an impact on the first-team this summer, and two have stepped up more than others.

Ayden Heaven has regularly impressed when featuring for the first-team, but often finds himself behind all the more senior options in the squad. However, this summer, he has proven that he is ready to play when called upon, and arguably deserves his place in the starting lineup for the opening game against Hull.

Alongside him, Shea Lacey is quite clearly ready to fight for a place in the team. The 19-year-old has been one of the standout performers during pre-season, and his technical qualities are there for all to see. Despite having an abundance of attacking options available, Lacey deserves to be considered for minutes just as regularly as anyone else.

4. Zirkzee May Have Man Utd Future

Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee reacts to a decision vs Burnley

Joshua Zirkzee has struggled for regular first-team minutes at Man Utd since his arrival from Bologna two summers ago, and Carrick hasn’t seemingly been a major fan of the Netherlands star either.

Benjamin Sesko is the first-choice striker, while Bryan Mbeumo has often played up front too. With Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford also in the squad and capable of playing as a number nine, Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford looked bleak.

But his performances in pre-season have shown that stylistically he can fit into the squad well, and link with the attackers around him, and that he is capable of having a future at the club if interest in him doesn’t materialise before the end of the window.

5. Man Utd Need 3 More Signings

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick reacts REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Despite some decent performances in pre-season, and some good signings coming in already, it’s very evident that Man Utd need more if they want to be competitive this season.

As mentioned, a left-back should be an absolute priority before the deadline on September 1st, but the club also need a third central midfield signing to come in. Someone who covers ground well and can win the ball back would be the ideal signing, and there are plenty of names being linked to the club.

More depth in attack would be coming in in an ideal world too, with Benjamin Sesko yet to feature in pre-season. More sources for goals would never be frowned upon, and Carrick has also made it clear that he thinks the squad needs more, so the final weeks of the window could shape the new campaign.

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NFL: Every Stadium Ranked From Worst to Best

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NFL stadiums are the beating heart of the league, with fans packing out stadiums week in week out to support their teams from Week one all the way to Week 18, and throughout the playoffs, with 32 teams battling it out to be in contention for the Vince Lombardi Trophy come the 14th of February, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home to the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers.

With the NFL season getting underway in just under a month, with a rematch of Super Bowl 60 between reigning champions the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, taking place at Lumen Field, before the season begins, AI has ranked all 30 NFL stadiums, from worst to best to see which team takes home that title.

AI’s stadium ranking (30-11)

Position

Stadium

Team(s)

30.

EverBank Stadium

Jaguars

29.

Northwest Stadium

Commanders

28.

Nissan Stadium

Titans

27.

Bank of America Stadium

Panthers

26.

Huntingdon Bank Field

Browns

25.

Paycor Stadium

Bengals

24.

MetLife Stadium

Jets/Giants

23.

Gillette Stadium

Patriots

22.

Acrisure Stadium

Steelers

21.

NRG Stadium

Texans

20.

State Farm Stadium

Cardinals

19.

Lucas Oil Stadium

Colts

18.

Ford Field

Lions

17.

Raymond James Stadium

Buccaneers

16.

Highmark Stadium

Bills

15.

Lumen Field

Seahawks

14.

Lincoln Financial Field

Eagles

13.

M&T Bank Stadium

Ravens

12.

Empower Field at Mile High

Broncos

11.

U.S. Bank Stadium

Vikings

10

Hard Rock Stadium

Miami Dolphins

hard-rock-stadium Credit: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

AI Description: The canopy transformed the South Florida experience.

The home of the Miami Dolphins isn’t just a home to the AFC East side; it has also held matches for the Miami Open in tennis, as well as the Miami Hurricanes in College Football since 2008, although it does not directly involve the stadium. Since 2022, Formula One has added Miami to its calendar, with drivers winding around the stadium.

Hard Rock Stadium is 38 years old, originally named Joe Robbie Stadium and holds just over 65,000 fans. In 2016, extensive updates were finished, adding a canopy roof as well as updated seating.

This stadium adds a weird nuance to visiting NFL sides as the away sideline is typically significantly hotter than the Dolphins one that they stand on, with it being shown during the match between the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, with the visiting Vikings sideline measuring to be 30 degrees hotter than their opponents.

9

Ceasars Superdome

New Orleans Saints

AI Description: Historic, loud, and uniquely New Orleans.

This stadium has hosted eight Super Bowls, the most out of any NFL stadium, with the first one happening in 1978 between the Cowboys and the Broncos, and most recently in 2025, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.

Formerly named the Louisiana Superdome up until 2011, this stadium’s capacity holds 73,208 fans, but can be expanded to 76,468, although those fans haven’t had much to cheer about over past years with the Saints not winning a playoff game since 2021.

In 2019, this stadium witnessed one of the most controversial no-calls in NFL history, with there being clear pass interference from Rams corner back Nickell Robey-Coleman on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis going uncalled-for, with the latter eventually losing in overtime.

8

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta Falcons

MixCollage-17-Jun-2025-07-21-AM-7682

AI Description: One of the most spectacular roofs/interiors in sports.

The home of the Atlanta Falcons is certainly one of the most visually pleasing stadiums in the NFL, with its modern and futuristic look. Internally and externally, it holds 71,000 spectators and opened as recently as 2017, with the cost to build this infrastructure totalling just over two million dollars.

As well as hosting NFL games, it’s home to Atlanta United in the MLS and showcases the Peach Bowl in College Football, typically played either as a quarter-final or a semi-final.

Originally, this stadium was meant to open on the 1st of March 2017, but was delayed due to the complexity of the eight-panel retractable roof. Eventually, the Falcons would play in it for the first time against the Green Bay Packers on the 17th of September 2017.

7

Arrowhead Stadium

Kansas City Chiefs

Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is the home of the Kansas City Chiefs and beyond it is Kauffman Stadium is the home of the Kansas City Royals and beyond it is . (Photo by Christopher Smith for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

AI Description: Maybe the most pure football atmosphere in America.

Recently rebranded as just Arrowhead Stadium, converting from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the capacity reads 76,416, and is the third-oldest current stadium in the NFL.

Based off data from the 2025/26 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs had the third-highest attendance, behind the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, with 661,146.

The fans inside the Chiefs’ ground once achieved the loudest crowd roar, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, achieving a measurement of 142.2 decibels against the Patriots in 2014.

6

Levi’s Stadium

San Francisco 49ers

Inside view of the Levi's Stadium, USA. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

AI Description: Modern, major-calibre, excellent amenities.

The one downside to the home of the 49ers is that it is a 45-minute drive from San Francisco, given that the stadium is located in Santa Clara.

It’s been home to the 49ers since 2014, with the branding of Levi’s, who purchased naming rights in 2013, it holds a capacity of 68,500, and held last year’s Super Bowl between the Seahawks and the Patriots, as well as Super Bowl 50, where the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers.

While Levi’s Stadium is primarily home to the 49ers, it was turned into a football stadium to host six World Cup games over the summer, including, the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar’s first-ever World Cup point against Switzerland.

5

Solider Field

Chicago Field

AI Description: Flawed Building, but an unbeatable lakefront/historic building.

The home of the Chicago Bears is the oldest active stadium in the NFL, with it celebrating its 102nd birthday on the 9th of October 1924. The Bears have been home to this stadium since 1971, with major renovations taking place in 2003 with modern steel-and-concrete seating bowl inside the neoclassical outer colonnades, which cost $632 million.

Although this might not be the Bears’ home for much longer, as the ownership are looking into moving to a new stadium, located in Indiana, if they were to move, then they still would keep the Chicago name if they were to relocate.

4

AT&T Stadium

Dallas Cowboys

AT&T Stadium indoors Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

AI Description: Ridiculous in the most possible way – Jerry World delivers spectacle.

Many believe the Cowboys to be the biggest franchise in the NFL, regardless of bringing high expectations into the start of the new season, but always seem to let their fans down within their 80,000-plus-seat stadium.

Jerry’s world, as many like to call it, is named after its owner, Jerry Jones. It’s believed that it’s meant to reflect his bigger-than-life personality, as both a football stadium and an entertainment complex.

The stadium in Arlington, Texas, opened in 2009, and its features include massive arched steel supports, and a giant centre-hung high definition video board.

3

Allegiant Stadium

Las Vegas Raiders

allegiant-stadium Credit Raiders.com

AI Description: Gorgeous, theatrical, uniquely Vegas.

Located just west of the Las Vegas strip, this arena opened in 2020, and is also home to the UNLV Rebels College Football team, with a capacity of 65,000, but can be expanded by an extra 6,000 seats.

It hosted one of the more dramatic Super Bowls in history, between the Chiefs and the 49ers in 2024, and will also hold Super Bowl LXIII in 2029.

Recently, the Las Vegas Bowl in the College Football playoffs took place at Allegiant Stadium as of 2021, and at $1.9 billion, it is among the most expensive stadiums in the world.

2

SoFi Stadium

Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers

AI Description: Architectural masterpiece and arguably the best overall facility.

Situated next to Rivers Lake, the home to the Rams and Chargers is one of the most visually pleasing stadiums, and alongside MetLife Stadium, which hosts Giants and Jets games, it’s one of only two to hold two NFL teams in the same stadium.

The Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022 against the Bengals in their own stadium, and the Buccaneers did that too in 2020, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.

The interior of this stadium has a massive 360-degree double-sided oval video board from the roof and the playing field is dug about 100 feet below ground level to comply with nearby LAX fight paths.

1

Lambeau Field

Green Bay Packers

Lambeau Field Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

AI Description: The NFL pilgrimage: history, atmosphere, and football identity.

It seems right that the team with the most Lombardi Trophies claims top spot on the AI’s list of NFL stadiums, winning 13 NFL Championships, but only four within the Super Bowl era, with the most recent one coming in 2011, with Aaron Rodgers under centre.

It has a rich history as the NFL’s oldest continuously operating venue. Lambeau Field is typically filled with Packers fans with cheese hats on their heads, known as “cheeseheads.”

Once named The Ice Bowl, due to a New Year’s Eve game against the Cowboys being played in a brutal kickoff temperature of -13 degrees Farenheit.

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The Grounds, FUT & Career Explained

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EA Sports FC 27 lands worldwide on 25 September, and it arrives with the biggest shake-up in terms of features the series has attempted since the FIFA name was dropped.

Volta and the old standalone Clubs hub are gone. In their place sits an open-world social space that borrows openly from NBA 2K’s The City. The headline modes remain three: The Grounds, Football Ultimate Team and Career.

Each feature has been reimagined to offer a new gaming experience; it includes a transfer market that finally behaves like a transfer market, a FUT collection layer that rewards everything you have ever packed, and a persistent world where your Pro’s progression never really stops. Kylian Mbappé fronts the cover and doubles as an in-game mentor.

The Grounds

EA Sports FC 27 The Grounds EA Sports

This is the most significant and bold addition in years. The Grounds is a free-roaming social hub split across three districts, and you explore on foot, buy gear, and drop into matches without touching a menu:

  • Parkside, a working-class British setting.
  • Montclair, cage football in a Parisian cityscape.
  • Zeiza, built around Argentine potrero (makeshift field) culture.

Competitive formats allow for matchups such as 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and Rush. It also runs alongside looser activities like Bocce Ball, Team Keepaway and Balloon Ball. Progression is layered — Archetype XP, Grounds Coins, Amps and permanent Masteries all feed your Pro giving a long-term view to this new gameplay.

Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala and Alex Hunter appear as mentors, in a new feature, and Clubs is also folded in, with upgradeable stadiums and clubhouses. O

There is one catch: it’s PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2 only.

EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team FUT EA Sports via YouTube

FUT’s big idea this year is the Gallery — which is a permanent record of every card you’ve earned, whether you kept it or sold it. Complete collections by league, club and rarity to earn Gallery grades from D to S, unlocking kits, badges and Gallery Tokens.

What’s new is that premium tiers hand out holographic cards carrying player signatures. Those tokens feed the Hall of FUT, a set of 17 launch cards immortalising cult heroes including Hulk, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Marouane Fellaini.

Elsewhere, SBCs have been stripped of chemistry and rating requirements in favour of a single squad-score threshold, Evolutions now run six customisable stages with pre-viewable chains, and a new Campaign Hub pulls Objectives, Evolutions and Tokens into one place.

Manager & Player Career

EA Sports FC 27 Diego Simeone EA Sports via YouTube

Career mode also gets its most substantial overhaul in a decade. The transfer market has been rebuilt around genuine negotiation — initial inquiries, rival interest, late contract changes — with valuations powered by a TransferRoom partnership and deals structured using installments, loan-backs, swaps and buyback clauses providing a more interactive experience.

Dynamic Player Overalls mean ratings now move with form, fitness, injuries and squad competition, while Growth Profiles give every player a distinct development curve. On the Player side, Career Rivalries pit you against a positional competitor, with in-game media coverage casting you as hero or villain.

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What Counts as a Major Trophy in Football?

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In football, a ‘major trophy’ is silverware that carries genuine pedigree and a competitive weight for a club side.

With leagues, multiple domestic cups, super cups, tiered competitions and friendly tournaments, there’s a whole host of available team competitions to win.

Interestingly, there is no official barometer or ruling that stipulates exactly what trophies are considered “major” and what aren’t — a lot of it has come down to fan perception and a general acknowledgment of history and prestige.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to delve into this unique topic to define just what exactly a major trophy is in the footballing world.

Arsenal lift Premier League trophy
Arsenal lift Premier League trophy

Below are trophies that fit the billing as elite in the biggest regions.

England

  • Premier League — the hardest and most prestigious trophy in English club football.
  • FA Cup — the world’s oldest national knockout competition (founded 1871).
  • EFL Cup (League Cup / Carabao Cup) — a secondary knockout, contested by the 92 EFL and Premier League clubs.

The Premier League and FA Cup are universally seen as major trophies, but the League Cup holds a unique position. While it does feature all the major clubs, its reputation and place in the football calendar deem it less prestigious. However, with a final at Wembley and a place in Europe up for grabs, it certainly sits on the borderline.

Europe

  • UEFA Champions League — the pinnacle of club football, contested by the continent’s champions and top-ranked sides.
  • UEFA Europa League (previously the UEFA Cup) — the secondary continental competition, a major honour in its own right.
  • UEFA Conference League — the third-tier continental cup, launched in 2021: newest and least prestigious.

The Champions League is the top prize in club football worldwide and the Europa League has historically been a major trophy. However, in recent years, the introduction of the Conference League as a C-tier competition has sparked debate. It has been won by major clubs such as Chelsea and Roma, yet, it isn’t considered in the same bracket.

USA

  • MLS Cup — the postseason playoff championship, and the trophy most Americans regard as “winning the league.”
  • Supporters’ Shield — awarded to the best regular-season record across MLS.
  • U.S. Open Cup — the oldest ongoing US competition (founded 1914), open to clubs across the American pyramid.
  • CONCACAF Champions Cup — the confederation’s elite continental competition.

The MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup are the two major club honours that stand out. With the latter granting a path to the FIFA Club World Cup to compete with the top clubs in Europe. Whereas the other two trophies only have a domestic presence.

Which Trophies Are Not Considered Major, and Why?

Chelsea win the Super Cup

  • Community Shield (England) and equivalents — the annual champion-vs-cup-winner curtain-raiser.
  • Super Cups generally, including the UEFA Super Cup — one-off matches, not campaigns.
  • Trophée des Champions, DFL-Supercup, Supercopa and other domestic super cups.
  • Pre-season and invitational tournaments — friendlies, the various summer cups, and testimonials.
  • Youth, reserve, and regional trophies — not contested by first-team senior squads at full strength.

Across Europe, we can certainly list some less-prestigious competitions despite them featuring some of Europe’s best. Then there are debates over the likes of the FIFA Club World Cup and European Super Cup.

With the main argument being that you typically have to win a major competition that includes the likes of the Champions League or Europa League to attend, with many not recognising Chelsea as world champions even though they technically hold the title until 2029.

The likes of the Community Shield (and other Super Cup equivalents) are seen as the annual curtain-raiser for the season that predates the true beginning of the competitive campaign.

One section of tournaments that belongs in this section is any pre-season or invitational tournaments, while any youth competitions are invalid due to them not being senior affairs.

One unique way of looking at the distinction is through Barcelona (2009) and Bayern Munich‘s (2020) sextuple achievement. It includes winning all three domestic trophies, both European trophies and the Club World Cup, and they are the only two to achieve the feat.

Taken individually, the two super cups don’t register as major honours but by combining it all into a clean sweep of all six, though, they become something else entirely.

The sextuple is unprecedented, and within that group every trophy pulls its weight. It’s less a collection of six majors than a single statement of dominance.

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