THE Man Utd Files are again – greater and higher than ever! SunSport’s United reporters Samuel Luckhurst and Katherine Walsh elevate the lid on all of the gossip inside Old Trafford.
This week we reveal within the Fact Files how CEO Omar Berrarda was denied the prospect to fulfill Julia Roberts and Senne Lammens’ college journey; we have now the bizarre and fantastic in our X-Files in addition to the newest from the Academy within the Youth Files. PLUS we have now a brand new weekly quiz, a tactical breakdown and a full stat assault for the Crystal Palace recreation.
FACT FILES
Julia’s Snub
Pretty girl, the sort I’d like to fulfill, so the track goes.
But United chief government Omar Berrada was denied the prospect to fulfill Julia Roberts at Old Trafford final 12 months.
Roberts was a particular visitor at United’s stadium for the annual Soccer Aid charity match in June and Berrada was additionally in attendance.
Berrada, like many 40-somethings, is a fan of the Oscar-winning actress and introduced his household within the hope of assembly Roberts.
Roberts, 58, had beforehand visited for United’s 1-1 draw with West Ham in November 2016 and met the gamers and their households after the sport.
Berrada was not as fortunate, although.
As the Soccer Aid occasion was not run by United and Berrada was solely current in a private capability, he was denied entry to the hospitality suite that housed Roberts for the match between England and the Rest of the World.
So the person who’s successfully front-of-house at Old Trafford was turned away from one of his personal doorways.
Berrada not the one soccer man to have been left broken-hearted by the A-List actress. Pep Guardiola was also devastated that Julia chose Old Trafford over the Etihad years in the past.
Guardiola stated in a 2016 press convention: “And she went to go to Man United. She didn’t come to see us.
“That’s why even if I win the Champions League it will not compare for the fact that Julia came to Manchester and didn’t come to see us. Even if I win the Champions League it will not compare to this disappointment I had.”
Heaven Senne
Senne Lammens carried out himself as impressively at Partington Central Academy on Wednesday as he did on the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
There have been screams of delight from pupils when Lammens entered the classroom and he hung out doing actions with the youngsters forward of World Book Day subsequent week.
The goalkeeper then sat down for his first interview with the Manchester pack and his maturity, for a 23-year-old taking part in in a single of essentially the most pressurised positions in soccer, is outstanding.
Lammens stated how a lot Tom Heaton has helped him and United sources say the 2 goalies have “hit it off”.
The goalkeeping contingent on the membership consider Lammens generally is a top-level goalkeeper for a very long time.
They are notably impressed by his dealing with of the ball and consider the subsequent space for him to enhance on is pulling off ‘unsaveable’ stops.
Good as Nou
Noussair Mazraoui sat down with followers for a Q&A at Old Trafford this week throughout United’s largest Ramadan Iftar occasion.
Around 200 individuals gathered for United’s second fan Iftar meal, in collaboration with its Muslim Supporters’ Club.
Morocco full again Mazraoui mingled with friends and helped information a number of academy gamers by means of the occasion, earlier than breaking quick with dates, candy cones and a Halal buffet.
Carrick stated he was “proud” of the tradition and variety at United within the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s immigration remarks, which the membership distanced themselves from in an announcement.
United’s stadium CEO Colette Roche attended on behalf of the membership.
X-FILES
Know Way
Amid the plethora of supposed ‘in-the-know’ United accounts on X, one has the identical identify because the nickname of a freelancer on the membership.
The well-known Carrington attendant severely approached somebody on the membership off his personal again to guarantee them that the account doesn’t belong to him.
Sesko Help
Benjamin Sesko has invited individuals from Slovenia and different territories to grow to be bone marrow donors.
Sesko isn’t an envoy of the organisation however a member of the family of his was recognized with leukaemia, which prompted this message.
Ruff Break
Work adopted one of SunSport’s United correspondents throughout their week off as they got here throughout Thomas Tuchel in London.
Tuchel had signed a new England contract solely per week earlier to rule him out of the working to probably take cost of United after the World Cup finals.
The German was strolling his canine on a stroll down Portobello Road, the place he was admiring a stall close to the shopfront that appeared within the Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts (her once more) movie Notting Hill.
With its soft-pastel colored homes, a George Orwell plaque and the pleasant Electric Cinema, it’s troublesome to suppose of an analogous road in Manchester that Tuchel might leisurely wander down.
YOUTH FILES
Come and Fletch Me
Darren Fletcher is one of essentially the most outgoing workers members at United however he stays off-limits amid the membership’s Youth Cup development.
Like Travis Binnion earlier within the season, Fletcher has been requested to not do any press after United’s Youth Cup ties.
The United U18s beat Oxford United to qualify for the quarter-finals final week and they are going to tackle Sunderland subsequent month.
Should they advance to the ultimate, the possibilities are Fletcher will probably be ‘ungagged’. United did a media day after they reached the 2022 closing and eight gamers spoke.
Kobbie Mainoo, who had simply turned 17 on the time, was off-limits as he was too younger. United normally wait till an academy expertise has turned 18 earlier than they do any exterior media duties.
Noah’s Arc
It’s time for one more academy prospect to get some well-deserved reward alongside JJ Gabriel.
Left winger Noah Ajayi is climbing out of Gabriel’s shadow after a superb month for the Under 18s.
The German teenager’s skilful solo run was the standout objective of the 6-1 victory over Derby on Wednesday.
It capped off a shocking show after he scored within the first-half, gained the penalty dispatched by Gabriel and created essentially the most possibilities within the match the place striker Louie Bradbury additionally scored two.
Ajayi’s deadly partnership with Gabriel confirmed he was knocking on the door, however his performances in early 2026 have kicked it vast open.
United really feel Ajayi, who stands at 6 ‘2’’ and is among the many greatest dribblers within the youth arrange, has taken large strides since Darren Fletcher‘s arrival final summer season.
Ajayi is a robust ball provider with a bigger bodily body than most wingers, additionally having the tip product to attain or help.
Meanwhile, the participant of the match award might have gone to both Ajayi, Gabriel or Chido Obi within the 3-1 win over City on Valentine’s Day.
Ajayi was the one one of the trio to not get on the scoresheet within the derby, however his ball carrying runs and link-up play with left again Godwill Kukonki induced chaos on the City Football Academy.
A City supporter sitting in entrance of a number of reporters might be heard praising Ajayi at half-time.
Fletcher initially rested him for the Youth Cup journey to Oxford, however he got here off the bench to attain a slick fourth objective in a 4-1 victory.
Ajayi is simply as necessary to the U18s quest for the treble this season – within the league, Youth Cup and Premier League Cup.
TEAM FILES
Predicted XI
The query on everyone’s lips is whether or not Benjamin Sesko will begin his first recreation underneath Carrick scoring 4 objectives in six video games from the bench in 2026.
The £74m striker has earned a begin towards Palace this Sunday and it coincides with a extreme drop off in type from Amad Diallo in a false No9 system fronted by Bryan Mbeumo.
Carrick has performed down the severity of Lisandro Martinez’s harm which induced him to overlook the win over Everton, however will probably be with out the centre-back towards Palace.
That means Leny Yoro will begin once more as a right-sided centre-back. Carrick has solely made adjustments to his greatest XI within the wake of accidents, the primary being when Patrick Dorgu was dominated out for 10 weeks.
DEANO’S TACTICS – MAN UTD EXPOSED
SunSport’s techniques guru Dean Scoggins has damaged out the Tic Tacs to run by means of Man Utd’s huge conflict towards Crystal Palace.
Watch the video breakdown above.
QUIZ TIME!
Test your Man Utd information with our new weekly membership quiz under:
STAT ATTACK
- Benjamin Sesko has netted a objective each 37 minutes within the Premier League underneath Michael Carrick. He has scored 5 objectives in 2026 – no participant within the division has extra non-penalty objectives than the Slovenian.
- Ahead of Sunday’s recreation, Crystal Palace have gained 4 of their final six league video games at Old Trafford – together with every of the final two. They might grow to be solely the second London facet to win three in a row at United, after Chelsea between 1967-68 and 1969-70.
- Michael Carrick might grow to be simply the second Manchester United supervisor to win his first 5 house video games in cost, after Frank O’Farrell, who gained his first six in 1971. He gained one in his first spell in 2021 and all three to date this 12 months.
- Carrick is unbeaten in 9 video games as United boss – solely Solskjaer (11) and Herbert Bamlett (10 in 1927) have gone extra video games with out struggling a defeat in cost of the membership.
- United are unbeaten within the league since earlier than Christmas, incomes 22 factors since Boxing Day – greater than every other facet. Their 10-game unbeaten run is their greatest since a 14-game streak underneath Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Of all sides within the huge 5 European leagues, solely Inter Milan (11 video games) and Borussia Dortmund (eight) are additionally unbeaten on this interval.
- Having gained 2-1 at Selhurst Park in November, the Red Devils might do a primary league double over Palace since 2017-18.
- Bruno Fernandes made his three hundredth begin for the membership in Monday evening’s win at Everton. He’s the fifth man not from the British Isles to achieve 300 begins within the Prem period, and since his debut in February 2020, he has began a minimum of 29 extra video games than every other Prem participant (Declan Rice is second with 271).
