Mark Goldbridge
The United Stand & Overlap Daily. Host of The United Stand and Overlap Daily
Accuracy only counts predictions with a verdict. Opinions never affect it.
Most controversial takes
“Mainoo is good enough to fight for a place in an Arsenal team with Lewis-Skelly and Bruno Guimarães”
“Carrick putting Rashford in the team has completely dismantled it”
“Just when you think it can't get any worse for Villa, you get a 'Here We Go' for Nicholas Jackson”
Latest predictions
“If Man Utd have less than 11 points after the Chelsea game Carrick's got to go”
“I guarantee you now United will win at Anfield, Stamford Bridge or the Emirates. We will win one of those games”
“Man Utd won’t get relegated. In fact we won’t even finish in the bottom half”
“I’d say we’ll finish 9th or 10th in Champions League table”
All Mark's takes
“I’m not 100% sure Kinský is of the level Spurs want”
“A good season for Liverpool this year is top 4 and a cup run”
“Spurs will get better but you can spend all the money you like, the mentality of a club is really hard to change”
“If the Premier League have gone to this much trouble to find Man City guilty, they must be booted from the league”
“I can't see Liverpool challenging for the title but signings like Barcola certainly give them a chance to get better as the season goes on.”
“Šeško would have probably suited Arsenal better than Gyökeres, and Gyökeres would probably suit Man Utd better than Šeško”
“I don't see us finishing outside the top 5 this year, but it might not be entertaining”
“Damsgaard is a magician […] he could do a job a much much higher level”
“Šeško. Second year [at United]. Had a few injury problems. Not straight in the team at the moment. Big season. Point to prove”
“£100m for Bradley Barcola in this market I think is a good deal”
“Man Utd are not ready. Santos is not ready, he is a prospect”
“Manchester United have systematically mugged off their fanbase this summer and written the season off”
“Cole Palmer looks like a player reignited by this [Xabi Alonso] system”
“If it goes wrong at Spurs, is it Spurs being Spursy or is De Zerbi not worthy?”
“I think Benjamin Šeško has the lot, I just don't think a lot of people realise it yet [...] he can certainly be one of the best in the Premier League and in Europe”
“Santos is a flop as of now. Can't even get a minute”
“I wouldn't say it was a good transfer window for Liverpool. I think they've left a lot of problems to be solved”
“I don't want van de Ven anywhere near United. I don't rate van de Ven. I think he's just like a tractor with nitro boost”
“I think Gyökeres would work really well in a Man Utd system”
“I’ve got no interest in Mason Mount. If we could sell him I’d do it now. He’s on £1m a month, he wears the number 7 shirt and we spent £55m on him…”
“My big concern this season is can Man Utd get back in to the Champions League”
“Man Utd are already 5 points behind Liverpool and 6 points behind Chelsea, but we're 9 points behind Brighton. This is a fucking crisis! This is not a drill!”
“I thought Frimpong was going to be a really good signing, but he's a classic example of a player coming in from another league that doesn't suit this league ”
“Tielemans is a good player that just doesn't suit Man Utd. He reminds me of Mason Mount”
“Leny Yoro can't have a third year as a utility bench player when he's meant to be a generational talent”
“I don’t see Liverpool competing with Man City and Arsenal”
“For me Man City are guilty and every game they play I hope they lose”
“I think either Tielemans or Mainoo will spend quite a lot of time on the bench this season”
“Would you give the job to Conte and get rid of Carrick? Damn bloody right I would, 100%”
“Man Utd need open heart surgery […] Rashford needs to go. Bruno probably needs to go. Shaw needs to go. Maguire needs to go. Maybe even Martínez needs to go”
“Zirkzee is better than Delap”
“Liverpool look toothless in the front three”
“I have to say this. Luke Shaw is shit!”
“Availability is nothing if you’re not good and I just don’t think Luke Shaw offers anything”
“We as a fanbase, Michael Carrick as a manager and this team collectively are going in to this season with two arms tied behind their back”
“Carrick putting Rashford in the team has completely dismantled it”
“If Carrick has less than 15 points from 30 at the next international break, I think he's in trouble. That's 3 wins, a draw and a loss”
“I think Carrick will survive because Man Utd’s board is incompetent”
“Man Utd aren’t getting relegated. This won’t be bad season, it’ll be a bloody rollercoaster like every other year”
“Pep Guardiola is not in the same conversation as Sir Alex Ferguson”
“In my opinion Zirkzee will never cut it in a Man Utd shirt”
“It’s a pathetic transfer window for Man Utd and the proof is going to be in the pudding. We will find out of the next few months how bad this window is going to impact on us”
“Just when you think it can't get any worse for Villa, you get a 'Here We Go' for Nicholas Jackson”
“Carrick is the right guy if he sticks to what he did last year because this squad ain’t never playing a decent brand of football”
“You saw us do this so many times under Carrick [last season], even if we play badly we’ve still got a defence that is quite resolute”
“It looks like Arsenal have got a real big upgrade on that left-hand side with Tzolis”
“Carrick is going to need to exceed expectations […] because he’s not good enough anyway”
“This is definitely the worst transfer window I've ever seen and it's absolutely shocking Man Utd have to go it to a season with a squad like this”
“If Man City can’t win the league this year then Arsenal have won it already”
“I'd give Man City a 9 out of 10 [in the summer transfer window]”
“You can sense with Iraola that the players have bought in to it. MacAllister, Gakpo and Isak are completely different players”
“I wouldn't swap Šeško now for anybody but Erling Haaland and Harry Kane”
“I genuinely believe we have a forward in Šeško that can be Harry Kane at Spurs”
“I don't like the Tielemans signing. I liked it at the time but I don't really understand it at the moment”
“Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea will finish above Man Utd. That puts us in to 4th and then I think it's a battle between us and Liverpool for 4th and 5th”
“If they're going to sack Carrick and give it to Southgate - No, don't bother!”
“Santos in the summer was the new Casemiro in preseason and since it's got competitive he just looks a little bit average”
“I don’t expect Carrick to be sacked this season”
“Elliot Anderson is going to be worth every penny for Man City”
“Sangaré looks like he might be signing of the summer”
“Michael Carrick has got to stop being so passive […] if you’re a soft touch with big players they won’t be motivated”
“I don't really get why Dalot plays over Mazraoui. Everytime I watch Mazraoui he's just on a different level to Dalot”
“You’re a manager of Man Utd and you’re out of your fuckin’ depth”
“Some issues still remain [at Liverpool]. Like Kerkez at left-back, I don’t rate him at”
“The pathway we were on with Amorim certainly looked a better pathway than where we are now”
“If Luke Shaw is Man Utd’s left-back this season then OMG, Michael Carrick may as well pack his bags now”
“I’m starting to feel like the pile on to Man City is a little bit too much”
“Hopefully Shea Lacey will get a lot of game time. I think he could be a big positive for United”
“The problem with Santos for me is the price. £48m for a bench player Carrick won’t use is ridiculous”
“Man Utd’s biggest problem is going to be the fullbacks. The full backs are bottom half of the table standard”
“Mainoo is going to have a very good season. I know it was only Ipswich but there was an air of authority about his performance”
“You can’t trust this Man Utd squad, it’s a low IQ squad and they can only really play one way”
“I would summarise Man Utd’s squad in one word as mediocre”
“A good season for United for me is to improve on third place, hit the quarter-finals of the Champions League and win a domestic trophy”
“Man Utd are weaker tonight than we were at the end of the season”
“Xabi Alonso’s system is a breath of fresh air if it works”
“When Arsenal want to attack they are a joy to watch”
“Michael Carrick has been treated appallingly by the Man Utd board this summer”
“The fact that Baleba looks like prime Kanté just because he runs around a bit [...] yet Carrick is sticking with Tielemans and Mainoo. It's laughable”
“Would I sack Michael Carrick tonight? [...] Yes”
“The Premier League needs to pull its fucking finger out and give them the punishment”
“Mainoo is good enough to fight for a place in an Arsenal team with Lewis-Skelly and Bruno Guimarães”
“That performance [against Hull City] was absolutely pathetic. The [Man Utd] fans should be getting their money back”
“Chelsea will have up and downs. I’d be stunned if they challenge for the title”
“Man Utd have not replaced Casemiro. That was the number one job this summer”
“Man Utd would not be better off without Bruno. God knows where we’d be without Bruno”
“I’m not saying sack him [Carrick] but I’m not saying back him. I’m not convinced he’s the right guy”
Mark's 2026/27 table
| Pos | Mark's prediction | Actual | Out by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MCIMan City | MCIMan City | Spot on |
| 2 | ARSArsenal | ARSArsenal | Spot on |
| 3 | MUNMan Utd | BHABrighton | 10 |
| 4 | LIVLiverpool | CHEChelsea | 1 |
| 5 | CHEChelsea | LIVLiverpool | 1 |
| 6 | n/a | BREBrentford | – |
| 7 | n/a | LEELeeds | – |
| 8 | n/a | EVEEverton | – |
| 9 | n/a | HULHull City | – |
| 10 | n/a | IPSIpswich Town | – |
| 11 | n/a | NEWNewcastle | – |
| 12 | n/a | AVLAston Villa | – |
| 13 | n/a | MUNMan Utd | – |
| 14 | n/a | CRYCrystal Palace | – |
| 15 | n/a | BOUBournemouth | – |
| 16 | n/a | TOTTottenham | – |
| 17 | n/a | COVCoventry | – |
| 18 | CRYCrystal Palace | FULFulham | 4 |
| 19 | IPSIpswich Town | NFONottm Forest | 9 |
| 20 | HULHull City | SUNSunderland | 11 |
| Out by | Void | ||
Actual is the current 2026/27 table. Out by is how many places each team Mark predicted is from where it sits now. A lower total is better. If Mark left any position as n/a, the total is void.