Includes reflections from David Moyes’ time at Manchester United.

HEBC Hamburg 0-5 Borussia Dortmund - Easy work for BVB

I don’t think I will watch a more one-sided match this season than this.

Amateur club HEBC, who compete in the Oberliga Hamburg, took on Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal, as I decided I needed something to distract my mind from transfer deadline day for 90 minutes.

The fifth-tier German outfit stood no chance against Niko Kovac’s side. It was reminiscent of a swordfish playing with prey.

Borussia Dortmund led 4-0 at the break and were in total control as HEBC struggled to put up a challenge.

They extended their advantage in the second half, scoring a fifth in the 57th minute. That may have been Dortmund’s only goal in the second half, but the match itself still felt like a training session for the Bundesliga side.

The best player on the pitch was Dortmund’s 18-year-old winger Samuele Inacio, who scored two of their five goals on the night, creating four chances from the right flank. The Italian joined the German side from Atalanta in 2024.

However, a victory for HEBC would have resulted in one of the biggest upsets in German football history.

That never looked like happening.

Dortmund will find out their DFB-Pokal second round opponents on Saturday.

Burnley 1-1 Middlesbrough - Aidan Morris’ first goal for Boro cancelled out by stunning strike

Not only have Burnley failed to win a match since the 2026/27 campaign kicked off, but Nicky Hayen’s side also didn’t win a single one of their pre-season friendlies during the summer.

It was a game of two halves at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.

Middlesbrough haven’t won at Turf Moor against Burnley since April 2014, which is over 12 years ago, but they opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Aidan Morris scored his first goal for the club. The visitors thoroughly deserved their lead as Sabtastian Berhalter teed up the USA international for a brilliant first-time, left-footed strike into the corner.

Any moment of encouragement for Burnley quickly fizzled out, with Kim Hellberg’s hard-working players quick to contest any loose balls. It wasn’t a surprise to hear the home crowd jeer their players at the half-time whistle, after being subjected to 45 minutes of lacklustre football with the scoreline 1-0.

Burnley improved after the break, so Middlesbrough immediately regretted not taking advantage of the hosts’ slow start. Dastan Satpaev looks a prospect, aged 18, but it may take him time to acclimatise to the Championship. New arrival Largie Ramazani - on loan from Leeds - came off the bench at half-time to add something different to Burnley’s attack.

However, Ugo Raghouber lifted the atmosphere at Turf Moor less than 10 minutes into the second half. The French midfielder picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch before carrying the ball forward and striking his target from outside the box.

The second half gave us a glimpse of a completely different Burnley. They appeared determined to hurt Middlesbrough while they could.

Both teams enjoyed opportunities in the final 15 minutes as the game opened up, but neither could clinch a later winner.

Satpaev received a standing ovation from the home supporters when he was replaced by Mike Tresor in the 81st minute. The Burnley faithful will be excited at the prospect of having a new star on their hands.

Extra Time soundtrack 🎵

I’m so Bored with the U.S.A. by The Clash

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The latest episode of the United In Focus podcast covers Manchester United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town and transfer deadline day.

I was happy, as ever, to be joined by my United In Focus colleague Jonathan Maze.

United In Focus is also available on Spotify.

I’m going to start using the newsletter to plug a podcast I am proudly part of.

Simply Red Podcast is a bit of fun between three Manchester United season ticket holders who travel home and away, following the Reds around the continent.

That’s really all there is to it. None of us take ourselves too seriously, but we share an unbreakable passion for our club.

In Episode 276, Brian, Fitzy, and I reflect on our first two games of the season - against Hull City and Ipswich Town - which delivered two very different results.

Simply Red Podcast is available for completely free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Extra Time is a new feature where I share quick takes on the matches I watch.

No Saturday observations this week due to a friend’s wedding - though, as predicted in Issue 9, I still caught Newcastle’s win over Tottenham from the dinner table via SkyGo.

The mounting pressure on Roberto De Zerbi after two defeats was the biggest story on Saturday. I was sensing outrage over Sandro Tonali not being a £100m player.

Shock horror.

Here are some notes from the matches I watched on Sunday, 30 August.

Chelsea 4-3 Brighton - Cole Palmer back to his best 🥶

Moises Caicedo hasn’t fully recovered from the injury that saw him miss Chelsea’s wins over Fulham and Luton Town, but Romeo Lavia made the most of his absence in Xabi Alonso’s midfield. He scored the opener after just four minutes, finding himself in the right place at the right time.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when Joao Pedro missed a glorious chance in the 25th minute, but he made amends by netting Chelsea’s third goal just after the half-hour mark. Brighton pulled one back through a screamer, courtesy of Premier League debutant Malick Yalcouyé. Pedro got his name on the scoresheet again - this time via an own goal - making for an uncomfortable finish until Cole Palmer sealed it with a gorgeous strike from distance. Palmer had a quiet evening by his usual standards, but he remains a central figure in Chelsea’s strong start to the campaign.

The biggest takeaway for Chelsea is how the squad already looks injected with a new lease of life under Alonso. It’s early days, and they still have work to do defensively before they can be considered a real force, but their opening performances have been genuinely impressive.

Chelsea face their first real test under Alonso next Sunday as the Blues travel to champions Arsenal for a 16:30 kick-off. It will be intriguing to see how Alonso approaches the match tactically, especially with his players clearly thriving in the games they have a licence to be expansive.

Manchester United 5-2 Ipswich Town - Bruno Fernandes opens account with hat-trick

Although Manchester United were the better side for the most part, they didn’t become distant winners until after the hour mark as Bruno Fernandes scored a spot-kick and the second goal of a stellar hat-trick (his third in a United shirt).

I didn’t buy into the doom and gloom following the opening-day defeat to Hull City. My patience stems from a firm belief that several key players are still a few weeks away from peak match sharpness, and I see similar problems with the majority of the rival teams.

That isn't to say everything is rosy at Old Trafford. Fan relations remain deeply strained, half-and-half scarves are still being sold outside the ground, and Luke Shaw’s defensive lapse once again cost United a goal.

But if the win over Ipswich Town proved anything, it’s that Fernandes remains the dog’s bollocks - and Michael Carrick urgently needs a new left-back before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

The Reds have conceded four goals in two games against newly promoted teams. That should tell Ineos everything they need to know before the transfer window shuts.

Post-match analysis for United In Focus: Bruno Fernandes hat-trick, Luke Shaw nightmare, Marcus Rashford’s first Manchester United start since December 2024, Youri Tielemans & Kobbie Mainoo experiment.

Celta Vigo 0-2 Athletic Club - Edin Terzic’s first win at Los Leones

After a playing career as a forward in the lower leagues of German football, Edin Terzić worked tirelessly as a scout and youth assistant at Borussia Dortmund. Following spells assisting Slaven Bilić, he earned his UEFA Pro Licence before returning to Dortmund as head coach, ultimately leading them to the 2024 Champions League final.

In his first season at Athletic Club, it took Terzic three matches to record his first win, which arrived tonight against Celta Vigo. The Basque side endured a tough start to the campaign with defeats to Sevilla and Barcelona, but they are finally up and running with their first three points of the season.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Inaki Williams’ sublime touch opened up space for Alex Berenguer to cut through Celta’s defense and finish beautifully. Terzić’s side doubled their lead minutes later following a wonderful attacking transition - packed with intricate passing - finished off by Robert Navarro.

Unimpressed by what he saw in the first half, Celta head coach Claudio Giráldez made four changes at the break. Veteran striker Iago Aspas came on to raise standards, but despite clear improvements, it wasn't enough to turn the game on its head.

A meaty challenge early in the second half caught my eye, earning Athletic’s Yuri Berchiche a yellow card. Part of me wishes he was wise to the fact that Celta couldn't make any more substitutions, but this isn’t Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid - masters of the dark arts. Athletic play a prettier brand of football, as they proved tonight.

This result and performance offer a clear template for Terzić and his squad to follow for the rest of the season.

Extra Time soundtrack 🎵

North West Three by Fatboy Slim

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Apologies for the delay with Issue 9. I fell ill last Saturday and was down until Tuesday. Being a sufferer of gastroparesis has its struggles. Not only is it a mouthful, but the battle itself comes with monthly flare-ups. Still, I’m doing all I can to get an operation that might offer some relief.

I got back to work on Tuesday, fresh off the back of Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City. If I hear the phrase ‘mauled by the tigers’ one more time…

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As an Irishman, I have a standard set of recommendations for anyone visiting Dublin: visit the Guinness Storehouse, take in Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium, stroll through Temple Bar with a firm grip on your wallet, order a spice bag, wash it down with a flurry of creamy pints, and then leave Dublin.

But while you’re at it, why not squeeze in a League of Ireland ground? Tallaght Stadium, Dalymount Park, Tolka Park, and Richmond Park are where the real atmosphere lives.

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Earlier this week, someone told me a respected football writer was having a ‘mare’ of a summer. This, of course, wasn’t true. It was an example of entitlement: a consumer complains that his pipeline of transfer gossip had briefly run dry.

It’s completely absurd, yet shows where we are in the modern age of consuming football news every minute on our devices. Some corners value “transfer specialists” over real journalists.

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It’s funny how time stretches when it comes to the bands we love.

It feels like an age since Fontaines DC tore through their whirlwind tour off the back of Romance. The Dublin five-piece scooped up major silverware for their fourth album - including Best International Group at the BRITs and RTÉ’s Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year - before stepping out of the immediate spotlight.

But perceived absence is often just an illusion. The recent release of Reality Awaits, the seventh studio record from The Strokes, is proof of how easily we exaggerate time during a band’s quieter periods. While the new Strokes material has split opinion down the middle, I’ve found myself wrangling with fans who claim the band has lost the core of their original sound, even though I could be doing much better things with my time.

After six long years since The New Abnormal (2020), I’m thrilled to see The Strokes return - but the point I’m making is that Fontaines DC never really left. In fact, they barely had time to catch their breath after a mammoth tour before tragedy struck with the heartbreaking passing of their manager, Trevor Dietz, earlier this summer. At just 49, Trevor made a monumental contribution to Irish music, operating as both a powerhouse promoter and the guiding hand behind Fontaines DC.

They’ve become one of the most important bands in modern rock - and they wouldn't have it any other way - but stepping into this next chapter without such a key element of the group is going to be tough.

Sure, part of me is chuffed to see the boys back in the public eye after their recent BBC 6 Music sessions and the rumours of new material cooking. But amidst the hype, you simply can't overlook what they’ve been through behind closed doors this summer.

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Fontaines DC’s final recording at Maida Vale Studios

On Monday night, I tuned into Steve Lamacq’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music to hear Fontaines DC deliver a truly memorable performance and the final-ever recording session at Maida Vale Studios.

• Available via BBC Sounds

As the BBC wraps up its decades-long stay in West London, it was a massive honour for the band to lay down the iconic studio's parting tracks. It’s fitting they made it one listeners will remember.

A glance through Trevor Dietz’s Instagram reveals several photos of him with the band at Maida Vale during past sessions on Lamacq’s show. That history undoubtedly added a deep emotional weight to the evening - yet true to form, it didn't lessen the fire in their performance for a second.

The session kicked off with their single "It’s Amazing To Be Young" and closed out with "Bug" as the sole representative from Romance. But for anyone not fully fluent in Fontaines D.C.’s back catalog, the Maida Vale finale offered a deeper dive. Lamacq teased the show right at the top with "Hurricane Laughter" - a punk track from their stunning 2019 debut album, Dogrel.

The third track in the set was "Big Shot" off 2022’s Skinty Fia - a masterpiece of a record, and the exact reason I considered Fontaines D.C. one of the best bands on the planet long before Romance ever arrived. That was the album that gave me total confidence whenever I recommended the band to friends and colleagues.

Any long-time fan would have been buzzing to hear "Roy’s Tune" make the cut. Written as a tender reflection on modern Ireland, working-class struggle, disillusionment, and a fading national innocence, it highlights a social awareness that Trevor Dietz was always fiercely proud of. If this final Maida Vale performance proved anything, it's that the band is only growing stronger.

Playlist

1. Favourite

2. It’s Amazing To Be Young

3. Big Shot

4. Roy’s Tune

5. Bug

Grain Chatten gave a brief message on the mic at the end, saying:

“How’s it going? We’re Fontaines DC. This is the last ever Maida Vale session. Thanks for the memories.”

As I saw, well heard, for myself at the 3Arena in December 2024 that Fontaines DC are unbelievably good live. The final Maida Vale session is further proof every song is better than the studio version.

To anyone lucky enough to be at Stradbally at the end of the month: enjoy every second. Fontaines DC headlining Electric Picnic alongside Gorillaz is going to be unmissable.

Like Donald Trump, the bloated charlatan who cried wolf in an oral tradition, Gianni Infantino says stupid things because he likes the reaction, even though everyone knows what he’s saying isn’t true.

President Trump and Infantino share a strain for words and truth.

"Today I feel Qatari, I feel Arab, I feel African, I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel a migrant worker."

For anyone who genuinely cares about football over the pockets of greedy parasites, a long-overdue glimmer of hope has finally emerged. Infantino has crossed a line, and a growing number of FIFA member associations now view his job as completely untenable.

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Jurgen Klopp’s unveiling as Germany’s new head coach was explosive to say the least.

Signing a four-year deal following Julian Nagelsmann’s shock resignation - spurred by a disastrous World Cup exit to Paraguay in the last 32 - Klopp immediately drew a line in the sand for the press.

“If you behave badly and don’t leave my family in peace, I’ll be gone. I know there are other countries where national team coaches are treated even worse... I’m taking this job even though I’ve seen how you’ve treated Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel. I love this job, but I am always ready to call it quits if need be.”

It was a classic display of Klopp setting boundaries on day one. While he should be open to tactical critiques, personal attacks on his family are a non-negotiable - as they should be. Nobody can fault a 59-year-old manager for holding that stance - especially one who could easily retire to a tropical beach.

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Football remains homeless following the 2026 World Cup.

Despite the usual relentless hype from the British press, England came up short yet again. The semi-final exit was an embarrassing collapse, especially after getting that far, triggered by a series of highly questionable tactical substitutions.

Thomas Tuchel did himself no favours in the post-match fallout, openly questioning whether English football “DNA” inherently prevents the development of players who can actually retain possession like in Spain or Portugal.

The irony? This is the same manager who:

• Left Adam Wharton, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out of the 26-man squad entirely.

• Benched Kobbie Mainoo for the entire tournament despite taking the United midfielder to North America.

If you don’t pick or play the technically gifted players at your disposal, Thomas, you really can’t complain about the DNA.

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The 2026 World Cup largely managed to avoid the shadow of Donald Trump until this past week, even if the tournament’s integrity had already been compromised by US government actions long before it kicked off.

During the group stages, this looked like the finest team the United States had ever produced. Under Mauricio Pochettino, the players completely bought into the coach’s style of football - they were entertaining and gave fans genuine promise for the future.

Then, following an absurd intervention from the White House, it all went pear-shaped.

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I’ve been fully invested in this World Cup since day one, but let’s be honest: for the casual fan, the 2026 edition was always destined to be a slow burner.

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Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone who has subscribed to Unapologetically Red. It’s early days, but I’m incredibly excited to use this newsletter as a platform to follow my many interests.

I have been completely overwhelmed by the number of people who have signed up for subscriptions ahead of the first issue.

Every week, you’ll get the latest issue of Unapologetically Red delivered straight to your inbox. Each edition will serve up a mix of general football, terrace culture, the preservation of fan identity, and music.

To clear the air: this won’t be entirely Manchester United-heavy - you can already follow my coverage of the club over at United In Focus. There will still be bits of MUFC thrown in here and there (without hiding my bias, of course), but you can expect plenty of variety on top of that.

Apart from launching this newsletter over the past week, I’ve been busy covering the World Cup and attending a bucket list concert.

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The knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup is approaching - a tournament covered in controversy, with FIFA’s Gianni Infantino bending over backwards for his puppet master, Donald Trump.

My highlights of the 2026 World Cup so far include:

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Welcome to Unapologetically Red, by Dale O’Donnell.

If you’ve read my Manchester United coverage anywhere over the last 14 years - whether on match days, via United In Focus, Stretty News, or across social media - you already know the score. MUFC first. The rest can wait.

This newsletter was born from a desire to bring all my weekly work into one definitive home, backed by a commitment to explore the fabrics of my greatest passions: Manchester United, media, music and terrace culture.

It will be released every Sunday or Monday, plus bonus podcasts and occasional free posts.

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Football fans deserve coverage that sounds like the conversations we actually have in the stands or while struggling to catch a train or flight to a European away.

Not that wishy-washy client journalism we are now being bombarded with, with too many influencers and charlatans who wouldn’t know a football if one slapped them in the face.

The Game Plan

Moving forward, this Substack will be a hub of stories and podcasts.

Here is what you can expect hitting your inbox starting next week:

• Say it how it is: This newsletter will be unfiltered and contain swear words because there is no glossing over the camaraderie on the Stretford End.

• Inside the structure: Keeping a sharp, analytical eye on the football world.

• Interview series: A range of interviews you won’t get elsewhere.

• Podcasts: Unapologetically Red will offer audio content.

A quick favour before kickoff

To make sure our first major issue don’t get pulled back by a dodgy VAR decision and sent straight to your spam folder, please do me a massive favour: drag this email into your “Primary” inbox or add this address to your safe senders list.

Whether you are here on the free tier or you’ve already signed up to back independent journalism as a premium member, thank you for stepping through the turnstiles.

The first proper briefing drops next week as excitement builds for United’s 2026/27 campaign.

UTFR,

Dale

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