Issues with discipline and behavior from Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard’s attempts to appease Cristiano Ronaldo, new information emerging in the Mason Greenwood case, and another set of quotes from Ralf Rangnick directly criticizing the management – this is a snapshot of the news feed about Manchester United approximately a year ago. Fans had stopped believing such a backdrop could return after a successful season.
However, the appointment of a competent and skilled head coach did not spare the club from the trend of constantly finding itself embroiled in scandals, no matter how hard Erik ten Hag tried to influence almost all processes.
The 2023/24 season for Manchester United began amid turbulence. As a result, they faced defeats to three (!) direct competitors, managed a very lackluster win over Wolverhampton, and had to make a comeback against Nottingham Forest. It’s worth noting that you can place bets on Manchester United matches using your smartphone after the Mostbet App download.
Just when it seemed the worst was behind them (especially after another transfer window where the management dragged their feet on resolving personnel issues and overpaid for players), a new wave of negativity arrived.
The atmosphere surrounding the club is distinctly toxic
Anthony was suspended from the team pending an investigation into alleged assault and violence towards his ex. This story made headlines in club football during the international break. Public accusations against Anthony began surfacing earlier, and now parties claiming to be victims have gotten specific.
The footballer’s ex-girlfriend, a DJ and influencer, accused him of assault and violence through a Brazilian publication. An investigation was initiated, and Manchester United faced the challenge of handling a familiar situation.
Sancho was also suspended: Ten Hag criticized his performance during training, and Jadon responded without apologizing. Given Anthony’s situation, the conflict between Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho is ill-timed. Insiders immediately reported that teammates seemed to support the coach, whose complaints, it was reported, centered around Sancho’s tardiness and sluggishness in training.
The club, on the other hand, was ready to sell Jadon for 65 million pounds. Transfer windows, notably in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, were still open, but the winger’s representatives made it clear that they would not engage in any negotiations.
Well, one can only hope that at least Facundo Pellistri avoids any drastic actions since there are no other fit natural right-wingers. However, rumors suggest that the “Red Devils” are now considering signing free agent Anwar El Ghazi.
The club staged a circus with an internal investigation into Greenwood’s case – they planned a comeback, but there was a leak to the media
And how can one not mention that even in the case of Greenwood, the club managed to make things worse?
A bit of background – in January 2022, the footballer was accused of an attempted rape. In February of that year, the police closed the criminal case, but it’s essential to specify the reason. The fact is that the key witnesses refused to testify, including his girlfriend – from whose video and audio publications everything began. As it turned out, the couple had a child shortly before that.
So, Merto and Arnolde, you have two pills; choose the lesser evil:
a) Immediately plan Mason’s return to the team while whitewashing his reputation in all possible ways in the media space;
b) Immediately take a firm stance and terminate the collaboration.
Brilliant management decided to go the third way – they announced an internal club investigation. Yes, they effectively did what the authorities had been doing for the last few months.
Okay, an investigation is an investigation. But even its finalization ended in failure. The critical point was an article from the reputable The Athletic – journalists reported that “MU” is actively preparing a plan for Greenwood’s return. This was backed by the sports department and Ten Hag; everyone was just waiting for the approval of the higher management.
They didn’t get a chance – the leak to the press provoked a 180-degree turnaround, as the club saw the radical public reaction. It turns out that the decision was based not on the “internal investigation,” but on the resonance caused by the leaked information.
You know the continuation – Mason went on loan to “Getafe,” and Arnold with Merto wore their clown hats again.
Problem with squad
From injured players, one could compile a complete starting lineup, and for the upcoming matches, “MU” will be without Rafael Varane, Lisandro Martínez, and Luke Shaw. There are also doubts about the readiness of Sofiane Amrabat and Mason Mount after their injuries.
Another unexpected update – newcomer Andre Onana returns to the Cameroon national team. This means that the goalkeeper will theoretically miss 8 matches during the Africa Cup of Nations in January-February. 4 of them are in the Premier League, and one in the 1/8 of the Champions League if the Mancunians make it there.
And how can we not mention the difficulties with selling excess weight – Donny van de Beek hasn’t gone anywhere, despite the purchase of Altay Bayındır, goalkeeper Tom Heaton remains on the payroll, who had offers in the summer, there were no buyers for Anthony Martial to get another new forward.
