A PARTING shot from one of Marcus Rashford’s relatives was that Ruben Amorim’s press conferences were better than the matches.
A valid point, but Amorim had Rashford’s number a year ago and the Barcelona loanee typified the “entitlement culture” at Man Utd.
Rashford’s relative occasionally sent this correspondent abusive emails complaining about articles. Jesse Lingard‘s brother slated me on Instagram over a player rating.
A United press officer once asked me to “go easy” on Andreas Pereira. Brandon Williams sent me a message on Instagram after a defeat in pre-season. Scott McTominay went spare at the prospect of speaking to me in a mixed zone.
There was a quick climbdown from McTominay, who appeared to accept my point that every United player on the coach he was stood by had been praised and criticised by me.
What do those five all have in common? They are academy graduates.
Those close to Rashford bad-mouthed Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga.
What did those three have in common? They were rivals for Rashford’s role.
The Rashford relative derided Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, nastily nicknamed Ralf Rangnick “Specs” and panned Erik ten Hag before slaughtering Amorim.
Amorim saw off Rashford, a boyhood fan, Mancunian, academy graduate and United No10. Anyone else was small-fry.
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So you wonder what on earth the advisers to Harry Amass and Chido Obi tell them.
Those two 18-year-olds have got more headlines through their passive-aggressive social media posts than they did across their appearances for United last season.
One suspects they are not specifically advised but flooded with compliments.
“Good vibes only” is one of the worst phrases in modern sport. The tone-deaf England coach Brendan McCullum does not entertain criticism and look how well that has served them in Australia.
Striker Obi had eight games for United last season and did not score. Across his 11 appearances for the under 21s this season, he has regularly maddened the coaching staff with his lackadaisical workrate.
Amass joined the United academy from Watford in 2023. He has gone on a pre-season tour, played for United in the Premier League and the Europa League.
These lads earn thousands a week. They do not know that they have been born.
“The door to my office is open,” Amorim said. “Nobody is coming to talk to me and that is the way we can solve things.”
Ie, none of these lads have the backbone to confront me in person to seek context or clarity.
That applied to Kobbie Mainoo. It does not reflect well on Mainoo that he did not knock on Amorim’s door after his half-brother’s T-shirt stunt.
They have an open-plan office at Carrington now but there is still a room reserved for Amorim. United players know where to find him.
United have encountered issues with players’ relatives before. Rashford’s ex-agent brother publicly met Paris Saint-Germain intermediaries whilst in the midst of contract negotiations.
Lingard’s half brother, Louie Scott, ranted about United denying him one final appearance at Old Trafford.
“No wonder it’s Conference League next season,” Scott fumed. Lingard ended up at Nottingham Forest, just up from the Championship.
Alejandro Garnacho‘s brother, Roberto, was such a loudmouth he was suspected of team leaks.
What do Garnacho, Lingard, Rashford and Mainoo all have in common? They are all academy graduates.
Stephen Torpey is the new United academy head and he has got his work cut out. Amorim is questioning it every week and Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed its standards have “really slipped”.
When United won the 2024 FA Cup final against City, they had four graduates in their starting XI: Rashford, Garnacho, Mainoo and McTominay. Garnacho and Mainoo got the goals in United’s sweetest FA Cup triumph in nearly 30 years.
The United academy still produces for the first team. It also produces players, siblings and hangers-on who develop inflated airs of entitlement.
Amorim is intent on puncturing it and should be backed over any talent. He sussed Rashford and Garnacho’s attitude problems in his first month.
That ought to have laid down the law but clearly that has gone over the heads of Amass and Obi.
It would be overstating it to say the majority are bad apples. After Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal debuted against Young Boys in December 2021, they waited for Rangnick at Old Trafford to thank him.
Elanga wore a printed T-shirt in tribute to the legendary late United receptionist Kath Phipps on his return to Old Trafford.
Axel Tuanzebe, whose family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to settle in Rochdale, was raised on the Freehold estate near the town’s train station and went on to captain United against Rochdale.
Tom Heaton, a member of the leadership group, is an impeccable influence United should maximise after he retires from playing.
But the entitlement culture has lingered for over a decade. It is telling that Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson, two rising stars in the season after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, were accused of spending too much time in the jacuzzi.
Players who join the United academy are presented with a tailored Paul Smith club blazer. It should be accompanied by a handbook on what makes a proper United player.
Or they can just replay Amorim’s press conference on Friday.
