Speaking on Talk of the Devils podcast, the former winger was empathetic to the situation his boyhood club found themselves in the wake of Ferguson’s retirement.

“I think it has been a difficult time over the last five or ten years, but it was always going to be when the boss left the club,” Beckham contends.

The 49 year old believes it was not simply that United lost their legendary manager, however.

He also references the departures of integral players like Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville as huge losses to the club’s identity.

“It wasn’t just that, we lost players like Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, all of these players that had been at United for so long; you lose part of that and you lose part of the club. So it was always going to be a difficult time. But we’d like it to change pretty quickly because I think it’s gone on for too long now.”

The erosion of standards in the United dressing has been one of the most stark contrasts to the Ferguson era and Beckham clearly feels this was engendered by the loss of the leaders he came through the ranks with at Old Trafford.

One is left pondering just how a moody forward like Marcus Rashford would act if he was forced to share a dressing room with a captain like Roy Keane; or a winger like Antony would conduct himself if he had a fullback such as Gary Neville overlapping him.

One of Ferguson’s biggest strengths, amid a sea of them, was his ability to identify players with the correct attitudes – ruthless winners whose sole focus was Manchester United, not a new clothing deal or the latest Tik Tok trend.

Far too often in the last decade has Old Trafford been a beacon for players who are attracted by the wage packet on offer, rather than the red shirt. Or lucky enough to find themselves at home at a club their talent level does not match, and simply do not want to leave, despite languishing on the bench for the majority of their prime.

This type of mentality, or lack thereof, is a pernicious one; the sort which infects a dressing room and makes good players bad and bad players terrible.

Beckham is spot on in his assessment that it was not simply the loss of Ferguson which threw United into disrepair, but equally the loss of Ferguson’s lieutenants who helped distil the great Scot’s philosophy throughout his dressing room.

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Avram Glazer revealed his “love” for Manchester United to a fan during the women team’s successful FA Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

United cruised to an emphatic 4-0 win to secure the club’s first major trophy since the formation of the women’s team in 2018. Goals from Ella Toone, Rachel Williams and a brace from Lucia Garcia put Spurs to the sword as the Red Devils ran riot at Wembley.

The American owner was in attendance in the capital while his co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, was present at Old Trafford for United men’s fixture against Arsenal.

Glazer was sat in the Royal Box at Wembley – a second trip for the 63-year-old businessman in the space of a month, having attended the semi-final against Coventry City in April. He was also present for both cup finals last season (FA Cup and Carabao Cup). His last trip to Old Trafford was in August 2022 for the opening day defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

During the match, the Manchester Evening News contends Glazer spoke to a fan, revealing he “wouldn’t have missed” the historic match. “It’s a big day and I’m happy to be here. I wouldn’t have missed it. I love United. I wouldn’t want to miss this,” the American stated.

United fans reading those words would be forgiven for any feelings of anger or disbelief they may be experiencing because this reporter certainly shares them.

The idea that any member of the Glazer family could claim, with a straight face, to “love” United is an insult to the state of disrepair they have allowed the club to fall into, both on and off the pitch.

Erik ten Hag’s side fell to a disappointing 0-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in front of Ratcliffe just hours after the women’s team had triumphed over Spurs. While the performance was better than the absolute capitulation against Crystal Palace earlier in the week, an improvement on abysmal is still poor.

United’s inability to sustain meaningful and lasting success on the pitch is a symptom of their abject ownership, as much as it is an incompetent manager or underperforming players. A ‘fish rots from the head’ has never applied more pertinently than at Old Trafford over the past decade with Avram Glazer suspect number one in this decay.

And, to add insult to injury, the stadium itself has even become a source of embarrassment for fans. Old Trafford is now Old Trafford after years of superficial investment by the Glazers, with the long-standing issue of a leaky roof rearing its ugly head as United fell to defeat to a better run, better organised rival with a better designed stadium.

An unusual amount of rainfall in a concentrated burst proved too much for the roof of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stadium and huge amounts of water began to cascade into the stadium, soaking fans and creating an image which was as embarrassing as it was dangerous.

It is not the first time this has happened, nor will it likely be the last, but The Peoples Person is sure the view from the Royal Box at Wembley was much more enjoyable than the one from the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand at Old Trafford at full-time of each game. Hence Avram Glazer’s completely out-of-touch words.

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In an interview with ITV News, the England manager was asked about him being one of the bookmakers’ favourites to take over from Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. “I’m not a big gambling man, but bookies can make their odds. It’s not a conversation that’s been had with me,” he replied.

'I've got one thing to focus on… Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me.'

Gareth Southgate played down speculation linking him to Manchester United and told @stevescott_itv his aim is to win #Euro2024 with England. https://t.co/xSKFOzL6WR pic.twitter.com/yAxMuf44hZ

— ITV News (@itvnews) May 13, 2024

Southgate has been strongly linked with the United job since it emerged the club was actively pursuing Dan Ashworth to be the new sporting director at Old Trafford.

Ashworth, currently on gardening leave with Newcastle as the two clubs have been unable to agree a compensation package, has previously worked with Southgate in the England national set-up as a technical director. When Southgate was made manager of the Three Lions, following his work for the U21 side, Ashworth described him as the “outstanding candidate” for the role.

It appears to be a sentiment shared by INEOS – the new leaders of the football department at Old Trafford following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ratification as co-owner in February – who have made Ashworth a key part of their vision for transforming United.

The INEOS Sport team is headed by Sir Dave Brailsford, who has been conducting a comprehensive audit of the club in a bid to streamline and improve the sporting operation. Brailsford is a close friend and colleague of Ashworth who describes the INEOS Director as the “best in the world” at what he does.

Brailsford also holds a long-term connections with Southgate having worked as an advisor with the FA, with the England manager even being invited to his 60th birthday in March.

The links between all three man are, therefore, obvious; the type the rumour mill of football will always seek to play on if given the opportunity to do so. And United’s performances on the pitch this year have given ample ammunition for this to happen.

At the beginning of the year, Ten Hag’s position at Old Trafford was the strongest of any manager since Sir Alex Ferguson. He had guided the club back into the Champions League with a comfortable 3rd place finish in his debut season in English football. He had delivered the first trophy in six years with a Carabao Cup triumph. He’d even appeared to have successfully healed the wounds between the players and fans inflicted during the painful 2021/22 season.

In return, the club had fully backed the Dutchman, committing to another summer of huge spending at his behest. Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund were all signed for large fees while United spent the entire summer chasing Sofyan Amrabat to reunite the Moroccan with Ten Hag in a costly loan deal. United officials were more than happy to be guided by their manager.

In short, he was the Manchester United manager for the present and the future. But, nine months on, it feels almost a foregone conclusion he is a relic of the past; a dead man walking who will not be in charge beyond this month.

8th in the Premier League with a goal difference of -4 and fourteen losses. The most goals conceded in a season since 1971. A calamitous early exit from both the Champions League and the Carabao Cup. A string of performances which border on a team in the bottom three rather than hoping to be in the top four.

It’s been a truly awful season.

The prospect, however remote, of a successful FA Cup campaign by beating Manchester City in the final on May 25 is this year’s only saving grace. An embarrassing defeat is the far more likely result, however.

INEOS have refused to provide a definitive answer on Ten Hag’s long-term future at the club, instead choosing to make a decision once the season has finished. This lack of clarity off the pitch has undoubtedly produced a negative effect on the pitch, with United’s form absolutely torpedoing over the final few months of an abysmal year.

This does not exculpate Ten Hag of his role in these woes, with the Dutchman’s bizarre system – a completely contradictory high-press, low bock structure – as much of a contributing factor as the unrelenting injury list which has besieged his squad, but he has been forced to manage an almost unmanageable situation at times.

Nonetheless, an historically poor season for United will always result in the rumour mill going into overdrive on the manager not being long for this world. When you couple that with EURO 2024 being potentially Southgate’s last tournament, and his long-standing ties to two executive heavyweights (or soon to be in the case of Ashworth) at Old Trafford, you’re left with an easy narrative for the rumour mill and bookies to push.

It’s not a narrative Southgate is remotely interested in, however.

The England manager is adamant his only focus at present is having “as successful a tournament with England as possible”. Everything else outside of that, including links to Old Trafford, are described as a “complete irrelevance” to him.

When the interviewer questioned if he would rule out a return to club football further down the line, Southgate reiterated where his attention lies. “If I start talking about that, then I’m already distracted from what I’m doing. So I think the country would expect that my focus is on England, and rightly so,” he replied.

Perhaps most interestingly was Southgate’s response that he has had no “conversation” with United officials over the prospect of joining the club. You would expect the number one favourite for the role to have had some level of dialogue with his prospective new employers and Southgate is renowned for his honest approach.

Whether the links between England’s manager and England’s biggest club are genuine or simply the product of the rumour mill putting two and two together remains to be seen, but there feels little doubt there will be a vacant managerial position at Old Trafford come the end of the season should Southgate be interested in the job.

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Greenwood, currently on loan at Spanish side Getafe, has scored 10 times in 31 appearances in La Liga this season. These contributions, as well as his all-round play, have impressed a number of teams throughout the continent, as well as domestically.

While Getafe want to keep Greenwood at the club next year, be it through a permanent deal or another loan, he is attracting attention from Spain’s ‘Big Three’ and remaining at the Estadio Coliseum beyond the end of this season is unlikely.

James Ducker (The Telegraph) reveals sources in Spain contend Atletico Madrid are “keeping close tabs” on Greenwood, while Barcelona “would like to take [him] but do not have the financial capability to strike a deal.” Real Madrid have also been linked but are described as “unlikely” to make a pursuit.

EXCL. At least two Premier League clubs have enquired about Mason Greenwood. Still more likely to move overseas (Spain, Italy, Germany) if sold & #MUFC are prioritising a sale. If right offers don’t materialise, loan with obligation to buy clause possible https://t.co/qqc2XvTIyh

— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) May 8, 2024

Serie A sides Juventus and Lazio have both “registered interest” in signing Greenwood this summer, with Lazio having come close to agreeing a loan move last summer. It’s even been suggested United may seek to include the 22 year old as a “makeweight” in their pursuit of Juventus’ defender, Gleison Bremer.

Ducker also reveals there are multiple clubs in Germany interested in a deal for Greenwood.

United are believed to value their forward at the £40-£45 million mark, though the controversial situation which led to him leaving Old Trafford in the first place will likely be one interested clubs seeks to exploit to drive down the price.

And it’s this situation, which saw Greenwood arrested and charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, before the charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, which makes the enquiries into signing him by “at least two Premier League clubs” so surprising.

United’s executive branch were thrown into disarray after their plans to reintegrate Greenwood into the first-team squad were leaked last summer. The leaks were met with a level of public outrage which went far beyond the usual boundaries of football, with multiple celebrity fans, domestic violence charities and even Members of Parliament expressing their anger at United’s planned decision.

It forced the club into a panicked reversal, eventually settling on a loan outside of England as the best compromise for Greenwood to continue the next stage of his career, while remaining a Manchester United player.

It would be natural, therefore, to expect the reaction towards Greenwood joining another Premier League team to be comparable to that of playing for United again, at least in relative terms; which is why it’s shocking there are multiple sides in England’s top division actively pursuing the forward, given the certain backlash this move would entail.

The extent of the interest in Greenwood will be positive news for United, however, who are seeking to maximise as much income as they can from their forward and will be hoping a bidding war emerges for his services.

As an academy graduate, Greenwood’s potential departure would be a treasure trove from a Financial Fair Play (FFP) perspective as his sale would constitute “pure profit on the books”. With United set to be limited with their budget this summer, outgoing transfers will be as important as any incoming ones for INEOS in their first transfer window at the helm at Old Trafford.

And it’s for these combined reasons – Greenwood’s legal troubles and the club’s financial pressures – that Ducker reveals United’s focus has been “firmly  on exploring the options around a permanent sale.” However, if they do not feel a suitable offer arrives, they will also consider a “loan with an obligation to buy clause”.

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Manchester United staff believe Steve McClaren “could step in as caretaker” should Erik ten Hag’s position as manager become untenable before the end of the season.

The INEOS Sport team – who gained full control over the sporting operation at Old Trafford following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ratification as co-owner of the club in February – are content with the Dutchman remaining in charge until after the pivotal FA Cup final against Manchester City at the end of the month.

However, there has been zero indication from the club’s new rulers over their long-term support of Ten Hag, with the manner in which United finished the season – both in terms of results as well as performances – thought to be pivotal to any decision.

Which is why Monday night’s defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park will likely prove a death knell for the 54-year-old manager’s time at Old Trafford.

United were completely outplayed by a rampant Palace side who cut through a makeshift backline, comprised of an out-of-position Casemiro and an injured Jonny Evans, with ease, en route to a 4-0 demolition. Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta were imperious, but will not have faced an easier evening’s work this season.

While this disjointed defensive partnership offers some respite to criticism of Ten Hag’s team, it does not begin to excuse what an abject performance they produced as a collective. Yet it’s the type of match which has become customary this season.

If Monday night existed in isolation then it could conceivably be excused or dismissed as an off day, but it doesn’t.

There was little difference between the performance at Selhurst Park and the one six weeks ago at the Gtech Community Stadium, outside of clinical finishing.

Brentford were desperately unlucky to only come away with a point in a 1-1 draw, having hit the woodwork four times. With more care in front of goal, the Bees would have produced an even more dominant result over Ten Hag’s side than Palace, with the xG (expected goals) for both games underscoring  this.

Brentford (3.11) 1-1 (0.51) Man Utd

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) March 30, 2024

xG – Brentford (3.11) 1-1 (0.51) Man Utd 

Crystal Palace (1.63) 4-0 (0.41) Man Utd

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) May 6, 2024

xG – Crystal Palace (1.63) 4-0 (0.41) Man United

In the aftermath of the match at Selhurst Park, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen were apoplectic in their rage at Ten Hag, believing the result had to the straw which broke the camel’s back.

Owen was adamant the Dutchman “simply cannot manager the team next season” while Scholes revealed the match “felt very similar” to the 4-1 defeat away to Watford which marked the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as United manager.

Interestingly, both former United stars supported the possibility of assistant coach McClaren taking over on an interim basis, believing Ten Hag was not “letting him touch that team” because McClaren was too good of a coach for a side under his stewardship to look as dismal as they did.

“We’ve played under Steve. He’s coached us. There’s no way his fingerprints are anywhere near that team. He’s a brilliant coach. And that team is not being coached at all. No way,” Owen revealed, with Scholes in full agreement.

And, according to Chris Wheeler (Daily Mail), the idea of McClaren taking over is one shared by staff at Old Trafford: “Ineos will let him stay in charge for the rest of the season, although it has been suggested among staff that Steve McClaren could step in as caretaker if the situation goes into meltdown.”

With the prospect of Arsenal and Newcastle in the next week and a final day trip away to Brighton, there are three separate opportunities for a United “meltdown” before the season-defining FA Cup final at Wembley on May 25. It’s perfectly conceivable, based on the continuation of (or lack thereof) performances against Brentford and Palace, that United lose all three remaining games in resounding fashion.

If that happens, INEOS may be forced to react earlier than planned, but they would not have to look outside of the Old Trafford dressing room for a short-term alternative.

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The Dutch manager, along with the vast majority of his senior squad, operate on an incentivised contract predicated upon the team’s performance. If, as expected, United do not finish 4th in the Premier League, these players will be subject to the same wage slash next year as their manager.

ESPN report Ten Hag’s current salary with United is in the region of £9 million-a-year, meaning this would drop to £6.75 million for the 2024/25 season should he remain at the helm at Old Trafford. It is far from certain the Dutchman will survive beyond this summer, however.

INEOS – who gained full control over the football operation at United following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ratification as co-owner in February – are yet to make a decision on Ten Hag’s future, whose contract expires in the summer of 2025.

They have, instead, decided to focus on installing a ‘best-in-class’ executive structure at Old Trafford, beginning with Omar Berrada as the club’s new chief executive. He has been joined by Southampton’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, as a new technical director, while Dan Ashworth is expected to be the new sporting director, if a compensatory agreement can be reached with Newcastle.

Ratcliffe is believed to be waiting until this team is assembled before deferring the managerial decision onto them. With a move for Ashworth still yet to be agreed, and Berrada remaining on gardening leave, the responsibility of establishing United’s summer plan will be largely driven by Wilcox.

The technical director is reported to have been instructed by Ratcliffe to “conduct a thorough audit” of Ten Hag’s job at Old Trafford thus far. The results of this examination are likely to dictate the decision over the Dutchman at the end of the season.

Wilcox will also play a key role in establishing the type of philosophy United employ on the pitch. This will then help dictate the club’s plans in the transfer market, as players will have to fit into an overarching system, rather than simply being signed at the manager’s behest.

A report relayed by The Peoples Person revealed Wilcox has already met with Ten Hag following the FA Cup semi-final victory over Coventry City, with further meetings planned for the remainder of the season.

Ten Hag has enjoyed a huge amount of control in his first two years in Manchester. He has been a shot caller on most decisions relating to the football side of the club, from the transfer market right down to the preparations for pre-season tours.

INEOS, however, appear keen to move away from this model, instead preferring a more modern ‘head coach’ style manager who solely focuses on the senior squad, while the executive branch leads the sporting operation. This shift is likely to cause some issues for Ten Hag as it was not necessarily the role he agreed to when signing for United in 2022.

At this stage, the report by ESPN suggests United are “preparing for next season with Ten Hag as manager.” This will be standard operating procedure, however, and not particularly indicative of the club’s commitment to the Dutchman beyond this year.

There have been murmurings Ten Hag may choose to jump before he is pushed, owing to unhappiness with a lack of support from the club’s new owners, as well as this change in the scope of his control.

Perhaps the added blow of losing out on over £2 million in wages may prove the straw which broke the Dutchman’s back come the end of the season.

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As the clock ticked past the 70th minute mark, United were in cruise control. 3-0 up without really having conceded a clear chance, Erik ten Hag’s side were already mentally preparing for their return to Wembley in a month’s time to face Manchester City for a repeat of last year’s final.

Then, as has become customary this season, United conspired to almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A poor sequence of defending gave Coventry an easy goal in the 71st minute, before a bizarre deflection off Aaron Wan-Bissaka left Andre Onana for dead, but brought the cup tie back to life.

3-0 to 3-2 in the space of eight minutes, with an equaliser feeling inevitable, based on this United team’s inability to cope with any semblance of adversity.

With the pressure mounting, United’s performance predictably capitulated from a state of calm control into complete chaos. While Coventry had been thoroughly outplayed for the first 71 minutes of the match, they were by far the better side for every single minute after it.

With only a few minutes of added time remaining, the Sky Blue’s pressure finally caused United to relent, courtesy of a soft handball by Wan-Bissaka, which the referee immediately penalised. The VAR team analysed the incident but did not find enough evidence to overturn the decision, and Haji Wright promptly stepped up to convert a clutch 95th minute penalty to send the blue half of Wembley into bedlam.

3-3.

It came as absolutely no surprise to any United fan at Wembley that their team was unable to recover in extra-time after surrendering such a comfortable lead. Coventry’s ascendency in the match continued beyond the 90th minute, with the Midlands side able to carve through Ten Hag’s tired team with ease.

Eventually, the dam burst, with Victor Trop scoring as extra-time drew to an agonising close, sending one half of Wembley into absolute pandemonium and the other to the exit door. It was a goal which marked the completion of one of the all-time football comebacks, and would have constituted the greatest moment in FA Cup history, given the context of the match. But the cruel hand of technology had other ideas.

VAR brought a swift end to Sky Blue celebrations, adjudging Wright to have been marginally offside in the build-up for the goal, as the winger’s left toe straying beyond the line. The referee was instructed to disallow what would have been a certain winner and, instead, the match dramatically headed for penalties.

United’s players now faced the bizarre scenario of having been winning 3-0 with less than twenty minutes remaining, to being utterly relieved to have barely limped over the line to penalties with a 3-3 draw. Coventry, by contrast, were deflated and disappointed in equal measure – a rare feeling for a Championship side against one of the world’s biggest clubs.

The conflicting feelings in both halves of the stadium offered a damning indictment on Ten Hag and his players.

Bruno Fernandes won both tosses for the penalties, able to choose both his team as the first takers (correcting a mistake he had made in the 2021 Europa League final) as well as the shoot out taking place at the United end.

And yet, despite both these advantages, Casemiro strolled up to take to take the first penalty with confidence, before essentially chipping the ball into Bradley Collins’ – Coventry’s goalkeeper – grateful arms. It felt like the beginning of the end for United.

But, somehow, they persevered, scoring the next four penalties while Coventry missed two, meaning Rasmus Hojlund’s excellently taken fifth spot kick was sufficient to send his side through to a final they should have secured nearly an hour previously.

The muted celebrations from the United team told its own story, despite the egregious behaviour of Antony.

The majority of the squad recognised they had been spared one of English football’s most embarrassing moments and acted accordingly. In their joint post-match interview, Fernandes and Harry Maguire resembled players who had lost on penalties, rather than reached an FA Cup final courtesy of them.

Ten Hag struck a more upbeat tone in his interview, praising his side for showing “resilience to win the penalty shoot out” but also criticising them for falling foul of the same mistakes made in recent weeks.

Deep down the Dutchman will have known his precarious future at Old Trafford would have been sealed had Coventry’s winner at the death not been disallowed. The performances this season have gone far beyond the line of inexcusable and there is no style of play nor discernible philosophy to fall back on.

Without the prospect of an FA Cup final, it would have been the final straw for Ten Hag’s future; which is certainly a view held by Dwight Yorke, the former United striker who played such a pivotal role in the greatest season in the club’s history – the 1999 treble winning year.

Speaking exclusively to The Peoples Person, courtesy of TvSportsGuide, Yorke offered his assessment of Ten Hag’s position as manager, describing United’s football as “terrible” and revealing the prospect of an FA Cup trophy is the only thing which could “possibly save his job”.

“If we were to finish where we are now [in the league], which we are likely to, or even less, and lose the FA Cup, I think that might be his fate,” Yorke said of Ten Hag. “I think the only thing that is saving him right now is that FA Cup final. If he were to lose that, not qualify for Europe at all, I think he hasn’t really got a leg to stand on.”

Yorke contends United have been “really bad this season” with the league table “suggest[ing] where we are as a team at the moment, we’re not even close to European football, let alone Champions League.”

With United stranded in 7th place, sixteen points adrift of Champions League qualification and possessing a negative goal difference, having already crashed out of Europe in abysmal fashion earlier in the season, it’s difficult to disagree with this assessment.

When asked why this year has gone wrong, given the positive strides United had appeared to have taken under Ten Hag in his first season, Yorke responds by saying “everything starts with the manager”. He is quick to point out the players “have to take responsibility as ultimately they have to go out and really perform,” however.

The 52 year old doesn’t believe the Dutchman has looked “comfortable in press-conferences” this year, always appearing “on the defensive”. There are few people as qualified to speak on the pressures of representing a footballing behemoth like United as Yorke, and he is adamant that “when you are losing the battle in the press, it’s never a good sign.”

We then asked Yorke who he believes would be the ideal candidate to replace Ten Hag, should that decision be made at the end of the season. He replied by describing United as an “exceptional club” who, as such, need an “exceptional manager”. The managers who fall into this category for Yorke are Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and the “newcomer to the equation”, Xabi Alonso.

Given a move for four of these coaches is impossible, Yorke believes Zidane is the only “exceptional” option in his eyes who is available at present. “Stop going with just ‘good’ managers…[as] good is not good enough for United,” he concludes.

Nonetheless, the former United striker maintains victory over City in the FA Cup “should give [Ten Hag] another year”, as no manager at Old Trafford in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been able to win trophies in back-to-back seasons. Success at a club with the expectations of United is not easy, yet Ten Hag has shown an ability to deliver at key moments.

“The bigger picture is our football is not great, but somehow he’s got the potential of delivering two trophies for us, so you have to figure that out as a manager and fans what you prefer – to go to Wembley and play against City with the possibility of winning another cup…[versus] the lack of of style of play…”

INEOS, who gained full control over the sporting operation at Old Trafford following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ratification as co-owner in February, are yet to make a decision over Ten Hag’s future. But it’s widely reported that the performances and results the Dutchman is able to extract from his players as the season draws to a close will be integral to their choice.

Which is why Sunday’s game would have proven so contradictory for United’s heirachy.

It was a dreadful performance from the 71st minute onwards against a Championship side United should always be able to dispatch with ease. It constituted another example of calamitous mental fragility from a squad Ten Hag has been given over £400 million to buttress and nearly two years to work with, yet still displays the exact same issues as under previous managers. And, if not for an incredibly tight offside call, it would have been the most embarrassing result in the club’s history.

Yet, on the other hand, United have reached their third final in two seasons under Ten Hag, having only reached one in the previous five years before the Dutchman arrived in Manchester. If he was able to win the FA Cup over United’s bitter local rivals, in addition to last season’s Carabao Cup win, there is a pattern of repeated success which would be extremely difficult for any ownership structure to let go.

And while United have previous form for sacking a Dutch manager following an FA Cup win as he hadn’t secured Champions League football, as Louis van Gaal found out, that was a decision taken by an executive structure which no longer exists at the club.

If it were up to Yorke, a trophy on May 25 would be sufficient for Ten Hag to be backed for one another year. Whether this is a view shared by INEOS is a question which will rumble on in the background at Old Trafford over a fraught final month of the season for United.

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Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person, courtesy of TvSportsGuide, Yorke, who has previously managed in Australia and coached the Trinidad and Tobago national team, revealed he would enjoy the opportunity to work with Rashford as he is a player who has “all the ingredients” to be successful.

When asked how he would seek to help United’s misfiring forward line as a coach, Yorke stated, “Marcus Rashford is somebody I would take a great deal of interest in because…simply, pound-for-pound, player-for-player, he’s got all the ingredients.”

Last season, there would not have been a single United fan who disagreed with this assessment.

It is not an understatement to contend Rashford single-handedly carried United’s attack, with 30 goals and 11 assists constituting the Englishman’s best return in a Red Devils’ shirt, leading the club to reward him with a new five-year deal and a massive pay rise.

Ten months on from this point, the positivity of last season feels a very distant memory, with large swathes of the Old Trafford faithful happy to see United sell their academy graduate in the summer, should a suitable offer arrive.

After Rashford left the pitch during the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City on Sunday with an injury, the forward was loudly booed by his own fans in a moment which would have been unthinkable last year.

While the England international produced an abysmal performance, for his own fanbase to jeer at his withdrawal through injury speaks to just how broken the relationship between the player and supporters has become.

We were in the west press box (among Coventry fans) so amid the din after the equaliser and anticipation of ET, the booing of Rashford wasn't as audible as on TV. Relationship between player and matchgoers is broken. In the interests of all parties he goes in the summer. #mufc

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) April 22, 2024

A tough season on the pitch for Rashford – just 8 goals and 5 assists in 40 games – has been mirrored by troubles off it, with multiple incidents of unprofessional behaviour and murmurings of discontent bubbling beneath the surface.

Yorke does not know whether Rashford’s struggles stem from a “psychological point of view or a confidence point of view”, but the former United man would still “prioritise” helping the 26-year-old forward to get “fit and happy” if he was a coach at Old Trafford.

“We get a fit and a happy Rashford playing the way he can play, you see what he’s done last season, I still think he’s got so much to offer,” Yorke revealed.

When The Peoples Person asked the 52-year-old coach about Rashford’s future this summer given the fanbase’s opinion of him, he explained this negativity simply boils down to a “bunch of frustration…[with] the inconsistency from both Rashford and the team.”

With INEOS set to take charge of their first transfer window in charge of the football operation at United, the future of Rashford constitutes one of the most important decisions on the agenda.

They have the opportunity to lay down a serious mark of intent should they choose to shift him or, conversely, take on the challenge of helping Rashford, as Yorke implores, to rediscover the form which was so fundamental to the club’s success last season.

Whether Rashford remains a United player next year or not feels an already defining moment in the early period of the INEOS revolution at Old Trafford.

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The post Dwight Yorke reveals Marcus Rashford remains a key player for Manchester United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Erik ten Hag’s side are the lowest scoring side in the top ten of the Premier League, with only six teams in the entire division having produced fewer goals than United.

Despite being level on points with Newcastle, the Tyneside club have scored 22 more times, while local rivals Manchester City are 29 goals better off. They have even scored the same amount as newly-promoted Luton Town, whose club record signing cost as much as United pay Marcus Rashford in four months of wages.

Up until last weekend’s match against Bournemouth, the Red Devils’ top scorer in the league was Scott McTominay, with seven goals to his name. No other statistic is needed to encapsulate United’s struggles than that.

Understandably, therefore, a new number nine is a priority for the club this summer. And, in an interview courtesy of TvSportsGuide, Dwight Yorke spoke exclusively to The Peoples Person about exactly which player United should target for this position.

Yorke describes a productive striker as something “we are lacking in”, revealing United need “experience” and someone “who can score goals” if they are to improve next season. When pressed on who exactly should this signing should be, the former United striker believes there is only one player who fits the bill – Victor Osimhen.

“I would go for Osimhen,” Yorke states, revealing the Napoli striker is the “only person I can think of who could come in and and really elevate us to where we should be.”

While Osimhen has suffered something of a dip this year compared to the dizzying highs of last season, the Nigerian has still produced 15 goals and 4 assists in 28 games for the Italian side.

The Peoples Person suggested Ivan Toney as a counterpoint to Osimhen, given his age and potential transfer fee may be more suited to United’s likely budget, but Yorke disagreed. “I don’t think he is a United player. I’m not saying he’s not a good player…but I don’t think he’s a United player. I don’t think Toney fits United’s system.”

Instead, the former Aston Villa man offers the current Villans striker as a better option should United seek to recruit from within the Premier League. “I would rather take a chance with Ollie Watkins. He’s lively, he runs down the channel, his movement is much better. Toney is okay, but he’s not that mobile,” Yorke contends.

With 19 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League this season, Watkins is having a fantastic year as he helps drive Villa towards Champions League qualification. No player in England’s top division has produced more goal contributions than the 28-year-old striker.

And there would even be a parallel between Yorke and Watkins were the Englishman to switch to United from Villa at this stage of his career – something Yorke believes he “should take encouragement from” given the success Yorke enjoyed following the same move in 1998.

“[Watkins] is coming off his best season in the Premier League. If he has an outstanding Euros, that might be when United try to get him,” the former United striker states.

Interestingly, Yorke believes strikers are a “dying breed” at present, with not the greatest selection across Europe compared to five years ago, when there would have been a choice of “seven or eight top number nines” to target.

The 52-year-old player-turned-coach further rues United’s decision not to try for Harry Kane given the success the England captain has enjoyed at Bayern Munich this season: “…the opportunity of having Harry Kane last year, which we should have gone for but [it] didn’t happen.”

This scarcity of world class strikers is likely what drove the exorbitant price tag for Rasmus Hojlund – signed for £72 million from Atalanta, despite only one season of experience in a top European league.

Yorke reveals he had “never heard of [Hojlund] before, until he came to United,” believing he is still firmly in the “learning curve” stage, rather than the “ready made striker who can score twenty plus goals” United are used to leading their line. “It will take him a little while before he sort of hits that level,” Yorke concludes.

Without question, a new striker would help relieve the burden currently on the young Dane’s shoulders and be a massive boost to a team desperately short on goals. Whether that player is Osimhen, Watkins, or Toney may simply boil down to how much money United are able to spend this summer, although the current executive branch at Old Trafford would undoubtedly be overjoyed to sign another Dwight Yorke if possible.

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According to HITC, sources at Old Trafford reveal United’s new co-owner has made it known his new executive structure will “not put up with further indiscipline at any level of the club, with particular focus on the players.”

One specific area Ratcliffe is particularly displeased with is players taking to social media to criticise or complain about internal matters, as Alejandro Garnacho did on Saturday evening following the disappointing 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

The Argentinian winger was withdrawn at half-time, with Erik ten Hag revealing in his post-match interview he felt the right-hand side needed “repair” when asked about the decision. Later that evening, Garnacho ‘liked’ tweets written on X (formerly known as Twitter) by a United fan channel contending the 19 year old was “throw under the bus” by Ten Hag – an indirect but obvious criticism of the Dutch manager.

Ten Hag is reported to have already held talks with Garnacho over the incident, which is described as an “internal matter“, and has been promptly resolved. The Argentine showed contrition by quickly removing his ‘likes’ and a source at the club reveals it is now a “complete non-issue”.

Nonetheless, Ratcliffe, as well as other members of United’s hierarchy, are believed to have been particularly unhappy with the incident, believing it to be a continuation of a type of behaviour allowed to fester at Old Trafford in recent years.

Earlier in the season, Jadon Sancho went one step further on X by directly criticising Ten Hag following the Dutchman’s decision to drop the winger from the squad for the trip to Arsenal. The 24 year old was immediately exiled from the first-team, told only a direct apology to his manager would enable him to return to the fold.

While Garnacho showed repentance for his actions, Sancho refused to give in. This led to him training with the youth teams for nearly four months, eventually leaving for a reunion with Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window on loan.

There had been some reports suggesting Ratcliffe and his INEOS Sport team may be open to Sancho returning to Old Trafford this summer, particularly if Ten Hag was to depart from United himself at the end of the season. However, the report by HITC indicates Ratcliffe has “already made it known that he backed Ten Hag over the Sancho situation”, with the club seeking to sell the English winger rather than reintegrate him.

Ratcliffe has refused to offer a definitive answer on Ten Hag’s own long-term future at Old Trafford, with a decision to come at the end of the season once the club’s new executive branch, including Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, as well as potentially Dan Ashworth, is assembled.

While this move by the British billionaire to back Ten Hag over Sancho may be construed as tacit support for the Dutchman, it’s far more likely to be a crystal clear directive to the rest of the United squad about what type of behaviour is and is not acceptable under the INEOS regime – a radical uplift in the expectations of standards in comparison to previous years.

And while Ratcliffe is believed to a “big fan of many aspects of the work done” by Ten Hag in his time in Manchester, the “decisive factor” over his support for the Dutchman was always going to be how United finished the year.

One win in their last seven Premier League games has left Ten Hag’s position extremely weak as his side limps towards one of the worst seasons in the club’s history. Therefore, while the INEOS owner has supported Ten Hag in his wish to see Sancho seen the exit door, it feels increasingly likely the Dutch manager will be following same path as the English winger, barring an unlikely recovery in the next six weeks.

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