Search icon

Football

01st Jan 2025

Man United fan shares video of pre-match training that shows problem at heart of team

Zoe Hodges

It’s not a good look!

A Manchester United fan has shared damning footage from inside Old Trafford during the team’s warm-up ahead of their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Ruben Amorim’s side fell behind on Monday after just four minutes as Alexander Isak headed in the opening goal.

Joelinton added a second inside the opening twenty minutes to secure victory for the visitors in what was a poor performance from the Reds.

Joshua Zirkzee was hauled off after just 33 minutes by Amorim as the striker who only arrived at the club in the summer was booed by his own fans.

As Amorim’s Red Devils slumped to 14th in the Premier League after three consecutive defeats without scoring fans have become critical of everything and everyone at the club from the team to the owners as Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues with his ruthless cost-cutting measures.

Now, footage shared on social media has been slammed by fans as it shows the team preparing for the game.

The clip shows the majority of the substitutes, including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia, doing a section of their warm-up separate from the first team, which is standard before a game.

But nearby were academy players and fellow substitutes Toby Collyer and Godwil Kukonki, who were noticeably distant from the other players, passing the ball between themselves.

@foreverunited_tv Manchester United players shambolic warmup pre game #manchesterunited ♬ Mockingbird – Instrumental – The Hit Crew

TikTok user @ForeverUnited_TV posted the original clip and commented: “This is what I don’t get, and this is what proves to me that this team is going absolutely nowhere and there’s a massive disconnect through the middle of it.”

The furious fan continued: “Manchester United’s senior players in that bigger group were laughing, joking around, chasing each other, kicking each other.

“Yeah, they’re not playing, and they probably don’t need to be as alive as the first team players.

“But it’s that phrase again isn’t it? Read the room. You’re in front of all the Manchester United fans that haven’t seen a home win in God knows how long. You’re in the bottom half of the table, and you’re joking and laughing.

“And you’ve got two academy players, who don’t get any minutes, actually taking it seriously and passing the ball between themselves. They’re an absolute joke, this team.”

The footage comes after speculation over Marcus Rashford’s future intensifies.

The academy graduate was left out of Ruben Amorim’s squad for the Manchester derby and has not returned since.

He said in an interview that he was ready for a ‘new challenge’ away from Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Amorim claimed an unwanted record with his latest defeat as the Reds lost three straight home games for the first time since 1979 and he became the first manager in 103 years to lose five of their first eight league games in charge.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10