David Beckham puts Manchester United on notice following abysmal season, player incidents
David Beckham became an iconic global athlete when he burst onto the Premier League scene with Manchester United from 1992 to 2003.
He scored 62 goals for Manchester United in 265 appearances for the club and helped the team to multiple Football Association Cups and a UEFA Champions League trophy during his time there. The club was on top of the Premier League table for multiple seasons as well.
But since the glory days of Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United has been mid-table at best. The Red Devils haven't finished first in the Premier League since the 2012-13 season and were second twice.
He was among those who voiced criticism toward Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, as both players were involved in incidents last week. Diallo flipped the middle finger toward fans in Malaysia as he said they were making remarks toward his mother while Garnacho had an incident with a fan who was filming him, according to ESPN.
For Beckham, it has underscored the lack of success for the club. Manchester United finished this past season 15th in the table.
"I don't like seeing what's happening at the club," Beckham told CBS Sports as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan for the Champions League trophy. "It's true that it's the pitch that matters, but I see a lot of things that are not acceptable to me as a fan and a lover of Manchester United. You have to represent the badge. I've seen a lot of things where players didn't act in the right way.
"We understood what it meant to play for Manchester United. We understood what the badge meant. Everywhere we traveled, whether in Europe or Asia, we respected the fans. We respected the fact that they came and paid money to see us, to get an autograph or to take pictures. You have to respect that."
Manchester United's 15th-place finish was the worst since the 1989-90 season when the club was 13th in the Premier League. The club still managed to win the FA Cup that year. But it was three more seasons until they returned to the top of the Premier League standings.
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