Latest news with #AlejandroGarnacho
Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Blame Man United for their mess and stupid rules just letting them rot
Towards the end of the film This Is Spinal Tap, the band is forced to play much-diminished venues. Lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel has quit, along with manager Ian Faith, and the tour is being run by ambitious Jeanine, girlfriend of lead singer and rhythm guitarist David St Hubbins and a devotee of yoga and astrology. They arrive at the next location to see the billing 'Puppet show' with, beneath it, 'and Spinal Tap'. 'If I told them once I told them a hundred times,' says Jeanine, 'put Spinal Tap first and puppet show last'. The group look crushed. 'You got the big dressing room, though,' Jeanine says, brightening. 'Oh, we've got a bigger dressing room than the puppets, have we?' replies David. This is the point Manchester United are reaching, after their blasted tour of Asia. It can't be far off now: puppet show, and United. If there was a documentary of this trip, it would play out as a series of comic vignettes, like Spinal Tap. There was an open-top bus parade preceding a defeat by a scratch representative XI, at the end of which they were booed off; Amad Diallo gave the finger to some fans he believed had disrespected his mother; three squad members flew a further 4,000 miles to make a corporate appearance in Mumbai for a tyre company; Alejandro Garnacho was required to sign autographs for supporters and then play, having already been told by his manager to find another club; he was later captured pushing fans away and looking furious. 'Everybody's fuming,' reported The Times yesterday. That fans ended up paying for United's players to tour Kuala Lumpur on e-scooters because they couldn't get them to work, seemed to sum up the whole shambolic exercise. What is it all worth? In the region of £8 million. It doesn't even cover the £10 million hit United have taken on their Adidas contract having again failed to reach the Champions League. That a club run by billionaires — plural — is forced to prostitute itself in this way shows the shameful state it is in. Comical to their detractors, pitiful to those who remember what they were and what they used to represent. Us — it used to represent us, the power, success and prestige of the Premier League. But we'll get to that. The bottom line is this is United's doing. The club has been poorly run and it has caught up with them. Mismanagement, weak executive leadership, flawed recruitment, inconsistency in managerial appointments, United have committed all of football's cardinal sins. They deserve no better than to be where they are. What they do not deserve, however, what no club deserves, is to be afforded no way back. And this is where the involvement of the Premier League is significant. In the modern world of sports business, how do you take a club that is a worldwide brand leader, among the most recognisable names on the planet, and allow it to rot, to become a laughing stock, a byword for failure and incompetence? Not that United should be artificially promoted or propelled, not that there hasn't been ineptitude on an epic scale, but no club should be corralled by regulations that see impoverishment where there is none, trapping them in this puppet-show purgatory. United are in Asia for the same reason they are sacking minions, turfing fans out of seats they have occupied for decades and — heaven forbid — contemplating Al-Hilal's interest in Bruno Fernandes. To try to make the numbers add up. Yet these numbers are artificial. They are an invention. They were fake when United and other elite clubs campaigned for them, and they are fake now. United are not poor. United have been reduced by the rules they — and the rest of the elite — once hoped would stop that top table becoming too crowded. On one hand, it would take a heart of stone not to laugh. On the other, it is incredible the many ways the Premier League finds to undermine its product. Could you imagine Major League Baseball allowing the New York Yankees to be stuck like this? It is not that United shouldn't fail. They failed for many years before the Premier League came along and for many years after Sir Alex Ferguson left, and that's fine, that's healthy. What isn't positive is that clubs can't make mistakes anymore. Let's say Liverpool do break the Premier League record, substantially, for Florian Wirtz. That they are forced higher than Friday's £109.4 million bid. What if that doesn't work out? As long as they have the money why shouldn't they try again? Buying Wirtz isn't a bad thing. Liverpool are trying to improve their team, but also the quality of the Premier League as a result. Yet now clubs are anchored to their mistakes. United have wasted fortunes. From Antony to Ángel Di María each recruit was intended to make them better and, in turn, improve the league. Should any club be punished for that? Is it healthy that selling Fernandes, one of the most watchable players in English football, may be their only way out? Sirens should sound if Fernandes goes. He would be an enormous loss to the club and the competition, and is still in his prime at 30. Richard Masters, the league's chief executive, insists he is very relaxed about the threat of Saudi Arabia. He's asleep at the wheel, if so. Last weekend Match of the Day held its goal-of-the-season competition, whittled down to six finalists. The first entry was scored by Jhon Durán, once of Aston Villa, now with Al-Nassr. Harry Kane's understudy at England, Ivan Toney, is in Saudi Arabia too, with Al-Ahli. If the captain of United departs now it will be like the ravens leaving the tower, certainly for United. Whoever arrives to play in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system, Fernandes's loss would make the whole weaker. Yes, he would be mad to move to a comparative backwater, rather than see what United could achieve with Amorim and better planning. Fernandes deserves a good team around him. He scored 19 goals and got 20 assists across all competitions last season. What would he be like with the chance to feed a top-class goalscorer? Yet this is already the longest United have gone without Champions League football in the Premier League era and, even with the financial headroom from selling Fernandes, the way back would be daunting. It would also be a game changer for English football. Is this what we do now? Pass raft after raft of regulations until clubs bleed out? Like Leicester City. Theirs was a narrative reverberating around the globe, without doubt they improved the Premier League's standing. Now Leicester are pursued into the leagues below such is the desire for vengeance having made mistakes. Think of the most positive stories this year and the clubs involved — Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Bournemouth — all have endured skirmishes and more over financial regulation in recent years. Is this making English football more attractive? As it continues to leak talent to foreign leagues, from Kane to Toney to Michael Olise or Dean Huijsen, it does not look it. Back to the puppet show. Ed Woodward, the former executive vice-chairman, made a lot of mistakes at United and recruitment was poor on his watch but, given his commercial background, he also saw where the club sat in the firmament. Woodward viewed United as England's first club — like Bayern Munich in Germany, or Real Madrid in Spain — and, as such, believed it was almost their duty to compete for marquee players. And that might be the height of arrogance, and certainly contributed to the recent decline — too many headline makers, not enough thought — but it is a view that would not have settled for Rasmus Hojlund if there was hope of recruiting Kane. The summer when it was decided nobody at Old Trafford had the wit, ambition or funds to go up against Daniel Levy in those negotiations, is the moment United changed. The club ran scared and has not recovered since. One lousy decision follows another. The reward for reaching the Europa League final is roughly £5 million but United must hand £3.5 million of that to Chelsea because Mason Mount started, and the fee is part of the bonus package attached to his £55 million transfer. The decision to start Mount — sadly ineffectual on the night — also led to the complete collapse of Amorim's relationship with Garnacho. The gifts keep on giving. Woodward's greatest error was thinking United had conquered the world and were so big success no longer mattered. The foreign market is fickle. The further we get from these shores the less we understand the motivations of fans. Woodward frequently boasted of United's global contingent, yet that support turned very quickly in defeat to the Asean All-Stars. United's first visit to Hong Kong since 2013 did not sell out, whereas recent games involving Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have, and swiftly. United, without a title in 12 years, are losing the teenage and twentysomething market abroad as they gravitate towards the winners in their youth. Manchester City now have an Asian presence that would be unheard of in Ferguson's time; Chelsea, too. Football evolves and United, of course, have no right to success. It is a fallacy that clubs like Sunderland or Leeds United get back to 'where they belong'. Every club belongs where it is because it has made decisions, good and bad, that have put it there. Yet clubs also deserve the right to risk, to make a mistake, to try, to have another go, to recover as quickly as they can. That is what is wrong with this system. United should have ended their dreadful campaign and gone away to rethink, regroup and return stronger. They should have long been working to assemble a squad capable of playing Amorim's game. And that costs money. But United have money — because they're Manchester United. Although not on this tour, it would seem. Tonight, and for the foreseeable future Matthew, they're going to be Spinal Tap. Newcastle recruitment supremo recruited no one — but Howe will miss him Newcastle United did not miss out on Liam Delap because they were without sporting director Paul Mitchell. Delap to Newcastle was always going to be a hard sell. He's 22 and if he wanted to be a reserve could have stayed at Manchester City. That he first took a chance on Ipswich Town shows his ambition. The low fee was a complication, too. Yes, it made Delap affordable to all, but it also reduced the imperative to make him a first-team starter. An £80 million signing has to play; one for less than half that carries an understudy's price. So Chelsea are perfect for Delap because they need a starter. Christopher Nkunku is going, Marc Guiu is still learning and while Nicolas Jackson has forged a good partnership with Cole Palmer, as the Conference League final demonstrated, he needs too many chances to score. Newcastle could only offer Delap a place shadowing Alexander Isak, which was never going to be enough. It means Mitchell, whose job was described as 90 per cent recruitment by chief executive Darren Eales, and who initially appeared to have an uneasy relationship with manager Eddie Howe, will have left without recruiting a single player. Yet Howe still won't be pleased to see him go. Newcastle now enter a third consecutive summer transfer window without a recognised director of football. Given the complications around Sandro Tonali, the last player signed in a summer window to go straight into the first team was Isak. He joined on August 26, 2022, and made his debut five days later, opening the scoring against Liverpool. Mitchell will have plans in place but his sudden absence does not suggest stability to any player with Delap's options. Newcastle's rivals are moving fast. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, even Manchester United are in advanced negotiations. Newcastle were left behind last summer when Mitchell bungled a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi with a succession of low-ball bids. Newcastle want Guéhi still, as do Tottenham Hotspur who can offer Champions League football, but might this upheaval place them at a disadvantage? It was a great season for Newcastle, winning a first domestic trophy in 70 years, but also a lucky one. Never before has fifth place provided guaranteed entry to the Champions League. So while Howe has done an outstanding job, he most definitely needs assistance maintaining this trajectory. Mitchell leaves having achieved next to nothing. That doesn't mean he won't be missed. 92.89 million reasons why Real wanted Alexander-Arnold now Carlo Ancelotti didn't think much of the Club World Cup. Had he remained as Real Madrid manager he would have put rest and relaxation for the players after a long and difficult season up there with winning it. That the club have paid Liverpool £10 million to secure Trent Alexander-Arnold's availability, and have engaged coach Xabi Alonso already, suggests they now intend taking it very seriously indeed. Alonso will certainly be in it to win it, keen to make the best possible start, and Real Madrid will want to dominate this expanded competition with its boast of being world champions, the way they dominated the early years of the European Cup. Then there is the money — £92.89 million for the winners. That Real believe it is worth gambling 10.76 per cent of that jackpot to win it shows how highly Alexander-Arnold is regarded by his new club. Given the wages he saved Liverpool running down his old contract, the money on recruitment saved by a player coming through the ranks, and this unexpected windfall, the boos directed at Alexander-Arnold now seem as misguided as they were discourteous. Time for Chelsea's gilded youth to deliver more It has been stated here recently there are many ways of assessing experience in football, and age is certainly one. That Chelsea became the first team to win a European final without fielding a player over the age of 26 is certainly impressive. The repeated insistence that this is a young group overachieving, however, is rather enhanced. This is a very expensively assembled squad of immense promise and talent, who have played many games and experienced many successes. Including subs, the players Chelsea fielded against Real Betis have been involved in 2,994 matches, and made 202 senior international appearances. As for medals, where do you wish to start? World Cup, European Championship, Copa America, Champions League (2), Europa League, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Fifa Club World Cup (2), Uefa Super Cup (3), Premier League, Portugal Primeira Liga, Argentina Primera División, FA Cup (2), EFL Cup, Copa Del Rey, Coppa Italia, Dutch Cup, German Cup, FA Community Shield, German Super Cup, Dutch Super Cup, Argentina Super Cup. Of course, not every medal came with a starring role. Cole Palmer has a Champions League winner's medal from 2022-23, but didn't kick a ball in the campaign for Manchester City after starting against Sevilla on November 2. Even so, he was in and around it all. He wouldn't have been wide-eyed in Wroclaw and, if he was, he certainly didn't play like it. Enzo Maresca rounded on the club's critics at the end of a successful league campaign but he, more than anyone, had played down their chances all season. He isn't alone among managers in doing that but he cannot get away with it next season. There will be a level of expectation around Chelsea after this campaign. They are youthful, but far from innocent, and will be expected to be in the mix.
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Inside Man Utd's ‘stag do' Far East tour including clashes with fans, player protests and humiliating open-top bus trip
MANCHESTER UNITED endured a nightmare post-season tour in Asia including an embarrassing on-pitch display, a humiliating bus parade and unhappy players. Following the club's horror season, the decision to play two matches in the Far East to generate some extra cash was not a decision popular in the club. 9 Man Utd ended their post-season tour of Asia by lifting the Defining Education Challenge Cup Credit: Getty 9 The tour was a relaxed but sombre mood Credit: Reuters 9 The club's commercial activities saw them participating in a humiliating bus parade In fact, according to the Manchester Evening News, when the squad learned of that decision a delegation was sent to the club's football leadership on behalf of the first team to express their dismay. Some of the squad were said to be outright "fuming" about having to go on the six-day tour after a 60-game season, though with commercial duties taking up much of the agenda the trip effectively became a four-day event. Players were said to be concerned about having to cancel holiday plans, including one who complained about being forced to cancel a family trip scheduled for the half-term week. Club chiefs made a concession by bringing the departure time of their Malaysia flight forwards to Sunday evening, hour following the final game of the season against Aston Villa, after learning some players might try to "cry off" the 14,150-mile round trip to Malaysia. However, the actual mood in the camp on tour was said to be a better than anticipated despite the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. Some commercial player events including fan meet-and-greets are said to have taken up to two hours to complete as the local supporters lapped up the chance to see Man Utd in the flesh, including on the humiliating open-top bus parade which happened in Kuala Lumpur before the first friendly against ASEAN All-Stars. Kit makers Adidas hosted a nocturnal poolside party at the W Hotel - where they stayed as part of their link with club sponsor, Marriott - following the 1-0 defeat to the All-Stars. Several guests are said to have attended the meeting, with many "admiring" the view of the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK That came after players were said to have been using gallows humour on the team bus back to the hotel, which had followed some booing from fans there. The rules on tour were more relaxed than a pre-season tour would be and players were given permission to head out on their first night in the city, with one star allegedly half-joking the trip would be "like a stag do". Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho show middle finger to fans during Man Utd's post-season tour in Malaysia However, while some were tempted to go out into the city to enjoy the night, a senior star instead advised them to stay in. Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho and Ayden Heaven were seen out on e-scooters, which had to be paid for by fans, while Joshua Zirkzee opted to enjoy some Thai take-out with a security guard after not being impressed by the room service options. Club staff were also able to let their hair down in the trip, with some enjoying drinks on the 14-hour flight to the Malaysian capital. On the eighth floor of the hotel itself there was a vending machine which dispensed £40 mini bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne. The second leg of the tour saw them go to Hong Kong, but they were barely in the country 36 hours following an early-morning flight which then saw them spend an hour in their second W Hotel for lunch before getting on the team bus for training. 9 The squad stayed at the W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur as part of the club's partnership with Marriott Credit: Instagram / wkualalumpur 9 The five-star establishment had a vending machine dispensing £40 bottles of champagne Credit: 9 Although Joshua Zirkzee is said to have not been too impressed with the room service options Credit: Instagram / wkualalumpur 9 Adidas arranged for a poolside party event Credit: Despite the glitz and glam of the 5-star establishment, things were sour away from the hotel with Amad and Garnacho seen gesturing their middle fingers towards fans and the latter doing so towards a club camerman. Amad later revealed he had been subjected to insults about his mother from some fans. Meanwhile, Garnacho - on the tour after being told to "pray" he finds a new club following a public dressing down in front of team-mates by Ruben Amorim - did the gesture without any clear provocation. The 20-year-old was involved in a fan altercation while out in the city as the fan seemed to invade his personal space and also looked very unbothered during a shirt signing event. He was described as "surly" during the trip, with club staff shadowing him closely as he signed shirts and posed for pictures without ever breaking into a smile. 9 Alejandro Garnacho was in a 'surly' mood on the trip Credit: X 9 Amad Diallo was abused by fans who insulted his mother Credit: TikTok/@ahmdhakimi The Argentine was one of the last to board to team bus after the All Stars defeat and donned sunglasses as he ignored requests in the mixed zone. One eyewitness claimed he removed his shades after getting through the packed pen, while Amorim later chuckled in a press conference when a reporter asked if there was any chance of Garnacho staying at the club. Amorim, 40, is said to have told a colleague about how exhausting the post-season tour had been, especially in the humidity of Malaysia. Man Utd finished their tour by beating Hong Kong 3-1 off a brace from Chido Obi and a late header from Ayden Heaven. The club lifted the Defining Education Challenge Cup as a result of the win, but the trophy was so undervalued that a press officer carried it back to the dressing room. In the first game back in Kuala Lumpur, Man Utd stars had been delayed in collecting their silver medals when the referee and linesman had returned to the dressing room before being called back out. All in all the tour was estimated to generate around £10million for the club - which should at least leave the club's financial department a little happier- although you would imagine a post-season tour next year may not be on the cards. After the break a pre-season tour in Chicago is next, which is when the real work begins. Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Inside Man Utd's ‘stag do' Far East tour including clashes with fans, player protests and humiliating open-top bus trip
MANCHESTER UNITED endured a nightmare post-season tour in Asia including an embarrassing on-pitch display, a humiliating bus parade and unhappy players. Following the club's horror season, the decision to play two matches in the Far East to generate some extra cash was not a decision popular in the club. 9 Man Utd ended their post-season tour of Asia by lifting the Defining Education Challenge Cup Credit: Getty 9 The tour was a relaxed but sombre mood Credit: Reuters 9 The club's commercial activities saw them participating in a humiliating bus parade In fact, according to the Some of the squad were said to be outright "fuming" about having to go on the six-day tour after a 60-game season, though with commercial duties taking up much of the agenda the trip effectively became a four-day event. Players were said to be concerned about having to cancel holiday plans, including one who complained about being forced to cancel a family trip scheduled for the half-term week. Club chiefs made a concession by bringing the departure time of their Malaysia flight forwards to Sunday evening, hour following the final game of the season against However, the actual mood in the camp on tour was said to be a better than anticipated despite the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. Some commercial player events including fan meet-and-greets are said to have taken up to two hours to complete as the local supporters lapped up the chance to see Man Utd in the flesh, including on the humiliating open-top bus parade which happened in Kuala Lumpur before the first friendly against ASEAN All-Stars. Kit makers Adidas hosted a nocturnal poolside party at the W Hotel - where they stayed as part of their link with club sponsor, Marriott - following the 1-0 defeat to the All-Stars. Several guests are said to have attended the meeting, with many "admiring" the view of the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK That came after players were said to have been using gallows humour on the team bus back to the hotel, which had followed some booing from fans there. The rules on tour were more relaxed than a pre-season tour would be and players were given permission to head out on their first night in the city, with one star allegedly half-joking the trip would be "like a stag do". Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho show middle finger to fans during Man Utd's post-season tour in Malaysia However, while some were tempted to go out into the city to enjoy the night, a senior star instead advised them to stay in. Club staff were also able to let their hair down in the trip, with some enjoying drinks on the 14-hour flight to the Malaysian capital. On the eighth floor of the hotel itself there was a vending machine which dispensed £40 mini bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne. The second leg of the tour saw them go to Hong Kong, but they were barely in the country 36 hours following an early-morning flight which then saw them spend an hour in their second W Hotel for lunch before getting on the team bus for training. 9 The squad stayed at the W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur as part of the club's partnership with Marriott Credit: Instagram / wkualalumpur 9 The five-star establishment had a vending machine dispensing £40 bottles of champagne Credit: 9 Although Joshua Zirkzee is said to have not been too impressed with the room service options Credit: Instagram / wkualalumpur 9 Adidas arranged for a poolside party event Credit: Despite the glitz and glam of the 5-star establishment, things were sour away from the hotel with Amad later revealed he had been subjected to insults about his mother from some fans. Meanwhile, Garnacho - on the tour after being told to "pray" he finds a new club following a public dressing down in front of team-mates by The He was described as "surly" during the trip, with club staff shadowing him closely as he signed shirts and posed for pictures without ever breaking into a smile. 9 Alejandro Garnacho was in a 'surly' mood on the trip Credit: X 9 Amad Diallo was abused by fans who insulted his mother Credit: TikTok/@ahmdhakimi The Argentine was one of the last to board to team bus after the All Stars defeat and donned sunglasses as he ignored requests in the mixed zone. One eyewitness claimed he removed his shades after getting through the packed pen, while Amorim, 40, is said to have told a colleague about how exhausting the post-season tour had been, especially in the humidity of Malaysia. The club lifted the Defining Education Challenge Cup as a result of the win, but the trophy was so undervalued that a press officer carried it back to the dressing room. In the first game back in Kuala Lumpur, Man Utd stars had been delayed in collecting their silver medals when the referee and linesman had returned to the dressing room before being called back out. All in all the tour was estimated to generate around £10million for the club - which should at least leave the club's financial department a little happier- although you would imagine a post-season tour next year may not be on the cards. Read more on the Irish Sun After the break a pre-season tour in Chicago is next, which is when the real work begins. Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Manchester United legend RETIRES from football at age 37 after winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League
A Manchester United legend has retired from football after leaving the club at the end of his contract. Ruben Amorim 's side are currently reeling from a disastrous post-season tour of Malaysia, that was rocked by speculation over the future of Bruno Fernandes and incidents involving Alejandro Garnacho and Amad. However, when the club look to bounce back next season they will be doing it without one of the most experienced players. On Saturday it was announced that Jonny Evans would be retiring from football ahead of the expiry of his contract at the end of June. Evans made over 240 appearances in all competitions across two spells at Old Trafford, winning three Premier League titles and the FA Cup. The 37-year-old bows out as one of the most decorated Northern Irish footballers in history, and represented his country 107 times at senior level.
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Inside Manchester United's chaotic post-season Asian tour
It's Wednesday night and it's party time in the national stadium of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. A scratch team of players from the southeast Asian football federations, known as the Asean All-Stars, have done the unthinkable and beaten Manchester United in the first match of a two-game post-season tour for Ruben Amorim's beleaguered side. In the stadium's offices the prize for the victory, the Maybank Challenge Cup, (named after the sponsor of the friendly) is being handed around to staff for photographs. Just down the corridor in the interview area, the smiling match-winner from Myanmar, Maung Maung Lwin, is applauded as he does his umpteenth media engagement. Down in the bowels of the stadium, Lwin's team mate Sergio Agüero (no, not that one) is beset by anxiety rather than elation. The naturalised Malaysian, born in Argentina, is lurking around the dressing-room door, hoping that Alejandro Garnacho fulfils a promise he made during the game to give him his shirt. Instead, when United's wantaway winger departs, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes, he simply walks past Agüero and others present. Luckily for Agüero, one of United's kitmen saves the day, scooping Garnacho's jersey off the floor and handing it to him. On the big red United bus, which has 'TOUR' — and the insignia of all their sponsors — emblazoned on it, there is plenty of gallows humour. 'Only after the season we've had, can we lose a post-season friendly and get booed off by our own fans,' the joke goes. In the immediate aftermath of the embarrassing defeat there were no quips from the players. For the second time in the space of a week they were made to watch their opponents lift a trophy and, to make matters worse, the presentation ceremony was delayed because the officials had gone back into the dressing room to get changed. The United players, who also went on a lap of honour, were angry that they had to wait in the 30C-plus heat, so they complained to the organisers, who ran into the dressing room and brought the officials back on to the pitch. By that point on Wednesday night, Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot were on a private jet to India, having left the stadium at half-time. The three players, who had played in the opening half against the Asean All-Stars, had been chosen to appear at a question-and-answer session in Mumbai the following day. When United announced they were undertaking a post-match tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong, they did not want to alienate their strong Indian following. United have millions of Indian followers but they have never played a match there, so Onana, Dalot and Maguire skipped the second half of the first friendly and the entirety of the final match against Hong Kong, which United won on Friday night, to take part in the Q&A session in Mumbai. They arrived back in Manchester on Friday, which made them the envy of their team-mates, who are due to arrive home 24 hours later. United insist their players understand why they had to come on this trip — the £8million raised will, to a certain extent, soften the £10million penalty the club will pay to Adidas for failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season. Privately, however, three sources have used the same phrase to describe the feelings of most of the squad at being dragged to the Far East during a time when they could have been on holiday with their families. 'They're fuming,' they said. Players attended several events organised by some of United's biggest sponsors, including Adidas, Tezos, Apollo, Maybank and Snapdragon, during this week-long, 14,000-mile round trip. One downbeat peripheral player advised a team-mate to give short answers in a Q&A session in Kuala Lumpur so that the appearance ended as quickly as possible. Ashley Westwood, the Hong Kong head coach, summed up the situation perfectly when he said that the United players needed these fixtures 'like a hole in the head' but conceded that money talks. 'This trip is all about revenues, it has become a thing,' Westwood said the day before United beat Hong Kong 3-1 on a sodden pitch. That said, the tour has been enjoyable for the players and staff in other senses. Given that this is essentially a post-season wind-down, the atmosphere in and around the W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where they stayed three nights, and the W Hotel in Hong Kong, which hosted them for one evening, has been relaxed and less disciplined than it would be on a pre-season tour. That became clear on the Air Malaysia aircraft that carried the players, staff and executives from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur last Sunday evening, shortly after United had defeated Aston Villa 2-0 in the final match of a wretched Premier League season. In the business and first-class seats saved for the players, music was played and some squad members and staff had a few drinks. The players have not been subjected to a curfew on this trip. Joshua Zirkzee walked over the road from the team hotel in Kuala Lumpur to a Thai restaurant one night after being unimpressed by the room-service options. Amad Diallo and Garnacho hired some scooters and whizzed around the city. A few players went out to a nightclub after they arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday night, accompanied by security staff. One popular member of staff wowed those present with his left-field dancing. Some players had a drink in the hotel bar after the loss to Asean All-Stars. Staff joined in too. Bruno Fernandes told them that he would pay for their drinks all night and he did. In the corner of the bar stood a gold vending machine that sells 187ml bottles of champagne for £40 a pop. If you buy five bottles, your sixth is free. Fernandes's future has been a hot topic among the travelling party. Some are convinced he will leave, others refuse to believe it. They all agree unanimously that United need to do everything they can to keep the 30-year-old captain. They know he is their best player and his leadership skills are valuable, particularly because morale is so low now after finishing 15th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for the Champions League. Fernandes has been seen giving guidance and help to the younger members of the 32-man party that United brought to the Far East. 'Are you a proper United fan then?' the United employee in a white Adidas polo shirt said to two men in United shirts as he walked them down the red carpet at the stadium in Kuala Lumpur (which was stuck to the floor by red electrical tape) last Wednesday in the VVIP area. Some of the 72,5000 fans present were guests of wealthy businesses trying to impress clients or reward employees, but some of them were genuine fans, including Daniel, an engineering student who paid £262 for his VVIP ticket, which involved a slap-up buffet dinner in a roped-off area of the stadium. 'We had [Edwin] van der Sar, [Patrice] Evra, Rio [Ferdinand], [Nemanja] Vidic, the Brazilian twins [Rafael and Fabio da Silva] …' the 25-year-old says, reciting the squad that United had when he started supporting them in 2008, as if to prove his credentials. United's squad is much worse these days but there was no way that would put him off coming to the match. 'It doesn't matter,' he said. 'It's about loyalty. The appeal of the Theatre of Dreams is not just about the 'Theatre' — it's about the actors, who are the players, and the producer, the coach.' Although there are 9,000 empty seats in Kuala Lumpur, selling north of 75,000 tickets (a small section of which were available for £8 and £16), is a sign that support for United remains strong. One man in the crowd is Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian prime minister. As a United fan, he is unhappy with the result, unlike many of the cabinet members in attendance, who are Liverpool supporters. That United retain a strong following in Asia is also evident, judging by the fact that more than 300 fans turned up to greet them at the team hotel, even though it had not been advertised that the players were staying there. 'This match is the biggest sporting event in Kuala Lumpur in 2025,' Christopher Raj, the chief executive of ShekhinahPR, a local firm contracted to publicise the All-Stars match, said. 'We had 600 media applications for the match but we only had space for 250. 'Today we have more than 100 media waiting for the team to turn up. They've been here for a long time.' When the squad eventually arrived, security guards had to hold the fans and media back behind a cordon on either side of the bus. Luke Shaw signed a few shirts for local media inside the hotel lobby — about 50 yards away from the fans — but most of the players went straight through reception and up to their rooms, as instructed by security staff, who are always aware of a potential crush due to the excitement of the crowd at these greetings. To avoid such an issue, the coach carrying the team to their hotel in Shanghai on their 2016 pre-season tour dropped the players off at the back entrance of the hotel, much to the annoyance of hundreds of people who were waiting for them in reception. Isuandar, a 31-year-old engineer from Kuala Lumpur, was happy to get a glimpse of his hero, Fernandes, from about 50 yards away. 'I have been here waiting for hours,' he said. 'Manchester is the biggest team in Malaysia.' TJ, who has travelled over from the UK, was less impressed. 'They can't come over and see a few kids,' he shouted as his young son beside him cried. 'It's disgusting.' When on pre-season tour, United sometimes organise well-attended public training sessions for their fans, but they chose not to on this occasion. It was probably for the best given the standard of football on show during the hour-long session in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt, both returning from injury, did some running and stretches before the rest of the squad split into two units for the rondos. After that, Amorim directed a pretty lacklustre training drill that began with Tom Heaton launching the ball to the halfway line, where ten outfield players would each touch the ball before someone tried to shoot. Even though they were playing against mannequins, some of the passing — and in particular the finishing from Chido Obi — was poor. The organisers had bought the 7ft-high yellow mannequins especially for United's training session in an effort to impress Amorim, the head coach, and his staff but some were not filled with enough water and they collapsed in a heap, prompting jokes from the sidelines about a comparison between the men in yellow and United's defence in their Europa League final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur the previous Wednesday. Obi looked far more polished by the time he and United arrived in Hong Kong, where they were met by a deluge that made the pitch for their final friendly difficult to play on. The downpour was so great that the roof started leaking in the press room — a problem teams visiting Old Trafford will be familiar with. Obi, 17, scored twice as United came from behind to win 3-1 in what was Jonny Evans's last game at the club. Before heading to the airport, Fernandes and Garnacho — now without sunglasses –— signed autographs and posed for selfies with fans outside the dressing room.
