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BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Embarrassing defeat and bizarre parade - inside Man Utd's troubled trip
"As a player, and I have been there, they probably need this like a hole in the head".Hong Kong coach Ashley Westwood was blunt and to the point when speaking about Manchester United's post-season tour of a former FA Youth Cup winner with United in 1995 - and someone who worked for the club's in-house television channel MUTV during a recent pre-season trip to Perth - Westwood has an understanding of the pressures and demands associated with being a player for the 20-time English publicly United's players talked up their post-season trip to Asia and privately officials have praised the way they carried out a mountain of commercial demands, Westwood says no-one should be in any doubt about the reality of the situation."No-one says it on the record because they can't, but fans and sponsors pay wages and this trip is all about revenues," he half-time in Hong Kong, as United trailed 1-0 to the national side currently 153rd in Fifa's rankings, the tour looked to be going from bad to youngsters signed from Arsenal this season, striker Chido Obi and defender Ayden Heaven, scored the second-half goals that brought a below-capacity crowd at a rain-soaked Hong Kong stadium to life - and at least allowed United to head into the summer on a winning the trip itself was a success is another matter. A trip focused on commercial partnerships United estimate they will generate around £10m from their 14,000-mile, six-day expedition. The payment is not connected to ticket sales, so it is a time when their focus in pre-season - both commercially and from a player preparation perspective - is on the United States, where they will go for the third successive summer in July, United's presence in the region also allows them to 'service' existing big-money sponsorship deals with the likes of banking partner Maybank, airline partner Malaysia Airlines, beer partner Tiger and tyre partner evidence was needed for the real purpose of United's trip, it comes from the knowledge that Andre Onana, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot had been substituted and were heading for the airport as their team-mates were being booed by a large percentage of a 72.550 crowd following their surprise 1-0 defeat to a South-East Asia select XI on trio were boarding a private plane to Mumbai, where they would spend Thursday on a packed commercial programme arranged by Apollo, before getting home a day earlier than those who had gone on to Hong Kong for the second Westwood said, United's players had been given little choice about being on the immediately after the final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa meant there was no opportunity to back out. Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt was present, even though he was not fit enough to play. United wanted Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof there too but both had personal reasons to Ruben Amorim's squad opted to make the best of it. Unlike a focused and driven pre-season tour, it is fair to say their approach to this event was 'relaxed'.The scenes on the flight from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur were said to be like a party, with loud music and drinks. Some players and staff members were seen at a club on the Monday, immediately after their arrival. There was also a chance to wind down after Wednesday's game. In the wake of their defeat in Kuala Lumpur, there was gallows humour among the squad when it was pointed out somewhat ironically that after the season they just had domestically, they had now managed to get booed by fans 6,600 miles away from striker Joshua Zirkzee nipped out - accompanied by security - to get some late-night food because room service was not to his taste. Amad Diallo, Heaven and Alejandro Garnacho tried to take an e-scooter ride, only to discover they did not have the money to pay for does not appear to have been an enthusiastic following Amorim's return from a post-Europa League final summit with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and other club executives in Monaco he could find a new club in the summer, the young Argentina winger remains popular among supporters, as evidenced by the raucous cheers for him in both there is evidence of a lack of the ASEAN All-Stars defeat, Garnacho went straight past opposition captain Sergio Aguero, a 31-year-old Argentine-born naturalised Malaysian, despite promising him his shirt from the game. The damage was rectified by a United kitman, who grabbed Garnacho's shirt from the dressing room and handed it brought more negativity as pictures emerged on social media of Amad Diallo making a one-fingered gesture to a fan as he was leaving the team subsequently said he was responding to abuse against his mum. He accepted his reaction was wrong but at the same time did not regret specific behaviours raise an eyebrow or can be excused, from a corporate perspective, some of United's decisions have also been context is clearly different but having ruled out having a parade if they won the Europa League final in Bilbao, to see a group of players, including Zirkzee, embark on a bus parade through Kuala Lumpur was bizarre. Some fans did turn out - and there remains enthusiasm for United in this it is not on remotely the same levels as their last visit to Malaysia, in 2009, when they were still Premier League champions, had the likes of Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney in their that time, they struggled to get around their hotel such was the constant presence of fans. Their first game attracted a crowd of 85,000 - and there were 30,000 at a second, arranged at 48 hours' notice after a terrorist attack in Jakarta, where they were supposed to be was on that tour too and the Portuguese winger was part of a three-man team of 'legends' along with Wes Brown and John O'Shea who have been on this trip to push the club narrative. Amorim learns what being Man Utd boss means For Amorim, it has been another eye-opening crash course in what being a figurehead at United means. "More than a manager" was his assessment in Hong Kong on Thursday was introduced to the Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian prime minister, and a United fan, during his time in Kuala Lumpur. It is the kind of exposure you do not get at most clubs, even the size of his previous team Sporting in knows, stripped away from the sideshow, he must deliver in Malaysia, after a season in which he described his team as "probably the worst" United have ever had, his side managed to lose against a team made up of players from a region with no history of making an impact on the global stage. United were booed off, Amorim claimed his side were "chokers" and he had to implore supporters to buy tickets for the Hong Kong game. It was a plea that went unheeded judging by the numbers of empty arrived in Hong Kong to a huge thunderstorm and a deluge that raised concerns the final match of the trip might not take game went ahead, although it did so amid fresh speculation over the future of skipper Bruno Fernandes, who has been the subject of a huge offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal, who want the Portugal midfielder to be part of their squad at the Club World believes Fernandes will stay, but until the 30-year-old or Al Hilal specifically state otherwise, nothing is victory against Hong Kong was well received by the most of those there to witness Amorim accepts the trip was missing something pretty June and August 2011, market research company Kantar conducted a poll of "nearly 54,000 adults in 39 countries" and concluded United had 659 million global "followers".In this period of brutal cost-cutting, it seems doubtful Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be commissioning an update any time soon. On the evidence here in Hong Kong and Malaysia, it is hard to imagine United have close to that number once they dominated the Premier League commercially, now they trail Manchester City, who have generated greater prize money over the past are not the draw they once were, despite the red shirts on show this week, which, in fairness to Fernandes, Garnacho and others, they spent time signing for fans before leaving for Hong Kong airport and is not known when they will return to the region - but Amorim knows for certain what would make it a better experience than this one."We want to return but I would like to come back with better results," he said."The people are really lovely and respectful and we are grateful for everybody. But it would be so much fun to come here with titles."
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'There was a glimpse of the future'
It was hard not to feel some sympathy for Ruben Amorim as he trudged across the pitch at half-time of Manchester United's second post-season tour match against Hong were losing to an international side gearing up for a match against Nepal and who their manager, former Sheffield Wednesday defender Ashley Westwood, said afterwards had a really big game against Singapore later in the a ridiculously bad introduction to the Premier League, a Europa League final loss to Tottenham and an embarrassing defeat by a South-East Asia select XI in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Amorim must have been wondering if anything would go right for him at it turned out, there was a glimpse of the Obi and Ayden Heaven were both signed from Arsenal this season as part of a recruitment drive focused more towards developing players than established is the way United feel they will get out of the mess they are is 17 years old. He is raw and a bit inconsistent. He is still to properly fill out. But, he does know where the goal is - and too many have failed at that basic task for Amorim's liking this is 18 years old. He made such an impression following his ascent into the first team, Amorim kept him there and was genuinely disappointed when he got injured at Leicester in is far too early to think either player will get to the level United require, but the signs are has not been an easy trip. But it ended with some genuine hope for the future.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Manchester United vs Hong Kong: Score and latest updates
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Manchester United's final post-season tour match against Hong King. It may be difficult to pinpoint exactly which circle of hell United are traversing at the moment – they've been through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger and heresy but is this violence, fraud or treachery – but it's certainly hot down there for all concerned. In the scale of things, losing to a scratch South-East Asian XI while pocketing £8 million barely matters given the long, morale-sapping season they've had, the weight of the shirt (and not just in oppressive heat and humidity) and the unsuitability of Ruben Amorim's tactics for the personnel he has and vice versa. On Wednesday Amorim used 27 players, leaving Altay Bayindir unused, which meant only the starting XI, which stayed together for merely 30 minutes, had any hope of finding any coherence and even they couldn't manage it against a well-drilled side that also made multiple changes but still managed to break Manchester United's defensive structure with fast dribbling and slotted, diagonal passes between the middle centre-half and his colleagues left and right and between them and their wing-backs. The Hong Kong national team they play today have beaten Macau 2-0 and drawn 0-0 with Singapore this year and are tuning up for an Asia Cup qualifier against India on June 10. They are managed by former Manchester United trainee Ashley Westwood, a defender you may remember from his stints at Crewe, Sheffield Wednesday and Wrexham. That Singapore draw capped an unprecedented winning run in the team's history in which the Brazil-born winger Everton scored five goals. Juninho, also born in Brazil, is the main threat up front and should Amorim riffle through his subs as quickly as he did in Kuala Lumpur, the Kitchee forward has the skill to make him pay. While Harry Maguire, Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot have gone to India to flog tyres and do a meet and greet, Luke Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee, who were in the stands on Wednesday, are all in tonight's squad.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong keen to help fragile Manchester United ‘put on a show' in Friday match
Ashley Westwood has said Hong Kong will treat their game against Manchester United on Friday like a training session, with the hosts' priority being to help their illustrious opponents 'put on a show for fans'. United look ripe for the plucking after their timid loss to Asean All-Stars in Malaysia on Wednesday, but Westwood was adamant he harboured no great ambition to inflict more misery on the club he once played for as a youth. Rather, the Englishman said he was content for his team to play the role of 'sparring partners' for stricken United. 'In that we're there to help them put on a good show, not because we're trying to chin anyone,' he clarified. Hong Kong also play Nepal in a friendly next week, before a pivotal Asian Cup qualifier against India at Kai Tak Stadium on June 10. United's Mason Mount takes part in Thursday's open training at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Elson Li 'My job is to navigate through these games and peak for India,' Westwood said. Excitement is bubbling up for the Kai Tak clash, with more than 15,000 tickets already sold. Twice that number were expected at Hong Kong Stadium for Manchester United's first visit to the city since 2013.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Amad wants Alejandro Garnacho to stay at Manchester United
Amad has said he wants Alejandro Garnacho to remain a Manchester United player into next season because the team 'need good players'. Garnacho was told by Ruben Amorim that he should look for a new club during an address to his squad after the Europa League final, but Amad has come to his teammate's defence. Advertisement Speaking alongside Amorim in a press conference ahead of United's tour match against Hong Kong, China, Amad said: 'Alejandro is a really good player, we need good players in the team. I know Garna really well. I hope to have Garna next season. (It) is not really a big issue for the team.' Amad and Garnacho are close friends, they also share the same agent, but his support was nonetheless significant. Garnacho played the entire second half in United's first game against ASEAN All Stars, and Amorim insisted the situation with him being in Asia is fine despite the wider picture. 'It is not a surprise, he is a Manchester United player,' Amorim said. 'Some players are injured. It was better not to fly them here to play these two games. It is a normal situation (with Garnacho). It is OK.' United will come up against a Hong Kong side managed by a former academy graduate in Ashley Westwood, who won the FA Youth Cup as a teenager at Old Trafford. Westwood gave a revealing answer when asked about United's post-season journey to the other side of the world. 'Players, I have been there, just want to rest,' Westwood said. 'This trip is all about revenues, it has become a thing. Teams do end of season tours. 'I was working for MUTV in Perth on a pre-season trip. The end of season is different. Fans and sponsors pay wages. No players want to do it because they want to recover and many have internationals after that. 'They probably need this like a hole in the head. No-one says it on the record because you can't.' Westwood added: 'Only impression I want to give is that we are a professional outfit. Man United are trying to come here and put a show on. We are sparring partners. It is an exhibition game. It is a training session for us. 'My job is to make sure no-one gets carried away. We are here to help the occasion and help fans get value for money.' ()
