A closer look at some Manchester United headlines, as an update on the club’s new stadium plans is shared, and Ruben Amorim’s reaction to a player emerges
Manchester United are currently enjoying one of their most successful periods under Ruben Amorim. United’s last-minute equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur extended their unbeaten run to five league matches.
It’s been a year since Amorim took the reins at Old Trafford, having left Sporting CP the previous November. Despite guiding his team to the Europa League final last season, United’s loss to Spurs and disappointing league performance left the team without any European football this season.
The 40-year-old manager reportedly expressed his frustration with a current United player during a crucial team meeting towards the end of last season. Amorim’s efforts to instil a new mindset within his squad have been reinforced by the club’s summer signings and a less congested fixture schedule.
Elsewhere, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has offered his views on United’s plans for a new stadium. MEN Sport delves deeper into some of the headlines surrounding Old Trafford.
Man United’s new stadium plans emerge
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has insisted that public funds will not be used to finance Manchester United’s new stadium. Earlier this year, the club revealed plans to construct a 100,000-seat stadium, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe suggesting that the government could contribute to the project.
A Mayoral Development Corporation has recently been set up, focusing on the regeneration project around the ground. However, Burnham has stated that no public money will be used to support the construction of the stadium.
“It’s not about giving them money because we have a really clear principle here at the start of this journey with the Mayoral Development Corporation,” Burnham told The Added Time Podcast. “Manchester United will be paying for the stadium. There will not be a penny of public money going into that.
“But we have absolutely a role to play in making everything around the stadium as good as it can be because of the economic benefit that brings. If you think about it, there is a train station behind the stand there and it’s not been used for a number of years for safety reasons.
“Part of it would see that station relocated a little bit, maybe a bit nearer Lou Macari’s chippy or somewhere near there, and that would then reopen and massively benefit existing communities, Gorse Hill, Stretford and the people who live there, so the public benefit of this would be massive. Thousands of new homes, thousands of new jobs, so it’s much wider than the ground itself.”
Ruben Amorim made his anger clear
Upon joining United last year, Amorim was likely thrilled to be reunited with Manuel Ugarte, who had been a pivotal player during his time at Sporting. However, the manager reportedly didn’t hesitate to criticise the midfielder’s attitude in a team meeting following United’s Europa League final defeat.
Alejandro Garnacho was reportedly informed that his future lay elsewhere during the meeting and Amorim didn’t mince words when addressing Ugarte. The Athletic has reported that the United boss criticised Ugarte, feeling that the midfielder’s work ethic had declined since leaving Sporting.
Amorim believed that Ugarte had become too comfortable at United and the manager “did not recognise him” as the same player. It was a brave move by Amorim to publicly criticise one of his former stars in front of other players. However, it is believed to have had a positive effect on the United squad, who appreciated the manager’s candid feedback.