Manchester United’s players have come in for criticism from former stars after their inconsistent Premier League form and it has seemingly been having an impact
Former Manchester United players in the punditry game have left members of the current squad “p****d off” with some of their criticism, it has been claimed. The likes of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane are all broadcasting mainstays, and haven’t been afraid to speak their mind when it comes to Ruben Amorim’s struggling side.
United have still won more Premier League titles than any other club, with the likes of Neville, Scholes and Keane involved in a number of those 13 title wins. The last of those came more than a decade ago, though, and United have arguably never looked further from returning to the summit.
According to The Mail, this has prompted “battle lines” to be drawn between some current and former players. Criticism has arrived during studio broadcasts around United’s league and cup games, and it has been reported that some feel the pundits could show more sympathy.
“The players feel the weight of what these guys say very deeply,” an agent close to United’s first team is quoted as saying by The Mail. “They see all the clips and it really p****s them off. Their view is that these guys know what it’s like to feel the pressure of being a United player so they want some level of understanding from them but feel they don’t get it.
“Some players think the Class of ’92 actually don’t want them to succeed so their own legacy can be protected. So, yeah, the relationship has been bad. The lads certainly don’t want to be interviewed by them for TV. It’s gone way beyond that”
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Neville and Scholes aren’t the only ‘Class of 92’ heroes – players who served United well after coming through the academy – to pass comment on the current crop. However, they, as well as one-time captain Keane, are the most prominent on TV and other media.
Scholes, for his part, recently stepped away from TV work to care for his autistic son Aiden. “He’s non-verbal so he can’t speak. When I say he can’t speak, I think he understands a lot more than we think,” Scholes explained on the Stick to Football podcast.
“He has sounds but it’s only people that are close to him that will know what he’s saying. He has autism, but it’s like a really severe autism – because you can have it and go to school normally and such.”
United endured their worst ever Premier League campaign last season, with Erik ten Hag sacked after a poor start and successor Ruben Amorim leading the club to their first bottom-half finish in the competition. There have been green shoots of recovery this term, with Amorim’s team eighth after 14 games, but there is still work to be done.
Next up is a meeting with winless Wolves on Monday, and Amorim isn’t underestimating the opposition. “Everything can happen, and that will change,” he told reporters.
“There is no team in the Premier League history that didn’t win one game. So, it can be any game. So, we need to try to improve, to rest the players, work really well, and prepare a tough match because, with us, it’s always a tough match.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
