The great Manchester United, back in the Far East by popular demand, booed off in their first engagement. After defeat in Malaysia against the rapidly assembled ASEAN All-stars, what, pray, might be the reaction in Hong Kong should another defeat befall Ruben Amorim?
The audience in Kuala Lumpur saw first-hand the same dire output overseen by Amorim since his arrival in November, an inability to raise a lick, to dig in and fight.
Yes, this was only a friendly none on the plane wanted, imposed by the commercial imperatives in play. Hemmed in by Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) constraints, United were in no position to say no to £10m worth of appearance fees plus associated brand-building benefits.
Yet what kind of advertisement is this, a repeat of the insipid, colourless football that resulted in the worst season since relegation in 1974? Is it any wonder United targets Liam Delap and Bryan Mbeumo are house-hunting in Chelsea and Newcastle respectively?
Though these are in every sense exhibition games, in the context of United’s epic fail under Amorim they add to the negative swirl engulfing the club and contribute to the idea that United are inexorably losing ground.
The demographic in this part of the world raised on Beckham, Keane, Giggs and Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy, are watching their children flock to Manchester City and Liverpool.
They run around in shirts bearing the names of Haaland and Salah, players who excite, who win important trophies, championships, Champions Leagues. Even Chelsea, once as bent out of shape as United, are eating into United’s global fan base. It will be Newcastle next, all playing a dynamic, vibrant brand of football that was once United’s hallmark.
And at the centre of it all, the disconsolate figure of Alejandro Garnacho, not so long ago an emblem of United’s investment in youth, that great Busby tradition. The overhead kick against Everton, the late winner against Fulham at Craven Cottage, match-winning interventions the Stretford End thought were the launch of another great career in the service of the Red Devils.
Soccer Football - Friendly - ASEAN All Star v Manchester United - Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - May 28, 2025 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes after the match REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Man Utd’s tour is doing more harm than good (Photo: Reuters)
What do they mean now? Apparently nothing to Amorim, who reportedly cancelled Garnacho in view of his teammates following last week’s defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. Amorim took a dim view of Garnacho and his brother criticising his diminished role in Bilbao and reportedly told him to find another club.
Yet the Argentine was still on that plane to Malaysia, and played the second half, which is an indication of the problem Amorim faces trying to refresh a group he has written off as the worst team in United’s history, without the means to do so.
Matheus Cunha is a necessary addition but not sufficient to right this listing vessel on his own. If, as Amorim admits, there is little scope for profound renewal this summer, he will have to mend and make do, and there are worse performers than Garnacho. Yet it is Garnacho who is looking elsewhere, a convenient scapegoat for the failure of Amorim’s methods.
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What if Garnacho was never the problem? As reported by The i Paper, Napoli seem to admire him well enough, and were he to go the cash would at least provide Amorim with the PSR headroom to add players he does like. He claims things will be different next season, a sentiment echoed on MUTV by chief executive Omar Berrada.
“I can’t talk about specifics but I can say we have been planning for many months now,” he said.
“We were ready for all the different scenarios and now know what we need to do. We have a very clear idea where we need to invest in the squad to improve. Now it’s a question of executing that plan and doing it in a way that is prudent but, at the same time, with ambition.”
The reasons to trust Berrada are as slender as those in support of Amorim. The whole Ineos project is dependent on the continued faith of United fans. Love is blind, of course. Until it isn’t.