The recent leaks of discontent within the Manchester United dressing room are thought to all stem from just two players, with the remainder of the squad furious with these individuals for their actions.
Jacque Talbot (footballtransfers.com) reveals that while there are some “rifts” at Old Trafford at present, the “majority of the squad” feel the press releases over the past twenty-four hours are “not reflective of the situation at the club.”
Talbot believes the dressing room is “angry” with the two players responsible, whose media teams have been leaking misinformation to the press about half of the squad having lost faith in Erik ten Hag.
Told Man United squad are angry at two players for leaking stories to the media. For @Transfersdotcom https://t.co/PzbSeTvmyn
— Jacque Talbot (@jac_talbot) December 5, 2023
The cause of these two individuals’ grievances are thought to be displeasure with the “amount of running” they are subject to in training, as well as being “chosen (or not chosen) in a certain position in the starting XI.”
Talbot believes there is a sense amongst certain players that they “have the power to remove a head coach, having done so before, when things are not going their way.”
So if we are to don our Sherlock Holmes hat for a moment, we are left with two players who have either been on the bench or out-of-position recently, whose work-rate has also been questioned. These are then players who have been at Old Trafford during multiple managers’ tenures, as they have reportedly been responsible for previous coaches’ departures.
It becomes, therefore, very evident very quickly who Talbot may be referring to in his report.
What is equally evident, however, is the contempt with which these players are treating their fan base. Jose Mourinho; Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer; Ralf Rangnick – we has seen this pathetic playbook time and time before.
A section of the Old Trafford dressing room, whom do not like, or agree, with the manager’s methods, proceed to down tools, and subsequently leak information to the press of said manager’s incompetence or the players’ lack of faith in them.
A P45 form on the manager’s desk promptly follows.
The executive branch at Old Trafford must break the tradition of cowering to player power this time. While there are undoubtedly valid reasons to be doubtful of Ten Hag this season, these leaks are the symptom of a deep rot at the club; a rot that goes far deeper than the manager.
If the club decides to indulge a few bad apples once again, the cycle will reset, and we will be discussing the dressing room’s issue with United’s next manager in two years time. United must stop repeating the mistakes of the past if the club is to have any hope in the future.