The Red Devils, only 8th in the English championship and eliminated in the first round of the Champions League, are going through a complicated period. They will have to bounce back during “Boxing day”, Tuesday evening against Aston Villa.
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The day after Christmas, and as tradition dictates, English football does not take a vacation with the famous “Boxing Day”. The Premier League offers several great posters on Tuesday December 26, including the meeting between Manchester United and Aston Villa (9 p.m.), unexpected third in the championship after 18 days. Conversely, the Red Devils are experiencing a difficult period both on and off the field, with a poor 8th place and internal turmoil. The coach, the Dutchman Erik ten Hag, is more threatened than ever and the club has just changed sporting direction.
Marcus Rashford is a perfect symbol of this period. The young striker, England’s great football hope, now 26 years old, goes through matches like a ghost: he no longer scores, doesn’t run much either and clearly doesn’t want to. He is said to be cold to his coach, like several members of the locker room.
A pitiful elimination in Europe
The Dutch manager, who managed to qualify United for the Champions League last season, now no longer finds the solution. “First, we have problems. Several hard knocks, injuries, etc… But the players on the pitch are good enough to win matches. If you play for Manchester United, you have to do it as a team but each must be accountable and take responsibility.”declared Erik ten Hag at a press conference.
Manchester United have lost half of the matches played this season, in all competitions. Worse: the club was pitifully eliminated from all European competitions by finishing last in its Champions League group, behind the Danes of Copenhagen and the Turks of Galatasaray.
Nice owner Jim Ratcliffe to the rescue
The Red Devils are also in the midst of upheaval in the offices. Jim Ratcliffe, the founder of Ineos and owner of OGC Nice, has just arrived after almost a year of twists and turns. The billionaire paid 1.25 billion pounds (around 1.4 billion euros) to buy 25% of the club from the Glazer family, owner for years and reviled by Mancunian supporters. This partial buyout, made official on Sunday December 24, allows it to take charge of the sports sector.
The new boss, an avowed United fan, proclaims his ambition: “Seeing Manchester United where they belong, at the pinnacle of English, European and world football.” The work promises to be immense for this sleeping giant, whose last championship title dates back to 2013.