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Man Utd's new transfer policy is working - 'drama' has left the building
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 7 Nov 2025 12:41 GMT
- 5 min read
Nieuws
It seems there is a more harmonious atmosphere at Manchester United these days.
While the Red Devils may not be where they want to be on the pitch just yet, there are signs of recent improvement under Ruben Amorim.
What is certain is that dressing room dramas appear to be a thing of the past.
Over the last few years, there have been constant stories emerging of disagreements between players, coaches, staff and management.
When Cristiano Ronaldo left United after his second stint, he said of then-manager Erik ten Hag:
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
Ten Hag, around that time, also famously sent Jadon Sancho to play and train with the reserves after complaints about the player's attitude and performances in training.
Sancho is still owned by Man Utd, but he will leave at the expiration of his contract after his third loan move away in as many years.
More recently, there was Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, both of whom saw their form drop off a cliff last season.
In December of 2024, both players were dropped from the squad for the Manchester derby and Amorim explained why, telling reporters:
“It is important to say why. It was not a disciplinary thing - next week, next game, new life. They are fighting for the places but for me it’s important for me the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with the team-mates, the way you push your team-mates.
"Everything is important in our context in the beginning of changing a lot of things, when people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to put the standards really high. For that, they have to fight for the place in the team and today the team proved that we can leave anyone outside the squad. You can manage to win if we play together.”
“I’m going to say again, it was not a disciplinary thing. It was the small details."
Rashford is now on loan at Barcelona and is expected to join the Blaugrana on a permanent basis, while Garnacho was sold to Chelsea at a discounted price.
This season, even though the team had a rough time on the pitch in the first half a dozen matches, there have been no such stories of drama.
In fact, by all accounts, everyone is now pulling in the same direction at Old Trafford.
“Character is really important,” Leny Yoro, who joined last season, told The I Paper.
“The club is doing well with this, to take only people who can bring good things. We don’t want any bad things. It’s really important to be focused on the team.
“We don’t do any drama. Just speak with everyone, have a good relationship. This is the best for the team. We cannot build something with bad energy or bad atmosphere, or bad characters.”
No 'Harlem Globetrotters' at Man Utd
Director of football Jason Wilcox has outlined some details about the current transfer strategy under owners Ineos at Old Trafford.
Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co. took over the club, there has been a noticeable change in strategy to go after younger players who have the ability to improve and potentially be sold on.
United had spent years chasing established stars on huge contracts and that, obviously, didn't work out as they haven't won the Premier League since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Wilcox name-dropped exhibition basketball team Harlem Globetrotters as a route that the club were actively looking to avoid. Instead of sensationalist theatre, they are looking now more towards function.
"I think you have to bring players in that bring something different to the changing room," he told the official club website.
"The most important thing is that, whenever we bring in a player, they have to want to improve and they have to be a team player, and understand what it means to be part of a successful team.
"It is not about putting the Harlem Globetrotters together. If I look at successful Man United teams, there were very functional players that would die for the badge and there were some mavericks.
"When you talk about Eric Cantona, when you hear anybody talk about him, he was the ultimate professional.
"What we have got to do, despite all the noise, we have just got to remain calm and understand that we are heading in a positive direction.
"We are going to have bumps in the road and it's important that we smooth out the bumps and not get over excited or too disappointed."
United have had a tough time under current boss Ruben Amorim, but things have improved recently as they have gone on a four-match undefeated streak.
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