Man Utd
Ferguson Says Manchester United Face a Long Rebuild but Praises New Signings
Ferguson warns United may wait a decade for another Premier League title but praises summer signings
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned that Manchester United may be some years away from another Premier League triumph, while expressing cautious optimism about recent recruitment.
Ferguson suggested a long cycle could lie ahead after a turbulent period at the club. Over the subsequent 12 years, there have been six permanent coaching appointments and not a single serious title challenge between them. Ruben Amorim, the current incumbent, was appointed midway through a 15th-place finish last term, the club’s lowest league position since they were relegated in 1974. At that point, Ferguson was still playing for Ayr United.
The Scot, remembered for his 13 Premier League titles, also reflected on his own early struggles. Midway through the 1989–90 campaign, which would see United slump to 13th, fan discontent produced a banner reading: “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap… ta ra Fergie.” He contrasted that era with Liverpool’s later wait for a title, which was ended by Jürgen Klopp in 2020.
“I remember looking back on my own time there [at Man Utd], starting off when Liverpool were the bee’s knees,” Ferguson recalled in an interview with Press Box PR this week. “They were a fantastic club winning the European Cup four times and all that, but then it took them 31 years to win the league again.
“We are now in the same situation. It could be 10 years, could be 11 years, because of that cycle. It has to be thought out carefully and we have to make sure the recruitment is going to be better than what it was.”
Despite his warning, Ferguson praised United’s summer business and singled out the new goalkeeper. “I think the appointment of the goalkeeper has made a difference,” the 83-year-old noted. “He’s young at 23, he’s quick, a big lad, good feet and hands, and I think that helps. I think they have needed that player. United have always had inspirational players over the years. I think that has helped.
“The other two, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, they look as if they will contribute to the recovery of our form.”
Amorim politely rejected the long-timeline prediction. “He understands football more than me, especially English football,” the Portuguese told assembled media on Friday. “I think we will not take that long to win a league and I don’t know which manager is going to be here, but I truly believe that we can fight for the title in the next years. I think it’s not going to take so many years, but you never know.”
Man Utd
Amorim criticises academy culture after players’ social-media response
Amorim labelled some academy players ‘entitled’ and warned the club must change its culture. in 2025
Ruben Amorim again addressed concerns about the attitude of Manchester United’s younger players on Friday, singling out members of the academy as “entitled” and saying none had come to his office to discuss his earlier comments. The manager made the remarks ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa and defended his broader message about standards within the club.
Bruno Fernandes’ recent interview also featured in the discussion. Amorim confirmed the 31-year-old had spoken to officials before conducting the interview, the manager noting the captain “said what he is feeling.”
Amorim pointed to the reaction from some academy graduates after he previously questioned standards. Chido Obi and Harry Amass posted pictures on social media celebrating individual successes after suggestions they were not meeting the standards required to be a Man Utd player.
Amorim said his intent was not to be negative but that the players’ responses illustrated a wider cultural problem. “Sometimes strong words is not bad words, sometimes difficult moments is not the bad things for the kids,” Amorim said.
“We don’t need to be always with accolades in everything in every situation, we are not helping. That’s why when you guys talk about a lot of players nowadays that they go against the clubs and everything happened because they feel entitlement.
“I have that feeling all the time that we need to fight against this feeling. Sometimes I’m the first one to say that I’m failing this club inside the pitch, I have that feeling we are not performing the way we should be but outside the pitch, I guarantee you I’m not failing to this club.
“I think it’s something in our club, and we talk about the players sometimes forget about what it means to play for Manchester United. We as a club sometimes forget who we are and that’s that’s the feeling that I have. I understand everything is the environment, is the moment of the players, the kids they feel entitled.
“They feel free to respond to the manager with a picture, my office is open, nobody is coming to talk to me. And that is the way we can solve things. I think we need to change first as a club and then everything is going to change.”
On the reaction to his remarks he added: “I didn’t say anything wrong. I just spoke about how the luck of playing for Manchester United,” he continued. “Sometimes you play for Manchester United and you go see different realities and you understand that football can be so different and that you are really lucky to be in Manchester United.
“That was my point but, again, let’s move on and with the time that I think these things will change.”
Off the field Amorim is also trying to secure more consistent performances. United are sixth in the Premier League, an improvement on last season, but they continue to frustrate, most recently in Monday’s 4–4 draw with Bournemouth, a game in which they surrendered a 2–1 lead to trail 3–2, went 4–3 up and then conceded a late equaliser to Eli Junior Kroupi.
Barcelona
Only Four Soccer Clubs Feature in Forbes’ 2025 Top 50 Most Valuable Teams
Four soccer clubs appear in Forbes’ 2025 top 50 valuations; Real Madrid leads at $6.75bn. Read more.
Forbes’ 2025 valuations underline a simple truth: global sports wealth remains concentrated outside soccer even as the game retains massive global support. Forbes estimates that 20 soccer clubs worldwide carry a value of at least $1 billion, yet when measured against the richest franchises across all sports, soccer clubs are part of the crowd rather than the clear leaders.
Forbes again places the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys top of the list at $13 billion, a figure that represents 29% growth from 2024. The Golden State Warriors ($11 billion), LA Rams ($10.5 billion), New York Giants ($10.1 billion) and LA Lakers ($10 billion) complete the five teams that reach 11-figure valuations in 2025.
Forbes calculates a team’s value as its “enterprise value (equity plus net debt) and include the economics of each team’s stadium but not the value of the stadium real estate itself.” That approach produces a list where the first soccer club appears at 20th overall: Real Madrid is valued at $6.75 billion. That remains an enormous valuation, even if it sits well below the very top of the overall rankings.
Manchester United, despite consistently documented on-field problems and substantial debt, stands at $6.6 billion and is tied for 24th place overall. Barcelona follows at $5.65 billion and 42nd overall. Liverpool creeps inside the global top 50, tied at 48th place with two North American franchises, and is valued at $5.4 billion.
Those four clubs are the only soccer representatives among the 50 most valuable sports teams in the world in 2025. The figures underline how the biggest soccer clubs operate on a huge commercial scale but also how other sports, notably the NFL and elite NBA franchises, continue to lead the global valuation table.
Man Utd
Amorim: Kobbie Mainoo Won’t Be Punished Over Family T-Shirt; Selection Based on Merit
Amorim: Mainoo not to be punished for family member’s t-shirt; selection based on performance. ahead
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has made clear that Kobbie Mainoo will not be held responsible for the actions of a family member and that the incident will not dictate the midfielder’s involvement on matchday.
Amorim was not questioned about the episode in the immediate press conference after the Bournemouth game because reporters were still grasping and verifying what had happened as he spoke. He left before any line of questioning could reach the subject.
When the matter was raised at the next media appearance, ahead of United’s trip to Aston Villa, Amorim sought to downplay its significance and to separate the player from the actions of a relative. “It was not Kobbie that wore the t-shirt,” Amorim declared. “He is not going to start because of the t-shirt, but he’s not going to the bench because of the t-shirt.”
On selection, Amorim reiterated the position he has applied to Mainoo this season. “He’s going to play if we feel that he is the right guy to play,” Amorim offered.
Mainoo received a loud reception from supporters on Monday when he waited by the side of the pitch to replace Casemiro with just over an hour played. The England international subsequently impressed, even though United couldn’t hold onto a 4–3 lead in the closing stages.
The Stockport-born talent was denied a loan request in August and is reportedly looking for a temporary move again next month. There is no suggestion in the manager’s comments that Mainoo has been in contact about his lack of starts.
“He played really well [against Bournemouth]. So, that is the important thing,” Amorim explained. “My office is always open, nobody went there this week, so I think everything is normal and we are ready to go to Villa.
“Every problem in our football club, it’s still me who has to deal with that, but it will take time. But again, my door is always open and there was not Kobbie. The job of Kobbie is to train and to play, I felt he did really well this game [against Bournemouth]. So, that is the most important thing for me. If he has to play, he’s going to play. If he’s not going to play, he’s not going to play.”
