United players upset at criticism, didums

[Ludens the Red]

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claims that some family members of Manchester United players have been in touch with him to complain about negative coverage of the players in question.

Luckhurst didn’t name any names, but said that one player, who is fairly peripheral at Man Utd, has a social media team who weren’t too pleased with something he’d written, and this was flagged up by the player’s father.
Another player, who is more of a regular in the United first-team, also doesn’t seem to have responded well to criticism, with a family member sending Luckhurst an abusive email before later claiming to have been hacked.
This seems pretty embarrassing for the Red Devils, with so many of their players seeming to lack the winning mentality of some of the club legends of old.
This MUFC side has been majorly under-performing this season, and Luckhurst suggests in his latest MEN piece that they could perhaps learn to be a bit better at dealing with any constructive criticism that comes their way.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ed-players-complain-about-media-coverage/amp/

Not at all surprising.. mentally weak team can’t handle criticism shocker. Maguire and Bruno are two players who’ve come out whinging over criticism over the past year. That’s our captain and best player… which speaks volumes.
Wondering who these players are who’s family members are crying to the press….
Numerous players constantly apologising through that media relations wanker after every embarrassing defeat.
Do our players have no shame ? At all? Seriously ?

 

[SATA]

Assuming it isn’t fabricated talk, come let’s guess who are the two players

 

[stefan92]

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claims that some family members of Manchester United players have been in touch with him to complain about negative coverage of the players in question.


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ed-players-complain-about-media-coverage/amp/

Not at all surprising.. mentally weak team can’t handle criticism shocker. Maguire and Bruno are two players who’ve come out whinging over criticism over the past year. That’s our captain and best player… which speaks volumes.
Wondering who these players are who’s family members are crying to the press….
Numerous players constantly apologising through that media relations wanker after every embarrassing defeat.
Do our players have no shame ? At all? Seriously ?

For the fringe player I might understand this. If it is someone who feels mismanaged and is not given any chances by Ole I can fully understand a reaction like: "Why are you criticising me? I give it all during training sessions and I am not even allowed to play?"

For a regular player who can be criticised for what he is doing on the pitch, it is a different thing. If you get criticism for your actual performance you have to live with it.

 

[Moby]

I was thinking what in the world took over @Solius 's brain.

 

[Chairman Steve]

I feel like this video is relevant

Spoiler: VID

 

[11101]

The players should have thicker skins but I do sort of side with them. The media, especially ex-players, have been all too happy to crucify our players to deflect any and all criticism away from Ole and their mates in the coaching staff. It would piss me off too.

 

[Ixion]

I've said it before our team may look good on paper but it means nothing. When it actually gets to the latter stages of the Champions League or is still in a title race come the end of April then I'll believe it. Right now I think they are mentally weak.

 

[OleBoiii]

I was thinking what in the world took over @Solius 's brain.

Also, does this mean that @Solius is not red?!

 

[Jippy]

The players should have thicker skins but I do sort of side with them. The media, especially ex-players, have been all too happy to crucify our players to deflect any and all criticism away from Ole and their mates in the coaching staff. It would piss me off too.

Ole has been shredded in virtually every national media outlet for weeks now, with the BBC particularly virulent. It's bollocks they're going soft on him just because the official press conferences are tame.

 

[11101]

Ole has been shredded in virtually every national media outlet for weeks now, with the BBC particularly virulent. It's bollocks they're going soft on him just because the official press conferences are tame.

Until the Liverpool game that was not true. It was 'the players are not performing for him'.

Ever watch Sky Sports? On there it still is.

 

[kouroux]

For the fringe player I might understand this. If it is someone who feels mismanaged and is not given any chances by Ole I can fully understand a reaction like: "Why are you criticising me? I give it all during training sessions and I am not even allowed to play?"

For a regular player who can be criticised for what he is doing on the pitch, it is a different thing. If you get criticism for your actual performance you have to live with it.

Maybe it's one of those rare regular performing players who doesn't wanna be put in the same criticism as the others ?

 

[Jippy]

Until the Liverpool game that was not true. It was 'the players are not performing for him'.

Ever watch Sky Sports? On there it still is.

Not sure when it turned, whether it was Liverpool or before tbh but McNulty is revelling in the 'out his depth' stuff. All fair criticisms, just feels like he relishes writing it with a malicious ABU gusto.

EDIT: Not seen Sky since I moved East, so only hear about Neville's latest rants on here.

 

[Ixion]

This doesn't strike me as someone who takes criticism well

 

[hobbers]

Lingard and Shaw.

Lingard's dad is acting as his agent now after Raiola dumped him. Shaw is definitely the sort of wimp to get his family to write to journos.

 

[Rightnr]

Poor little millionaires don't like being called out for their inadequate peformances.

Cry me a river.

Ole has been shredded in virtually every national media outlet for weeks now, with the BBC particularly virulent. It's bollocks they're going soft on him just because the official press conferences are tame.

He's not been 'shredded', he's getting just criticism after getting away with awful peformances for 3 years. This type of response is RAWK-worthy.

 

[Oranges038]

I have an idea and it might seem a bit radical.

If you don't want to be criticised or receive negative comments about your performances.

Don't play so shit, don't do moany interviews, don't post shitty unbelievable apologies on social media and don't do a shitty goal celebration after scoring against Albania.

Edit - forgot this.

Spoiler

 

[Dan_F]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with constructive criticism, Luckhurst isn’t that though. The points probably still stand and the players deserved to be criticised, but Luckhurst is unbearable.

 

[Idxomer]

The culture has changed.

 

[croadyman]

I have an idea and it might seem a bit radical.

If you don't want to be criticised or receive negative comments about your performances.

Don't play so shit, don't do moany interviews, don't post shitty unbelievable apologies on social media and don't do a shitty goal celebration after scoring against Albania.

Yeah and actually push for a better manager instead of just saying garbage like we love him but knowing full well he's way out of his depth

 

[smi11ie]

A squad should be a constantly fluctuating organism. Ferguson was the master of this, he never let things stagnate. The current team is too predictable.

 

[Gazautd18]

Reckon we'll figure it out from the next goal celebration vs Minnows Utd

 

[OleBoiii]

There are only 6 players that have received heavy criticism this season: Maguire, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Pogba and Ronaldo.

It's not Ronaldo as he is always under fire. That is the nature of GOAT-like players. It's probably not Fred or McTominay, as they ought to be used to this shit by now. The same should apply to Pogba, but we know how unprofessional he is so I wouldn't rule it out.

That leaves Shaw and Maguire.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

There is a huge disconnect between the club and fans. Huge.

 

[Green_Red]

This doesn't strike me as someone who takes criticism well

Someone should turn this into a meme with the caption, "how many clean sheets?"

 

[DWelbz19]

If there's any player and family members are being referenced - I would very much wager Maguire is one of them. His brother and his sister both tweet/like/retweet a lot of Maguire related stuff so they're very involved in the online circles on twitter and would see the criticism first-hand.

 

[kps88]

There are only 6 players that have received heavy criticism this season: Maguire, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Pogba and Ronaldo.

It's not Ronaldo as he is always under fire. That is the nature of GOAT-like players. It's probably not Fred or McTominay, as they ought to be used to this shit by now. The same should apply to Pogba, but we know how unprofessional he is so I wouldn't rule it out.

That leaves Shaw and Maguire.

I'd add Wan Bissaka as well who has been criticized by MEN. Our core of British players just aren't there yet mentally.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

maguire such a dummy. Nobody gives a shite that you scored a goal against san marino or whatever dead rubber trash team it was. Keep a clean sheet once in a while for your club team and maybe hit a target once in a while in high quality games from the one million headers you have shanked for united on corners.

 

[acnumber9]

Lingard and Shaw.

Lingard's dad is acting as his agent now after Raiola dumped him. Shaw is definitely the sort of wimp to get his family to write to journos.

First two that jumped instantly to my mind. They’d have got eaten alive in the dressing room of our successful teams.

 

[smi11ie]

maguire such a dummy. Nobody gives a shite that you scored a goal against san marino or whatever dead rubber trash team it was. Keep a clean sheet once in a while for your club team and maybe hit a target once in a while in high quality games from the one million headers you have shanked for united on corners.

He has missed so many great chances for Utd but he always seems to score for England. Maguire needs more pressure, he is not getting enough from the staff at Utd.

 

[croadyman]

There is a huge disconnect between the club and fans. Huge.

Yeah has been since 2005

 

[Devil’s Trident]

If the family members are involved in complaining and abusing luckhurst then it is most likely the British players. My list is Maguire, Shaw, Mctominay.

 

[tomaldinho1]

All the talk of the 'United way' and 'cultural reset' and Ole basically created a sheltered clique where form is irrelevant, there are favourites and now the vultures are circling, these players who have been told their farts smell of roses are unsurprisingly wilting under the waves of criticism that comes with being a United player out of form.

On paper this should be my favourite United team for a while, in reality they feel so distant, so disinterested with pushing for success and simply focused on soundbites and hollow words to appease fans, I actually feel more affinity towards the teams of Mou (first two seasons), LVG and Moyes.

 

[holdsteady]

Pogba's brother spouting off wouldnt be out of the question

 

[Idxomer]

Pogba's brother spouting off wouldnt be out of the question

He wouldn't be contacting Samuel Luckhurst if he wanted to talk about him.

 

[Ali Dia]

The players should have thicker skins but I do sort of side with them. The media, especially ex-players, have been all too happy to crucify our players to deflect any and all criticism away from Ole and their mates in the coaching staff. It would piss me off too.

quite a lot of these players are on their second and some on their third get out of jail free “it’s not me, it’s the manager, again” card. What will the board do? Sign them up for five more years of course.

 

[JB7]

There are only 6 players that have received heavy criticism this season: Maguire, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Pogba and Ronaldo.

It's not Ronaldo as he is always under fire. That is the nature of GOAT-like players. It's probably not Fred or McTominay, as they ought to be used to this shit by now. The same should apply to Pogba, but we know how unprofessional he is so I wouldn't rule it out.

That leaves Shaw and Maguire.

Neither of which are "peripheral", so back to the drawing board for the pathetic scapegoaters like you.

 

[Mindhunter]

For some reason I read that United players upset at criticism and dimsums

 

[SuperiorXI]

Love the 'hacked' excuse, just digs a deeper hole.

 

[OleBoiii]

Neither of which are "peripheral", so back to the drawing board for the pathetic scapegoaters like you.

Well, they are the only players who have gotten heavy critique in the media(I reckon you could throw AWB in there as well), so who else could it be?

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

Luckhurst wrote another good article about this sort of thing during the summer that went under the radar.

In it, he heavily infers that all the players he's talking about are British and also notes that it isn't Shaw (who has 'never once complained')

Back when Manchester Evening News reporters buzzed around the newsroom, the football desk phone rang and I had the dubious privilege of being sat an arm’s length away from it.

The caller was looking to speak to Samuel Luckhurst. I had never spoken to the caller before. A Manchester United player’s unflattering player rating from a goalless draw was mentioned and the caller sought an explanation. Initially presuming it was just a disgruntled reader, it turned out to be a PR adviser for one of the players.

Nearly two years later, the brother of the offended player mentioned my Instagram handle in a Story on his public profile, referring to the rating. It never ceases to amaze how fixated fans become with player ratings but it is a bit of a jolt when it bugs a player or a member of their entourage.

An associate of the family (an online search quickly confirmed it) threatened me with violence over the apparent bad press - on Twitter, naturally. ‘Manchester United footballer’s brother and friend troll journalist and associate threatens violence over player rating’ would have been an intriguing headline but it did not merit a mention in morning conference.

With a wider distance between players and media, paranoia is easily fueled. A former player's wife took umbrage with me at the mention of her husband’s performance in an infamous League Cup thrashing quarter-final thrashing.

A current United player has a dedicated media team tasked with assessing every sentence that is written about him, which is an issue in itself.

I am blocked by a United player on Twitter and by the sibling representative of another on the same platform. Another player has blocked me on Instagram, although that appears to be his relative’s doing. Both players have been criticised and praised fairly in pieces, as every United player has.

The player who did the blocking on Twitter used to search his name on the site to read negative posts to channel them into positive performances. He never seemed likely to make it at United but he has.

It is startling how many footballers preach the maxim ‘surround yourself with those who see greatness within you’, or insist on ‘good vibes only’. Neither they, nor their entourage, countenance any form of constructive criticism, so when it is meted out by a blunt manager or a forthright columnist, they are devoid of coping mechanisms.

Luke Shaw has copped more flak than any other United player over the last decade yet has never once complained about poor press. Chris Smalling, another occasional whipping boy, never took a journalist to task during his decade at the club. Both are usually approachable and have been engaging with the media

Negativity is usually water off a duck’s back for the overseas players. David de Gea had to develop the skin of a rhinoceros in his first six months at United and is as unflappable as his demeanour. Paul Pogba is possibly the most scrutinised footballer at the most scrutinised football club on the planet but is not knocked off his stride by the Manchester pack. The most player-specific correspondence I get is from Swedish or Scandinavian readers appalled by my assessments of Victor Lindelof, yet Lindelof would not recognise me if I doorstepped him.

One current United defender became so irked by my assessments of his defending he complained to a member of staff and sought sympathy from a colleague.

We have an absurdly thin-skinned group of (British) players.

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