Manchester United icon David Beckham has spoken out against certain current players at the club, accusing them of showing disrespect towards supporters and contrasting their actions with those of earlier United squads.
Beckham, who played for United from 1992 to 2003 and was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1999 under Sir Alex Ferguson, did not name specific players or incidents. However, he drew a comparison between the current Manchester United team and the Paris Saint-Germain side that recently reached the Champions League final.
During a live broadcast of the Champions League final on Paramount+ titled `Beckham and Friends Live,` he commented on PSG: “`Their philosophy has changed and they all stuck with it and I think that they`ve created a team that are together.` He added, `They are together as a team, every individual, every player is running for every [player] and that`s what you want. When you`re a fan of a club, that`s what you want to see and that`s … not what we see at Manchester United. You`re not seeing that.`”
When questioned whether his criticism was aimed at club management or the players, Beckham clarified that he was referring to the players.
“`It`s tough times but I don`t like seeing some of the things that are going on at the club,` he continued. `On the pitch is what counts but in all honesty, I`m seeing a lot of things that are not on the pitch that are not okay in my eyes, as a fan and as a lover of Manchester United.`”
He further compared the current team to the one he played on, suggesting that he and his teammates demonstrated more respect for fans than the unnamed players in question.
Beckham elaborated: “`I`m talking about sometimes the way players are acting… You have to represent the badge and that`s what it`s about and I`ve seen a lot of things where players are not acting in the right manner. We were a part of a team that was so well-mannered. We understood what it meant to play for Manchester United. We understood what the badge meant. Wherever we traveled, whether it was in Europe, whether it was in Asia, you respected the fans. You respect the fans. You respect the fans, you respect the fact that they`re turning up, paying money and wanting you to sign and take pictures. You respect that. I don`t see that. I`m not saying it`s all of the players. I`m saying it`s one or two that are disrespecting that and I don`t like that.`”
Manchester United recently finished their worst-ever season in the Premier League, ending up in 16th place and failing to secure a spot in European competition for the upcoming campaign. Their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final the previous week added to their difficulties. A post-season tour of Asia also contributed to the negative sentiment, marked by a 1-0 loss to the ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia, despite concluding the tour with a 3-1 victory against Hong Kong`s national team.
