Jesse Lingard Shades Manchester United; Says They Are Far Behind

In an explosive interview, English footballer Jesse Lingard attacked his previous team Manchester United, claiming the organization is ‘behind’ other premier league powerhouses.

The attacker from Nottingham Forest who left United in July of last year launched an attack on the team, saying they are lost in the past and have lost all control ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left.

He said in an interview with The Diary of a CEO Podcast that United briefed the media against him after a loan agreement with Newcastle fell through in January.

The arrangement, according to Lingard, “was done” until United’s Director of Football John Murtough called to say he would no longer be departing and questioned as to if his motive for leaving was to take “days off.”

“I wanted to go on loan in January, because I wasn’t playing – again – and Newcastle was on the cards,” Lingard told the podcast.

“The deal was done and everything, but obviously the United squad wasn’t big enough.

“So, they let a couple of players go out on loan, but when it came to me, John Murtough rang and said ‘No, you’re not going on loan.’

“I was like, ‘Well, he’s gone on loan – let me go and enjoy my football as I’m not playing here.’ He asked ‘What do you want, days off?’ and I said ‘No, I just want to go and play football.’

“So, then they stopped the loan – I was pissed – and when he said ‘Did I want days off’, so I messaged him and said ‘I am going to take two days off now, just because you said that’.

“Then they put out ‘Jesse’s asked for two days off in the media,’ I was like ‘what?’ I went on Twitter straight away and put the facts out there.’

After spending 23 years at Manchester United, Lingard eventually departed the team in July 2022, making an unexpected move to the newly promoted Nottingham Forest.

Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge when Lingard first joined Manchester United, but he feels the club has declined since he left the position.

“There was no control. When Ferguson was there, it was full control. A fortress – everything went through him. Contracts, commercial deals, everything.

“Of course, generations change, players grow up and people have a voice. When things are getting said about you that are not true, you are going to voice your opinion.

“It wouldn’t have happened back in the day – it would have been squashed there and then with Sir Alex. But now, people have got platforms to voice their own opinion and write what they want.”

The 30-year-old feels that United cannot compete with its modern rivals.

He said, “They’re so behind on everything. You see City’s facilities, Tottenham’s facilities…people are miles ahead. Even the social side of things.

“I went to them in 2017 about YouTube and doing content – I just wanted them to get up to date with everything and the new things that are happening. You have to be relevant and stay relevant.”

In addition, Lingard used his close friend and former United player Paul Pogba, who had little impact during his time in the team, as an illustration of how far the team had descended.

“There was no control, no structure, people doing what they want – it was like a free-for-all,” he said.

“People saying stuff that had never happened at United, people saying stuff on Twitter, what happened with Paul – he got a lot of scrutiny but the guy is one of the best midfielders in the world.

“I’ve known him since he was like 16 – the kid has got talent, one of the best midfielders in the world and still he can’t perform at United. So there’s something wrong in some ways if he can’t perform. Then during the season he goes to France and sees how he plays there. I can’t say what it is. I enjoyed my time under Jose there.

“We don’t know [who’s calling the shots],” Lingard revealed. “And of course now they want to sell the club. We were just behind on a lot of things. Players didn’t really take a view.

“You want that modern things, you want the things that are popping off at the time but we don’t know who calls the shots on the training ground and that sort of thing. Flash training ground, best facilities, no one talking in the press about the team.”