Manchester United faced a harsh reception after their recent 1-0 defeat to a South East Asia XI in Kuala Lumpur, with fans at Bukit Jalil Stadium expressing their frustration through loud boos. Despite the match being part of a post-season tour, the response was a reflection of the club’s ongoing struggles, culminating in their worst season since 1974.
Team manager Ruben Amorim appeared to accept the crowd’s reaction with humility, stating, “The boos might be what we needed. Throughout the Premier League losses, our fans stood by us. It’s good to feel their emotion.” Amorim, who joined United in November, is the club’s tenth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
This sentiment was echoed by defender Harry Maguire during a fan interaction event at Cooperage Football Ground in Mumbai. “When you’re at a club like Manchester United and have a bad season, the scrutiny is intense. It’s not just our fans – it comes from everywhere,” he admitted. “We must take responsibility. The criticism is justified.”
Manchester United’s season ended with a disappointing 15th-place finish in the Premier League, with only 11 wins from 38 games and no major trophies to show. While their tour in India has drawn friendlier responses, the discontent from fans worldwide remains.
Alongside Maguire, goalkeeper Andre Onana and defender Diogo Dalot are participating in the Apollo Tyres ‘United We Play’ grassroots initiative. The trio will soon travel to Hong Kong for another exhibition game, hoping to regroup and rebuild morale.
Dalot highlighted the toll that managerial instability has taken on the squad. “Since 2018, I’ve played under seven different managers. That shows the lack of consistency and stability. We’re working towards fixing that and returning to the top level.”
Though the domestic season was a disaster, United made it to the Europa League final. However, a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham crushed their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. “It was heartbreaking. We only conceded one shot on target and lost from that,” said Maguire. “That sums up our season – solid defence but not enough goals.”
Looking ahead, Maguire stressed that the focus will be on rebuilding. “There will be changes in the squad. We need to restore Manchester United’s identity and return to winning ways.”
